Spring Fling Free in the Plaza Festival at the Kimmel Center, April 15 to May 8
MARCH 31, 2009
Specially priced happy hour drinks will be available as well as savory tapas selections. The Commonwealth Plaza transforms into a casual, cabaret-style atmosphere with free live music by regional artists performing jazz, dance, classical and pop on stage.
And, there's more: each evening, a raffle drawing will take place for the chance to win special prizes; and, discounted tickets will be available for Kimmel Center Presents and Broadway Series presentations taking place that evening.
Need we say more? Spring has finally arrived at the Kimmel Center...
For more information about Spring Fling Free in the Plaza Festival, please visit our web site: www.kimmelcenter.org/free for the most up-to-date information on performance listings.
*except May 4
Below is a list of confirmed artists for the Spring Fling Free in the Plaza Festival, as well as regular Free at the Kimmel events throughout the months of April, May and June:
Friday, April 3, 2009 | 6:30pm and Post-Show (Approx. 10pm)
Commonwealth Plaza | Free in the Plaza
Mark Sweetman and The Cultural Society
Drummer, composer and producer Mark Sweetman originally hails from
Toronto, Canada's rich jazz community. Sweetman has released three
widely acclaimed CDs and is currently working on his fourth. Mark
Sweetman and the Cultural Society have received rave reviews at their
latest concerts; be prepared to hear a complexity of rhythms that echo
the great masters! Mark Sweetman and the Cultural Society will perform
in Commonwealth Plaza prior to and following the ticketed Blue Note
Records 70th Anniversary Tour performance in Verizon Hall.
Saturday, April 4, 2009 | 11am
Rendell Room | PNC Grow Up Great
Tap for Tots
Join Jaye Allison of Philly TAP Challenge "ON FIRE!" as she shares the
fun and rhythmic message of the heartbeat and its many expressions.
Short multi-media tap history lesson, Q&A and plenty of audience
participation included. This performance is part of the PNC Grow Up
Great series which presents child-friendly programming at 11am on the
first Saturday of every month in Commonwealth Plaza, unless otherwise
noted. Visit www.kimmelcenter.org/family for more information.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Dr. Ketchup
Dr. Ketchup is a five-piece instrumental project from Philadelphia
consisting of Rhodes piano and organ, tenor sax, trumpet, bass and
drums. Dr. Ketchup's style is a balance between jazz structure and a
funkified groove, a modal form of music that has been coined "Acid
Jazz." The band also embraces the Boogaloo beats from the late 60's to
create a jazz funk sound.
Friday, April 17, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Ryah Minyon
Ryah Minyon possesses the ability to connect with and captivate an
audience like no other songstress. A Brooklyn native, Minyon fuses
classical, jazz, R&B and gospel influences in a musical style that
is all her own. She has toured and performed with local community
choirs and major gospel choirs, as well as honing her theatrical
talents on stages nationally and internationally, including a recent
stint as “Nell Carter” in Ain’t Misbehavin’. In every performance,
Minyon engages audiences in a “musical experience” that blends the soul
and authenticity of yesterday’s music with the edge and limitless
possibilities of today.
Saturday, April 18, 2009 | Noon
Commonwealth Plaza | Free in the Plaza
Dream Flag Project
Inspired
by the poetry of Langston Hughes and the tradition of Nepalese Buddhist
prayer flags, the Dream Flag Project is an annual art and poetry
festival for regional students in grades K-12. Students read original
dream poems to improvised music. More than 2,000 flags—original dream
poems on fabric—will wrap the Kimmel Center in hope, wonder and beauty.
Saturday, April 18, 2009 | 5:30pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Mark Small Group
Mark Small is a tenor saxophonist most recently noted for touring the
world as a member of Michael Bublé's band. Living and playing in New
York City when not on tour, he can be found working with various other
jazz artists, composing and arranging as well as serving as an educator
on improvisation and composition.
