Festival Hall, Greensboro’s premier arts venue and cultural center, will present its final show of the 2022 Jazz Series at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, with The Jazz Legacy Project: Billy Strayhorn, Take the A Train.
Strayhorn has an unparalleled gift for impressionistic tones and colors to thank for turning the opportunity into co-creating the most prolific and indelible music of the 20th century.
“I am excited to shine a light on Strayhorn’s beautiful music and career, including a crazy set of circumstances that led to his song ‘Take the A Train’ becoming Duke’s (Ellington) theme song,” drummer Justin Varnes stated. The Jazz Legacy Project: Billy Strayhorn, Take the A Train, caps off a three-part jazz series at Festival Hall this year.
Each program has been about 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 are entertainingly narrated by the drummer, Varnes, and seminal jazz pieces are played to illuminate the narration. However, these are not tribute concerts in the sense that the musicians are trying to recreate the original performances. Instead, they are intended to celebrate the essence and accomplishments of particular artists.
Varnes has taught jazz at Emory University, Georgia Tech, and Georgia State University, as well as toured with Earl Klugh, Phoebe Snow and Mose Allison. His Jazz Legacy Project was sponsored by the Fulton County Public Library system for a year-long series of concerts. The Jazz Legacy Project also has performed at the Velvet Note, the Jazz Corner, the 30-A Songwriter’s Festival and the Greenville Music Museum.
Tickets for The Jazz Legacy Project: Billy Strayhorn, Take the A Train, start at $20 for general admission.
For tickets, visit www. festivalhallga.com. This program is sponsored in part by Visit Lake Oconee (www.visitlakeoconee. com). Sponsorship opportunities also remain available for The Jazz Legacy Project Series.
Please reach out to Nicole Chillemi at nicole@festivalhallga.com or 762-243-8022 for more information.