Jazz renditions of nostalgic tunes is what’s on tap when the Sean Mason Quintet, the house band of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, takes the Heymann Performing Arts Center stage at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 14 with a jazz tribute to 100 years of Disney music, titled When You Wish Upon A Star.
Pianist Sean Mason leads his eponymous show-stopping Quintet through familiar tunes from famous Disney films that caught the ear of Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Dianne Reeves and other jazz greats. Singers Kim Nalley and Sasha Dobson join in for “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “He’s a Tramp,” “Everybody Wants to be a Cat,” “The Bare Necessities,” and other iconic songs in this look back on the impact of jazz on 100 years of Disney movie music.
Designed for jazz fans and families alike, the When You Wish Upon A Star program will add jazz influences and improvisation to familiar Disney tunes in a show that’s perfect for kids five-years-old and up.
Tickets for all performances are available at pasaonline.org or heymanncenter.com. Tickets may also be purchased by phone at (337) 291-5555 or in person at the Heymann Center box office, located at 1373 S. College Rd., in Lafayette. Box office hours are 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The show—which is touring through some of the most prestigious venues—is led by the esteemed Mason, one of the premier talents of his generation. National Public Radio’s Youngbloods series has called Mason “The jazz genius who is revolutionizing the genre." He has performed with an impressive list of jazz legends, including Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, and Herlin Riley.
Joining the Quintet is philanthropist and singer Kim Nalley, who has been named “Most influential African American in the Bay Area.” Nalley has performed with musical greats Rhoda Scott, David "Fathead" Newman, Houston Person, James Williams, and Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony. Her vocal range spans three and one-half octaves, regularly wowing audiences her stunning performances.
Sasha Dobson, one-third of the hit trio Puss n’ Boots that includes Catherine Popper and Norah Jones, joins Nalley on vocals. With band members Ahmad Johnson on drums, Corentin Le Hir on bass, Alicyn Yaffee on guitar, and Anthony Hervey on trumpet, the team of celebrated musicians swings with jazz arrangements of Disney’s popular soundtracks.
Although not associated with Disney, the Sean Mason Quintet concert features favorites songs from Disney movie catalog that includes Snow White, Lady and the Tramp, Mary Poppins and Toy Story, The Jungle Book and others. The reimagined songs have been arranged and recorded by Disney music fans who were also jazz greats: Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Dianne Reeves, Alfredo Rodriguez and many others. “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “He's a Tramp,” “Everybody Wants to be a Cat” and “The Bare Necessities,'' are some of the iconic songs that will be performed at PASA’s concert.
The group will also perform for Lafayette Parish Public School sixth graders in the morning on Wednesday, November 15.
PASA is committed to an inclusive theater and community experience for all of its patrons. The Heymann Center is an ADA-compliant
venue with accessible seating areas and a designated accessible entrance. Early seating is offered for those who need additional time to get to their seats. Infra-red listening devices are available free-of-charge for those with low hearing impairments and are available upon request. Additionally, PASA provides large print program notes and American Sign Language interpretation upon requests. Patrons with disabilities who have additional accessibility requests or who are in need of additional information are encouraged to contact the PASA office at 337-769-3231 or email info@pasaonline.org. The Heymann Center can be reached at 337-291-5540.
First Horizon, Sterling Automotive, Townsquare Media, Meritus Credit Union, Lafayette Music Company, and Darnell Sikes & Frederick/Darnell Sikes Wealth Management and the City Club at River Ranch are sponsors of this performance. PASA is also supported by grants from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, as administered by the Acadiana Center for the Arts. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment of the Arts and Lafayette Travel.
For more information, contact Jackie Lyle at jackie@pasaonline.org or call PASA at 337.769.3231.
About PASA: Performing Arts Serving Acadiana offers performing arts entertainment, focusing on dance, theater, and classical music, with occasional forays into other genres. PASA also delivers performing arts activities—master classes, workshops, lecture demonstrations and other offerings—in a variety of locations in the Acadiana area.
For more information about PASA or any of the performances, call PASA at (337) 769-3231 or email jackie@pasaonline.org.
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