On Saturday, November 18 at 8 p.m. in the Long Beach Arena (300 E. Ocean Blvd.), the Long Beach Symphony will present an evening of music inspired by the legendary 1930s Harlem jazz clubs featuring greatest hits by Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters and more!
Veteran conductor and trumpeter Byron Stripling will lead the orchestra with a playlist that includes It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing, Stormy Weather, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, St. Louis Blues, a Cotton Club Medley by Duke Ellington, Minnie the Moocher by Cab Calloway and other favorites from that era, while Carmen Bradford and Ted Louis Levy show off their vocal talents and tap dancing.
The program, which closes with the hit tune Bill Bailey, will have lovers of swing, jazz and the blues moving and grooving in their seats and cutting it up on the dance floor.
Returning for a second time with the Long Beach Symphony, Byron Stripling’s infectious charisma and poise on stage has awarded him solo stints at the Hollywood Bowl, recording with the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck and Lionel Hampton, and showcased internationally at top jazz festivals.
Currently, he serves as artistic director and conductor of the highly-acclaimed Columbus Jazz Orchestra but he earned his stripes as lead trumpeter and soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra.
Vocalist Carmen Bradford was also discovered by Count Basie and was the featured vocalist in his legendary orchestra for nine years. She has followed in the footsteps of her great family legacy being the daughter of trumpeter/composer Bobby Bradford and world-renowned vocalist/composer Melba Joyce.
Adding to impact of the evening, Ted Louis Levy, Broadway star and Emmy Award winner, will sing a few tunes and dazzle audiences with his fancy tap-dancing footwork.
Tickets to a Long Beach Symphony POPS! concert include options for seats at 10-top or 4-top tables or Loge seating. Regardless of seating preference, patrons are invited to bring their own picnics and libations or to purchase dinner from a list of preferred local caterers.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. to allow time for dining and mingling with friends and the concert begins at 8 p.m. The POPS! Series is sponsored, in part, by Farmers & Merchants Bank.
For this concert, the Symphony will be partnering with the Long Beach NAACP and we will provide a donation back to their organization as a portion of its ticket sales.
Tickets to the concert start at $26 with student tickets available for $10 with valid student ID. For more information or to purchase tickets and subscriptions visit www.LongBeachSymphony.org or call 562-436-3203 ext. 1. Tickets are also available on Ticketmaster.