North Carolina Jazz Ensemble Performs Annual Holiday Concert
The Joy of Music with Special Guest Vocalist Brandi Q. Hancock
December 13 in St. Joseph’s Performance Hall

Purchase Tickets Now

The North Carolina Jazz Ensemble performs THE JOY OF MUSIC, an annual holiday concert with special guest vocalist Brandi Q. Hancock Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 4:00 pm. A pre-concert reception will begin at 3:00 pm for ticket holders. They will be performance standard jazz arrangements and a selection of holiday classics.

The NCJE was founded in 1980 by Stanley Baird and Oliver Hodge. The seventeen piece group has traveled throughout the state of North Carolina performing at colleges, universities, cultural centers and at private event. Members of the organization are from Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Asheboro and Charlotte.

Brandi Q. Hancock is the lead vocalist for Mixed Water, a jazz/soul fusion band from Cary, NC where she is also a private vocal and theatre coach. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Music-Vocal Performance and Theatre- Directing from Shaw University in 2003. While attending Shaw University she was an active member of the University Choir, Gospel Choir as well as the lead vocalist for the Shaw University Jazz Ensemble I and Shaw Players. She appeared as the character of Alice in the TNT made for TV movie Freedom Song starring Danny Glover and Loretta Devine. Brandi is delighted to be joining the NC Jazz Ensemble for this evening performance.
The NC Jazz Ensemble is currently in residence at the Hayti Heritage Center. The concert is sponsored by the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) founded in 1975, is an African American cultural and educational institution deeply rooted in the historic Hayti community of Durham, North Carolina. SJHF is dedicated to advancing cultural understanding through diverse programs that examine the experiences of Americans of African descent – locally, nationally and globally. The Foundation is committed to preserving, restoring and developing the Hayti Heritage Center, the former St. Joseph’s AME Church, a National Historic Landmark, as a cultural and economic anchor to the greater Durham community.

Tickets are on sale now for $10 general admission. They can be purchased on line at www.hayti.org or call (919) 683-1709 ext. 21; or at the Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham.

THE JOY OF MUSIC

December 14th in St. Joseph’s Performance Hall

The North Carolina Jazz Ensemble performs THE JOY OF MUSIC, an annual holiday concert with special guest vocalist Brandi Q. Hancock Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 4:00 pm. A pre-concert reception will begin at 3:00 pm for ticket holders. They will be performance standard jazz arrangements and a selection of holiday classics.

The NCJE was founded in 1980 by Stanley Baird and Oliver Hodge. The seventeen piece group has traveled throughout the state of North Carolina performing at colleges, universities, cultural centers and at private event. Members of the organization are from Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Asheboro and Charlotte.

Brandi Q. Hancock is the lead vocalist for Mixed Water, a jazz/soul fusion band from Cary, NC where she is also a private vocal and theatre coach. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Music-Vocal Performance and Theatre- Directing from Shaw University in 2003. While attending Shaw University she was an active member of the University Choir, Gospel Choir as well as the lead vocalist for the Shaw University Jazz Ensemble I and Shaw Players. She appeared as the character of Alice in the TNT made for TV movie Freedom Song starring Danny Glover and Loretta Devine. Brandi is delighted to be joining the NC Jazz Ensemble for this evening performance.

The NC Jazz Ensemble is currently in residence at the Hayti Heritage Center. The concert is sponsored by the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) founded in 1975, is an African American cultural and educational institution deeply rooted in the historic Hayti community of Durham, North Carolina. SJHF is dedicated to advancing cultural understanding through diverse programs that examine the experiences of Americans of African descent – locally, nationally and globally. The Foundation is committed to preserving, restoring and developing the Hayti Heritage Center, the former St. Joseph’s AME Church, a National Historic Landmark, as a cultural and economic anchor to the greater Durham community.

Tickets are on sale now for $10 general admission. They can be purchased on line at www.hayti.org or call (919) 683-1709 ext. 21; or at the Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham.

