Critically acclaimed jazz vocalist Jesse Charbonier will be celebrating the release of his sophomore album (and first studio recording), Introducing Jesse Charbonier, with a multimedia event at The University of Chicago’s Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts on Friday November 1, at 7pm CST.
The night will kick off with a world premiere screening of the 30-minute film Stormy Weather Rhapsody, written and directed by Charbonier and featuring the Joel Hall Dancers, and will include a live performance by Jesse Charbonier and his band accompanied by the Joel Hall Dancers, a 20-minute Q&A with the cast and crew of Stormy Weather Rhapsody and a 90-minute post-concert VIP cocktail reception and “Meet and Greet.”...
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Critically acclaimed jazz vocalist Jesse Charbonier will be celebrating the release of his sophomore album (and first studio recording), Introducing Jesse Charbonier, with a multimedia event at The University of Chicago’s Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts on Friday November 1, at 7pm CST.
The night will kick off with a world premiere screening of the 30-minute film Stormy Weather Rhapsody, written and directed by Charbonier and featuring the Joel Hall Dancers, and will include a live performance by Jesse Charbonier and his band accompanied by the Joel Hall Dancers, a 20-minute Q&A with the cast and crew of Stormy Weather Rhapsody and a 90-minute post-concert VIP cocktail reception and “Meet and Greet.”
Before taking two years off from live performances to work on Introducing Jesse Charbonier and Stormy Weather Rhapsody, Charbonier held a weekly residency at Chicago’s iconic Drake Hotel for five years and released his first album, Jesse Charbonier; Live at the Vic Theatre – Chicago, in 2013.
Jesse Charbonier, who was born and raised in Chicago, began acting, singing and writing songs at an early age but became more involved as a behind-the-scenes player, marketing, directing, producing and programming movies, film festivals, and musical artists.
Introducing Jesse Charbonier is a mix of jazz standards, Latin classics and an original self-penned song titled “Let’s Not Discuss It.” With five of the tracks recorded in Los Angeles and four recorded in Chicago, the album features the best musicians in both of those musically rich cities.
Stormy Weather Rhapsody tells the story of a group of professional and aspiring dancers, an up and coming jazz vocalist and an artistic director, all of whom are struggling to be successful despite social, familial, and political obstacles. Set in modern day Chicago, the film is based on the experiences of everyday people who dare to dream against all odds.
Choreographer Joel Hall and artistic director Jacqueline Sinclair lead the Joel Hall Dance Company and the Joel Hall Dancers & Center, a non-profit organization headquartered in Chicago that was founded in 1974. Hall has earned numerous awards and accolades over the course of his illustrious career, including a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the African American Arts Alliance, and Sinclair holds a BA in dance from Columbia College, a secondary teacher’s certification from Northeastern Illinois University and a MA in Theatre from Northwestern University.
The University of Chicago’s Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts is located at 915 E 60th Street in Chicago and a portion of the proceeds from this event will make dance scholarships possible for underserved youth, the LGBTQ community, and senior citizens.
Thanks to the following sponsors for their generous support: The Khaled & Noha Taha Foundation, AARP Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Illinois Arts Council, Lawyers for the Creative Arts, The Logan Center for the Arts, and The Chicago Reader.
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