Harlem Nutcracker
Duke Ellington/Bill Strayhorn

The South Philly Big Band

performs

Harlem Nutcracker

Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn

featuring vocalist Najwa Parkins

Dance of the Floreadores

Volga Vouty

Peanut Briddle Brigade

Entracte*

Sugar Rum

Toot Toot

Overture

-Intermission-

The Christmas Song……….arr. by Danny Jonokuchi

Winter Wonderland ……….arr. by Nick Lombardelli

Silent Night ……….arr. by Jack Saint Clair

Let it Snow ………arr. by Jonokuchi

White Christmas……arr. by Lombardell

The First Noël………arr. by Elliot Bild

This Christmas……….arr. by Jonokuchi

South Philly Big Band, a group steeped in the tradition of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis that continually commissions new works from Philadelphia composers.
SPBB has performed shows with Walt Weiskopf, Ignacio Berroa and Gary Smulyan and in December 2017 released a Christmas EP of new imaginations of Christmas classics entitled, “SPBBXMAS.”

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Tickets: $10 at the door

Chris Oatts, Philadelphia based saxophonist and composer has been hailed as “a force to be reckoned with,” by All About Jazz. Chris has performed, recorded or toured with the likes of Seal, Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, Chelsea Reed and the Fair Weather Five, Terell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Chris is the nephew of alto saxophonist Dick Oatts and leads the Chris is currently on faculty at Temple University in Philadelphia.

http://mycitypaper.com/music/saxophonist-chris-oatts-continues-his-familyrsquos-big-band-biz

Vocalist, Najwa Parkins is a Philadelphia-based vocalist, songwriter/composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator. Her voice has often been described as smooth, smoky, and soulful— with a profound range of emotion. Although she believes “soul” can’t be taught, she does attribute much of her vocal range, stamina, and hornlike agility to her classical voice studies, which she began in 2004. Najwa has been praised for her compositions, which are both lyrically and musically engaging.

http://www.najwaparkins.com