Monday, April 20, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Philadelphia Youth Orchestra
One of the oldest youth orchestras in the country, the Philadelphia
Youth Orchestra has offered the opportunity for gifted and talented
students to be involved in extraordinary music education through its
orchestra training and performance programs since 1939. Ranging in age
from eight through 21 years, the musicians are selected by competitive
audition and come from the Delaware Valley and beyond.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | 5:45pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Mark Sylvester's New Music for Banjo
Multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Mark Sylvester will be
performing his newest compositions for banjo and small ensembles from
his 2009 CD, New Music for Banjo.
Sylvester will be joined by Matan Mintz on cello, Rebecca Kletzker on
viola and violin and Janna Ryon on oboe. All four musicians are members
of the WAMMIE- winning Great Noise Ensemble, a new music chamber
ensemble based in Washington, DC.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 | 5:45pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Tito Castro
In partnership with Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas
Tango
composer, arranger and performer Tito Castro has performed on the
bandoneon around the world for more than four decades, accompanying
some of the greatest singers and performers. Castro will perform a free
concert in Commonwealth Plaza as part of the Kimmel Center's Spring
Fling Free in the Plaza Festival.
Thursday, April 23, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
SIORA
The
SIORA ensemble performs contemporary world jazz: a blend of music from
Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., all with their own
unique arrangements. SIORA features the multilingual singing and fiery
dancing of Phyllis Chapell, who has been included in a book on the top
500 jazz vocalists of all time. Alongside Chapell is
composer/arranger/keyboardist Dan Kleiman who has recorded and
performed with Grammy®-winning saxophonist Ernie Watts, guitarist Mike
Stern, Benny Golson, Clyde Stubblefield and The Fifth Dimension.
Rounding out the group are bassist Steve Beskrone and drummer/vocalist
Paul Jost. SIORA's latest CD, Vis-à-vis, hit the top 50 in national jazz radio and garnered a four-star rating from Scott Yanow (All Music Guide, Jazz Times, Downbeat).
Friday, April 24, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Qandice
With a style all her own, Qandice displays a blend of soft rock, rhythm
and blues that she affectionately calls the "Heavenly Blues." Guitar Season, Qandice's latest release, reveals her deep love and admiration for the guitar.
Saturday, April 25, 2009 | Noon
Commonwealth Plaza | Free in the Plaza
Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble
Join us in celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month with the talented
students of the Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble as they perform a
free concert in Commonwealth Plaza. This will be the Ensemble's final
performance of the Kimmel Center 2008-2009 Season.
Saturday, April 25, 2009 | 5:45pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
The Mark Kramer Trio
Mark
Kramer is a Philadelphia-born jazz pianist, composer, arranger and
producer/engineer. Kramer's collaborations have included those with
Michael and Randy Brecker, Charles Fambrough, Stanley Clarke and Eric
Gravatt. According to jazz writer Scott Yanow (All Music Guide, Jazz Times, Downbeat),
Kramer's "piano playing moves the modern mainstream of jazz forward,
combining together his early influences and his formidable technique
with fresh ideas that form his own individual voice. He is a piano
giant who is finally being discovered."
Saturday, April 25, 2009 | Post-Show
Perelman Theater Stage | Artist Chat
Artist Chat: Alarm Will Sound
A free Artist Chat will take place in Perelman Theater following the
ticketed performance by Alarm Will Sound. The Artist Chat features that
evening's artists and Kimmel Center Vice President of Programming Tom
Warner, speaking about their music-making as well as taking questions
from the audience.
Monday, April 27, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Matt Davis' Aerial Photograph Quartet
Matt
Davis is an accomplished composer, performer and educator. His current
project, Aerial Photograph, combines the intimacy and complexities of
small chamber ensemble compositions mixed with elements of the
instrumentation and improvisation of jazz. Members of Aerial Photograph
will perform selected original pieces as a quartet.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Central Bucks High School Jazz Trio
Join
us for a free musical performance by the Central Bucks High School Jazz
Trio in Commonwealth Plaza as part of the Kimmel Center's Spring Fling
Free in the Plaza Festival.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Minas
The
name Minas is synonymous with Brazilian culture in the Philadelphia
area, impacting the region's music and cultural scene for 25 years.
