Festival Hall in Greensboro will play host Feb. 23, to “Cannonball” Adderley, Preaching the Gospel of Jazz, as the opening act of its 2nd annual Jazz Legacy Project.
Known as 'Country Preacher,' this Florida school teacher turned into a jazz icon after giving New York City a try. From Miles Davis to Nancy Wilson to his own Gospel-infused bands with his brother Nat, Adderley brought the church to the stage and embodied the soul of jazz.
“Come find out how a high school band director made one fateful stop at a jazz club that led to changing the course of his life and the course of American music,” declared Jazz Legacy Project drummer Justin Varnes. “This will be a fun night!”
The Jazz Legacy Project: Cannonball Adderley, Preaching the Gospel of Jazz kicks off this year’s four-part jazz series at Festival Hall.
Each program is roughly 90 minutes, with the goal of bringing the casual jazz listener inside the minds and music of the most influential and interesting American musicians of all time. The life and music of the artist/composer is entertainingly narrated by the drummer, Mr. Justin Varnes, and seminal jazz pieces are played to illuminate the narration.
These are NOT tribute concerts in the sense that the musicians are trying to recreate the original performances, but instead to celebrate the essence and accomplishments of the particular artist.
Varnes has taught jazz at Emory University, Georgia Tech, and Georgia State University, as well as toured with Earl Klugh, Phoebe Snow, and Mose Allison. His Jazz Legacy Project was sponsored by the Fulton County Public Library system for a year-long series of concerts. The Jazz Legacy Project has also performed at the Velvet Note, the Jazz Corner, the 30-A Songwriter’s Festival, and the Greenville Music Museum.
The Jazz Legacy Project: Cannonball Adderley, Preaching the Gospel of Jazz is on Thursday, Feb. 23 2023 at 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $22 for general admission. For tickets and more information, visit www. festivalhallga.com. This program is sponsored in part by Visit Lake Oconee. www.visitlakeoconee.com.