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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Allyson tops SJO’s 31st year

THE SPOKANE Jazz Orchestra has announced its 31st season, and once again it will introduce Spokane to a stunning new jazz star. Here’s the lineup:

Sept. 30: That star is Karrin Allyson, a sultry, torchy jazz vocalist and multiple Grammy nominee. Michigan jazz DJ Mike Stratton has said that she “has perfected a style of performance that recalls Peggy Lee’s ‘Fever’ or Diana Krall’s ‘Peel Me A Grape,’ singing familiar songs with a voice that blends libido with narrative – not too jaded, not quite innocent.”

The SJO says she is perhaps the “most current and hottest name in vocal jazz to come to Spokane in the past 30 years.”

Well, that might be a stretch, since the SJO has brought in Krall and Diane Schuur, to name just a couple. This show might continue in that exalted tradition.

“Dec. 3: The holiday music of Bing Crosby, Harry Connick Jr. and Nat King Cole. Vocalist Horace Alexander Young is the special guest.

“March 11: Royal Jazz, a tribute to Count Basie and Duke Ellington. The SJO salutes the jazz peerage.

“May 5: Rhapsody in Blue, a tribute to George Gershwin. Charlotte Carruthers will be the guest vocalist.

All concerts will be at The Met, 901 W. Sprague Ave., under the musical direction of Dan Keberle.

Tickets for all shows go on sale Monday through TicketsWest outlets (325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).

CenterStage update

Here’s an update on what’s coming up at CenterStage on the dinner theater front:

“”The Big Bang!” Sept. 1-30: Tim Behrens and Reed McColm star in this two-man musical comedy about … well, the history of civilization.

“”Nunsense II: The Second Coming,” Oct. 7-Nov. 18: Jean Hardie and Kathie Doyle-Lipe reprise their legendary roles as members of the Order of the Little Sisters of Hoboken.

And don’t forget the current “Suds,” the ‘60s jukebox musical, which is continuing through Aug. 18.

Meanwhile, CenterStage is in the midst of an ongoing fund drive.

The goal is another $30,000 by Aug. 15.

For ticket info or to make a donation, call 747-8243.

Spokane Folklore steps up

Fans of the Spokane Symphony’s Comstock Park Labor Day concerts know that the “Season Preview” is a valuable Spokane tradition.

A lineup of 40 booths displays information on arts organizations and their upcoming seasons.

Now, the Spokane Folklore Society has stepped up to rescue this tradition. The Spokane Arts Commission can no longer fund it, so the society, along with the symphony, have taken it over.

Stop in and check it out on Labor Day.