Orlando Haddad and Patricia King, members of this Brazilian jazz band,
perform original works in Commonwealth Plaza as part of the Kimmel
Center's Spring Fling Free in the Plaza Festival.
Thursday, April 30, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
PHILADANCO presents D3
D/3,
the youth company to PHILADANCO, Philadelphia's premiere modern
contemporary dance company and resident company of the Kimmel Center,
will put on a performance that's sure to please all ages.
Thursday, April 30, 2009 | Post-Show
Perelman Theater Stage | Artist Chat
Artist Chat: Philadanco
The ticketed performance of Philadanco's New Faces: Choreographers for the Future
will conclude with a free Artist Chat featuring the evening's dancers
and Kimmel Center Vice President of Programming Tom Warner.
Friday, May 1, 2009 | 6pm and Post-Show
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Tin Bird Choir
Tin
Bird Choir is the husband-and-wife duo of Eric and Heather Hurlock
backed by musicians Josh Sceurman, Ellen Houle and Daniel Bower. They
have earned growing acclaim in the Philadelphia region for their
distinctive "alt-folk barn rock" sound. Rooted in the rural hulls of
Pennsylvania, Eric's original songs are built with organic harmonies
and melodies that range from lilting to urgent. It's an old sound with
a modern sensibility. This Spring Fling performance will take place
prior to the ticketed concert by Natalie MacMaster and David Bromberg
Big Band with special guest Angel Band in Verizon Hall.
Saturday, May 2, 2009 | 11am
Commonwealth Plaza | PNC Grow Up Great
PHILADANCO presents D3
D/3,
the youth company to PHILADANCO, Philadelphia's premiere modern
contemporary dance company and resident company of the Kimmel Center,
will put on a performance that's sure to please all ages. This is the
final performance of the PNC Grow Up Great series this season which
presents child-friendly programming at 11am on the first Saturday of
every month in Commonwealth Plaza, unless otherwise noted. Visit www.kimmelcenter.org/family for more information.
Saturday, May 2, 2009 | 1:30pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Free in the Plaza
New Horizons Glee Club
Under the direction of Selma Savitz, the New Horizons Glee Club returns
to the Commonwealth Plaza stage for its annual Kimmel Center concert
prior to the ticketed performance by organist James David Christie in
Verizon Hall.
Saturday, May 2, 2009 | 2:15pm
Verizon Hall | Artist Chat
Artist Chat: James David Christie
The ticketed concert by organist James David Christie will be preceded
by a free Artist Chat featuring Michael Barone, host of American Public
Media's "Pipedreams."
Saturday, May 2, 2009 | 5:30pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Karlie Bruce
Since
moving to New York City in 2005, Australian singer-songwriter Karlie
Bruce has performed in venues ranging from the famed Bitter End to
Carnegie Hall. Bruce opened for esteemed pianist Brad Mehldau in New
York, and has successfully toured Italy, Germany, Belgium and the Czech
Republic. She was awarded third place in the 2005 Shure Montreux Jazz
Voice Competition, and is a songwriter for BBC International
Television. Bruce can be heard playing in and around New York City with
"Things I Wonder," Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts, Sam Sadigursky's
"The Words Project," Brooklyn's disco posse, Escort and her own
original projects, in anticipation of her sophomore CD, due for release
in 2009.
Sunday, May 3, 2009 | 6pm and Post-Show
Commonwealth Plaza | Free in the Plaza
Geator Dance Party with DJ Mark the Spark
Party with the Geator and DJ Mark the Spark as they spin tunes from the
good old days in the Commonwealth Plaza prior to and following the
ticketed Jerry Blavat's Street Corner Harmony event in Verizon Hall.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Joanna Pascale
"Stunning, sophisticated, and extremely soulful" (Philadelphia Weekly), Joanna Pascale has established herself in Philadelphia's jazz scene as a compelling and skilled vocalist. According to All Music Guide,
"She not only has solid vocal chops; she has soul." Pascale is a master
interpreter of the Great American Songbook and has amassed a working
repertoire of more than four hundred songs. She has appeared and
recorded with jazz giants such as Cyrus Chestnut, Terell Stafford,
Nicholas Payton, Tim Warfield, Mickey Roker and others. She performs
three nights a week with her quintet at the Loews Hotel in
Philadelphia. Her 2004 release, When Lights are Low, and the 2008 release of Through My Eyes
have both been met with critical acclaim. On top of a busy performing
schedule, Pascale is a member of the vocal faculty at Temple
University.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Keisha Hutchins
Singer-songwriter Keisha Hutchins first came on to the Philadelphia
music scene as the lead-singer for the down-tempo electronic group
Vanishing Peoples of the Earth. Since then, Hutchins has been involved
in multiple projects, focusing on creating her signature blend of folk
and soul. Hutchins is currently working on the full-length recording as
a follow up to her EP, Dedicated.
