GREENE COUNTY
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John Sandfort plays the saxophone. CONTRIBUTED
Festival Hall in Greensboro is presenting Cannonball Adderley, Preaching the Gospel of Jazz on Feb. 23, to open its 2023 Jazz Legacy Project.
Known as the 'Country Preacher,' Adderley, a former Florida school teacher, turned into a jazz icon after he gave New York City a try. From Miles Davis to Nancy Wilson to his own Gospel-infused bands with his brother Nat, Adderley brought the church to the stage and embodied the soul of jazz.
“Cannonball Adderley’s iconic alto saxophone sound, as heard on some of the most classic jazz recordings of the 20th century, continues to be an inspiration for generations of musicians,” Jazz Legacy Project saxophonist John Sandfort stated.
“His innovative ability to combine jazz with gospel and soul still reverberates in jazz today. I love playing Cannonball’s music because it resonates with warmth and joy, a combination of toe-tapping grooves and sophistication that has never been exceeded in jazz.”
Cannonball Adderley’s Preaching the Gospel of Jazz kicks off the fourpart Jazz Legacy Project at Festival Hall this year. Each program is roughly 90 minutes long, with the goal of bringing the casual jazz listener inside the minds and music of the most influential and interesting American musicians of all time.
The life and music of the artist/composer is entertainingly narrated by the drummer, Justin Varnes, and seminal jazz pieces are played to illuminate the narration. These are not tribute concerts, however, in the sense that the musicians seek to recreate the original performances. Instead, they celebrate the essence and accomplishments of the particular artist.
Rounding out The Jazz Legacy Project band with bandleader and drummer Varnes and saxophonist Sandfort will be Louis Heriveaux on piano, Kevin Smith on bass, and Justin Powell on trumpet.
The Jazz Legacy Project: Cannonball Adderley, Preaching the Gospel of Jazz begins at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23. Tickets start at $22 for general admission and are available for sale at festivalhallga.com. The program is sponsored in part by Visit Lake Oconee (visitlakeoconee.com).
Sponsorship opportunities remain available for The Jazz Legacy Project Series. Please reach out to Nicole Chillemi at nicole@festivalhallga. com or call 762-243-8022 for more information.
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