Houston Symphony Goes Swingin' With Byron Stripling

[ { "name": "Related Stories / Support Us Combo", "component": "11591218", "insertPoint": "4", "requiredCountToDisplay": "4" },{ "name": "Air - Billboard - Inline Content", "component": "11591214", "insertPoint": "2/3", "requiredCountToDisplay": "7" },{ "name": "R1 - Beta - Mobile Only", "component": "12287027", "insertPoint": "8", "requiredCountToDisplay": "8" },{ "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size 2", "component": "11591215", "insertPoint": "12", "requiredCountToDisplay": "12" },{ "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size 2", "component": "11591215", "insertPoint": "4th", "startingPoint": "16", "requiredCountToDisplay": "12" }, playing November 8-10. Inspired by renowned hotspots like The Cotton Club and The Savoy, this electrifying concert evokes the spirit of the 1920s and '30s, the days when Duke Ellington's orchestra reigned supreme, and jazz legends Cab Calloway, Lena Horne and Ethel Waters disrupted the world of music with unprecedented sound. "The idea and beginnings of the show were the inspiration of the great nightclubs back in the day," Stripling said. "You have The Cotton Club, which is a club that was really meant for entertaining white folks at the time, but they would receive great entertainment from all these great black bands. There were tons of dancing girls there called 'tall, tan and terrific;' they were beautiful young ladies dancing their tails off." As music history describes, this was the era when jazz started to grow and where night clubs were king. "It's a period of time where people hear this music, and it basically takes them over because nobody heard stuff like this before. From the beginning of New Orleans all the way to where we're at with The Cotton Club in the '20s and early '30s, the music is vibrating. People are hearing American music on the radio during this time, so this is a really potent time," Stripling said. For this weekend, Stripling will be joined by jazz singer Carmen Bradford and of course the world class Houston Symphony orchestra will provide the backdrop to complete the wall of sound. Bradford is considered jazz royalty. Not only is she a 2024 Grammy Award winner for Basie Swings the Blues – the Count Basie Orchestra. She also is the daughter of legendary cornetist and composer Bobby Bradford and world-renowned jazz vocalist, composer and author Melba Joyce, and granddaughter of Melvin Moore, who sang with Lucky Millender's Big Band, Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band and the Ink Spots. Bradford's body of work reflects her experience, versatility and technical brilliance in this uniquely American art form. Also joining the concert is tap dancer Leo Manzari. He is a Lucille Lortel Award-nominated tap dancer who headlined in various productions such as the touring and Off-Broadway productions of . He was also a featured guest artist on "So You Think You Can Dance," Kennedy Center's 50th Inaugural Celebration of JFK and Marvin Gaye, "The Mo'nique Show," PBS "News Hour," The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon and ABC's "The View." "The thing that's really cool for everybody is that we have a tap dancer who knows the true tradition of tap and jazz. It blows people's minds when they get to see this man who's just hitting 30 years old but is tearing up the stage," Stripling said. Stripling shares something in common with Manzari, too. "The great thing about Leo is he learned the tradition from some of the same people I learned it from. Everyone has heard of Gregory Hines. Gregory Hines had a brother named Maurice Hines. Maurice Hines was my mentor, musically and theatrically. He took me under his wing, and he was one of the greatest, best dancers ever." As for the set list, Stripling says it is guaranteed to please everyone regardless of the audience's knowledge of jazz music and its history. "It's all songs that if people are fans, they will know; and if they're not fans of jazz or great music, what I know is they will be patting their foot the whole time. They will have a smile on their on their face, and they will hear American music with all its influences from New Orleans, from classical music and from opera," he said. In all, the orchestra, Stripling, Bradford and Manzari's performance meld together to make a lasting impression. "We all have a soul stirring relationship with the music, and then when we get on stage, we try to emote those same feelings that people might have felt at The Cotton Club or one of those great clubs in New York City," Stripling said. For music that originated a century ago, the sound and feel is still as fresh as day one, which is no surprise to Stripling. "Greatness never dies. It's always there. That flame stays there because it nourishes people musically. That's why this music has become so important to America. These songs live to this day because what was good continues to be good," he said. "Our goal is one thing, and that's joy. If we do what we do, and we do it well, the feelings that you get in that concert will last long after you've gotten home. That's our goal: to leave everybody with a smile."