Thursday, May 7, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Reckless Amateurs
Northwest Philadelphia's own eclectic six! Reckless Amateurs plays a
rich blend of rock, roots, country, blues and singer-songwriter pop.
For more than six years, the band has built a devoted following that
appreciates the adventurous repertoire, the distinctive vocal blend and
the good time of an energized live performance. The Amateurs' set list
is full of hidden gems from both artists you know and artists you'll be
glad to discover, with an ever-growing selection of smart Amateurs
originals.
Friday, May 8, 2009 | 6:30pm and Post-Show (Approx. 10pm)
Commonwealth Plaza | Spring Fling
Johnny Cruz Latin Jazz Ensemble
In partnership with Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas
Johnny
Cruz Latin Jazz Ensemble has been turning up the heat in Philadelphia
with sizzling performances of Latin jazz for 15 years. Led by Johnny
Cruz, pianist and acoustic Puerto Rican and Cuban instrumentalist, the
Latin Jazz Ensemble features Nasario de Jesus on the tres; a heavy
infusion of percussion by Esaud Hernandez on the conga; Luis Gamis on
timbales, bongo, guiro, maracas and cow bell. Uriel Cortes complements
the group with his bass style fingering. This year Melissa Yarborough
joins the group with her flute and Selena Cortez on the violin. The
group also includes Angel Palacios, salsa lead singer, Aida Cruz and
Rosa Benitez, backup vocalists. Every Sunday afternoon from 2-5pm a
musical descarga/jam session is held at the Talentos Studio of Raíces
to promote comradeship among local musicians.
Saturday, May 9, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Free in the Plaza
ArtJaz Gallery Exhibit
Experience the messages of jazz and more in this exhibit of paintings
and mixed media. The exhibit will be featured in Commonwealth Plaza
prior to the ticketed performance by John Patitucci, Rufus Reid and
Danilo Pérez, part of the Jazz Up Close series in Perelman Theater.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Free in the Plaza
One Alternative
One
Alternative's acoustic fusion blends the compositional form of
classical music with the spontaneity of jazz and rock for an
ever-changing listening experience. The members of One Alternative are
co-founders Jill Haley on oboe/English horn and guitarist Mark
Oppenlander, with guitarist David Bozenhard. One Alternative will
perform in Commonwealth Plaza prior to the ticketed performance by
Peter, Paul & Mary in Verizon Hall.
Tuesdays-Sundays | 1pm
Commonwealth Plaza Information Desk | Free Themed Tours
Building & Theater Tour
Join
us for a themed tour which includes a history of the Kimmel Center;
architectural and construction highlights; and visits to Commonwealth
Plaza, Perelman Theater, Verizon Hall, Merck Arts Education Center and
the Dorrance H. Hamilton Garden. This tour is approximately one hour in
duration.
Please note: Building & Theater Tour will not be offered April 5-13.
Saturdays | 10:30am
Commonwealth Plaza Information Desk | Free Themed Tours
Art & Architecture Tour
Join us for a themed tour which includes an in-depth look at the Kimmel
Center's architecture, a walk along the Avenue of the Arts to view the
Center in the context of the cityscape, and a tour of artworks on
display throughout the Kimmel Center, including the Moore Galleries and
the recently installed Percent for Art collection. This tour is
approximately 90 minutes in duration.
Please note: Art & Architecture Tour will not be offered April 7.
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