The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra will present the Josh Nelson Ensemble performing “This is Jazz: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker” 3 p.m. Sept. 7 at the San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium.
Nelson, a pianist, has performed before on the San Bernardino Symphony’s jazz series, and in this concert he is joined by vocalist Angie Wells, trumpeter Kye Palmer, bassist Chris Colangelo, drummer Dan Schnelle and vocalist and pianist John Proulx.
The San Bernardino Symphony’s associate conductor Raphaela Lacerda will host the concert.
The program will feature some of Ella Fitzgerald’s iconic covers including “Summertime,” “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Mr. Paganini” and some of Chet Baker’s tunes including “But Not for Me,” “Let’s Get Lost,” “Long Ago and Far Away,” “My Funny Valentine” and “Time After Time,” according to a news release.
Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), known as the “Queen of Jazz,” performed with the Chick Webb Orchestra in her early years, and her rendition of “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” helped boost her and Webb to national fame. She was known for her scat singing, and her career included appearances in films and on television and collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and the Ink Spots.
She won more than a dozen Grammy Awards and received the National Medal of Arts, the NAACP Image Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Chesney Henry “Chet” Baker Jr. (1929-1988) was a jazz trumpeter and vocalist, nicknamed the “Prince of Cool.” Albums featuring his vocals include “Chet Baker Sings” (1954) and “It Could Happen to You” (1958). He also collaborated and with Charlie Parker and Gerry Mulligan.
He was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1987, and his album “Chet Baker Sings” received the Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2001.
Tickets for “This is Jazz” are $20 to $100, available at sanbernardinosymphony.org or by calling 909-381-5388. Tickets for students and active military are $15.
San Bernardino Valley College is at 701 S. Mount Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino. The auditorium in at the north end of campus facing Mount Vernon Avenue, and free parking will be available next to the auditorium.
