Posted December 6, 2019
DAYTON, OH (December 2, 2019) – On Saturday, December 28, 2019 at 8 pm in the Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Conductor Patrick Reynolds, will present a DPO Special Event entitled The Jazz Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas. The DPO is thrilled to welcome to the stage guest ensemble the Jim Martinez Quartet.
Steinway Artist Jim Martinez began his musical career at the age of four, receiving 18 years of classical training. He has amassed a list of musical accomplishments encompassing nearly all styles of music. Some of his greatest accomplishments and contributions have occurred in the world of jazz music. Over the course of his career, he has developed a very special connection to the family of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, and, of course, to jazz great Vince Guaraldi.
“A self-described reformed boogie-woogie piano player, Vince Guaraldi was one of America’s best-selling jazz artists when he died suddenly in 1976, at the age of 47. He had achieved goals fellow jazz musicians only dream of, and his music continues to delight and inspire new generations.” (https://concord.com/artist/vince-guaraldi/) When television producers were interested in doing a special on the Peanuts comic strip, Guaraldi was called in to compose the music, and the rest, as they say, is history.
As a jazz musician, Jim Martinez was drawn to the music of the late Vince Guaraldi, and subsequently, he developed a relationship with the family of the late Charles M. Schulz. In the mid-1990s, Jim was hard at work assembling a beautiful holiday concert featuring the music of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” as well as his own arrangements of some of the most beloved holiday songs that instill the spirit of Christmas in all of us. Jim and his talented quartet have been performing this live annual holiday concert around the U.S. for over 20 years. His show is now being featured with pops and symphony orchestras from Florida to California.
The Dayton Philharmonic is fortunate to welcome Jim Martinez and his jazz quartet in this special Holiday Pops concert featuring the jazz music from “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” including songs like “A Boy Named Charlie Brown,” “Christmas Time is Here,” “Linus and Lucy,” and the magical “Skating.” His quartet comprises some well-known names in the modern world of jazz, including Tim Berens on guitar, Paul Keller on bass, and Tim Metz on drums, and, of course, Jim Martinez on piano. Joining the quartet for this performance will be Sarah D’Angelo on vocals.
With entertaining stories shared by Martinez of his personal connection to Peanuts and the family of Charles M. Schulz, this evening is all about the spirit of jazz, the spirit of Christmastime, and the spirit of Charlie Brown.
Tickets for The Jazz Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas start at $24 and are available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and student discounts are available at the box office. For more information or to order subscriptions, including flexible subscription types that include performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.
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About the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking and innovative merger between the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the community, offering a tremendous variety of performance and education programs and setting a new standard for artistic excellence. Dayton Performing Arts Alliance performances are made possible in part by Montgomery County and Culture Works, the single largest source of community funds for the arts and culture in the Miami Valley. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance also receives partial funding from the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency created to foster and encourage the development of the arts and to preserve Ohio’s cultural heritage. Funding from the Ohio Arts Council is an investment of state tax dollars that promotes economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohio residents. In 2013, The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance was thrilled to be one of five performing arts organizations in the country selected to receive a three-year “Music Alive” grant from New Music USA and the League of American Orchestras. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance is the proud recipient of a 2017-2018 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.