THIS WEEKEND, a collective of SAV’s finest performers will fill historic Congregation Mickve Israel with an eclectic catalog of jazz compositions.
Spanning from Oscar-winning composers and music icons like George and Ira Gershwin, Irvin Berlin, and Cole Porter to modern trailblazers like Stan Getz, Benny Goodman, Herbie Mann, Mel Torme, Lee Konitz, and Artie Shaw, Sunday’s concert will highlight the contributions that these Jewish musicians made in jazz history.
Larry Dane-Kellogg, a temple member with a passion for the arts (he’s worked with Coastal Jazz Association, Savannah Arts Commission, and Savannah Music Festival) organized the event.
“I’ve done a lot of events in Savannah and the majority of them have been jazz,” says Dane-Kellogg. “The jazz club in Hilton Head did something on somebody who just happened to be Jewish, and it gave me the thought: why don’t we try to do something on the impact and influence Jews have had on the music in general, from the Great American Songbook to jazz standards? They were written by Jewish folks, and a lot of the players are also Jewish: I thought with those two aspects, we can put together an interesting program.”
The Lowcountry’s own Steven Bryan will take piano, with Linus Enoksson on bass, Jody Espina on saxophone and clarinet, Jackson Evans on guitar, and Ira Miller on drums.
“I think what might surprise some people is how many songs were written or performed by Jewish people,” says Dane-Kellogg. “The focus is on the entertainment, just to have fun and hear this group of musicians take on these particular tunes.”
Sunday, March 6, 3 p.m., $15 advance (call 233.1547 for tickets), $20 at the door, all-ages
