Municipal News

Last Updated on Monday, 03 October 2016 00:11

TJ Arts is proud to announce its 7th annual Sweet Sweet Jazz benefit concert, a jazz festival featuring performances by some of Pittsburgh’s finest jazz musicians, current students and alumni from Thomas Jefferson High School at the TJHS Auditorium on Sunday, October 9, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.

Emcee Mike Tomaro performing an original piece at the 2015 Sweet Sweet Jazz.

Desserts catered by local businesses will sweeten the evening, starting at 5:30 p.m.

This year’s concert will delight jazz aficionados and musical theatre-lovers alike with a Broadway-inspired evening including sweet desserts, alumni, six Hall of Famers, local students and the snazziest, jazziest tunes.
The Broadway theme is a first for Sweet Sweet Jazz, but the universality of jazz remains constant. Attendees can look forward to renditions from their favorite musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, 42nd Street and even the recent Tony Award-winning phenomenon Hamilton throughout the evening.

The lineup includes:
• Emcee Mike Tomaro, Director of Jazz Studies at Duquesne University
• The Benny Benack band, led by Benny Benack, Jr.
• TJ Alumni Big Band, directed by Ray DeFade, Sr., and reuniting more than 20 TJ alumni musicians, including Pittsburgh Jazz Hall of Famers Benny Benack, Jr., Eric DeFade, Max Leake and Al Wrublesky
• Vocalists Kevin Kindlin and Dorette DeFade
• TJ High School Jazz Band, directed by Jim Mirabella
• A Cappella JagChoir, directed by Julie Lucci

Tickets for Sweet Sweet Jazz are $20 per adult and $10 for students 12 and under. Purchase at www.tj-arts.org, by calling 412-655-0747 or at the door, as available. Special rates are available for senior citizens.

Proceeds from Sweet Sweet Jazz will benefit students in all West Jefferson Hills schools by providing arts enrichment programs that reach all 3,000 students in the district; awarding four scholarships in the arts to graduating seniors; and funding performing arts lessons to students of artistic promise and financial need through the STArts Program.

Find TJ Arts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TJArts09 or Twitter @TJ_Arts09.