Think about the great composers of the early 20th century and George Gershwin and Cole Porter should be right near the top of the list.
They are two of the most preeminent songwriters for what is known as the Great American Songbook and their music is some of the most memorable from that time period. And the Capital Jazz Orchestra will take you back in time on Sunday at the Concord City Auditorium with its show, “S’Wonderful & De-Lovely: An Evening of George Gershwin and Cole Porter.”
This just so happens to be the year that Gershwin would have turned 120 years old, so it was an easy decision to bring back the show for all of those fans who can’t get enough of the duo’s creations – or those who want a little introduction to the music of that era.
The show will feature guest vocalist Cat Faulkner, who will be performing in front of the Capital Sextet, made up of first chair musicians of the Capital Jazz Orchestra. There’s CJ Poole on bass and music director for the show. Andrew Gravish, out of New York City, will play the trumpet and Arnie Krakowsky is the tenor sax. David Sparr is on piano, with Paul Bourgelais (guitar) and James Lattini (drums) rounding out the six spots for the show’s music.
“These musicians are some of the best,” said Skip Poole, the Capital Jazz Orchestra’s music director.
The reason for the small orchestra instead of the full Capital Jazz accompaniment is because the music of Gershwin and Porter was performed this way. And just because it’s around 100 years after they were originally created, Poole believes its important to give an authentic feel to the show.
“It was performed in similar groupings, so that’s how we wanted to do it,” Poole said.
In addition to the music, Faulkner will also give some background to the pieces and narrate throughout the show so the audience gets the most out of the 90-minutes.
“We know that people want to come and be entertained,” Poole said. “So she’ll give a little history to the music during the performance.”
All arrangements were written specifically for the show by the Capital Jazz Orchestra’s pianist Jerry Ascione.
“It’s a unique show,” Poole said. “You can’t go anywhere else in the world to hear this show.”
Audience members might even get the feel of being at a 1930’s cabaret show in New York City, Poole said.
“This was the material of the day,” he said.
The songs of Gershwin and Porter will be intertwined throughout the two sets, and even if the music of that era isn’t your favorite or you’ve never even heard of the Great American Songbook, there’s a good chance you’ll recognize the selections.
“They might not know the titles, but they’ll know the music,” Poole said.
The show is a one-time only performance on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium. Tickets range from $28 to $38 and can be purchased at the Capitol Center for the Arts box office, by visiting ccanh.com/events/swonderful-and-de-lovely or calling 225-1111.
For more information about the Capital Jazz Orchestra, visit amitpresents.com.