Lois Deloatch premieres her fourth recording, Hymn to Freedom: Homage to Oscar Peterson, at St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation/Hayti Heritage Center on Friday, August 22 at 8:00 p.m. The Durham-based vocalist and songwriter penned lyrics for three of the ten compositions on the disc including two Peterson compositions (”Hymn to Freedom” and “When Summer Comes”) and Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’.” Classic composition including “The Very Thought of You,” and “Honeysuckle Rose,” are also covered on the the recording. Drummer Ed Thigpen, an early member of one of Oscar Peterson’s Trios; pianist/arranger Willie Pickens; bassist John V. Brown; and guitarist Scott Sawyer appear on the recording. Although it is just being released, the music was recorded in November 2006, prior to the death of Oscar Peterson, a world-renown pianist and jazz icon who passed away in December 2007.”Oscar Peterson and the great musicians with whom he collaborated such as Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen represent the essence of jazz,” says Lois. Known for her rich contralto voice, broad repertoire, and ability to transcend musical boundaries, Lois has been immersed in music most of her life. In recent years, she has headlined and shared concert bills with music luminaries such as Ellis Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, and Freddie Cole. Lois and her husband, Ed Gomes, host Sunday Evening Classics, a weekly jazz radio program on WNCU 90.7 FM, North Carolina Central University’s Public Radio Station.

Her first release, Sunrise, debuted in 1998 and was followed by Holy Night with Tyson Rogers (2004) and Closure (2005). Lois holds an undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and is scheduled to receive a graduate degree from Duke University this fall. For more information on Lois and her music, please visit her website www.loisdeloatch.com.

The August 22 concert is open to the public and proceeds will benefit St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation/Hayti Heritage Center. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students/senior citizens. To order tickets or for more information, please click here or telephone (919) 683-1709.

September 18-20, 2008

Durham, NC- The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. presenters of the 21^st annual Bull Durham Blues Festival, embarks on a new date, new location and new decade of the blues, September 18-20 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, located at 409 Blackwell Street in downtown Durham. Celebrating twenty one years of presenting the best in acoustic, traditional and contemporary blues music, this year’s line up is a mix of blues legends, show-masters, second generation blues artists and regional artists that will surely provide festival attendees three evenings of the best the blues world has to offer.

Thursday night, September 18 at 7:00 PM the festival opens in the historic St. Joseph’s Performance Hall at the Hayti Heritage Center. Actin’ Up: Juke Joint & Holy Blues featuring Scott Ainslie and Ernie Hawkins. In Actin’ Up, Scott Ainslie and Ernie Hawkins bring Delta and Ragtime Blues to the stage in a spirited tour of hot ragtime instrumentals, passionate singing, and slide guitar, stories, and songs. Lifelong students of Ragtime-Piedmont Blues and Mississippi Delta Blues, Ainslie and Hawkins bring more than seven decades of experience with them to the stage. Their long apprenticeships with known and unknown traditional players from all around the country have lined their pockets with music, personal anecdotes, and history – riches that we hear jingle as they tap their feet. Both Ainslie and Hawkins will conduct Blues in the Schools residency activities throughout the week at various public and private schools and community centers.

Performing on the same night will be M.S.G.-The Acoustic Blues Trio from Hampton, Virginia. M.S.G. perform traditional Piedmont blues. Their style of music has been influenced by the likes of Archie Edwards, Etta Baker, and Cephas & Wiggins. This band can raise the roof with some old-fashioned house party tunes, make you laugh with their witty originals and then make you weep with blues ballads! The trio will be performing the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation Band. They have performed at numerous regional festivals including: Blues in the ‘Burg, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Artscape, and Bayou Boogaloo. They’ve also had the honor of performing on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. The group consists of Jackie Merritt - harmonica player, Miles Spicer – guitarist, and Resa Gibbs - lead vocalist and percussionist, known for her warm, soulful and heartfelt sound. M.S.G. will conduct Blues in the Schools residency activities during the festival week.

On Friday and Saturday, September 19 & 20, the BDBF moves to the new Durham Bulls Athletic Park, 409 Blackwell Street, home of the Durham Bulls Baseball Club. Gates open at 5pm and the show starts at 6pm – 11pm. Friday night’s concert features singer/pianist Blues Music Award winner Marcia Ball. Ball knows how to raise roofs and tear down walls with her infectious, intelligent and deeply emotional brand of southern boogie, rollicking, roadhouse blues and heartfelt ballads. Singer Clarence Carter exemplifies the gritty, earthy sounds of Muscle Shoals R&B, fusing the devastating poignancy of blues with a wicked, lascivious wit to create deeply soulful music rooted in the American South of the past and present. Accordionist, singer and songwriter Rosie Ledet provides a unique female presence in the male-dominated zydeco world. She sings both Creole French and in English. Her songs are often shy and lusty and combined with her national good looks and distinctive, bluesy singing voice, she wows audiences wherever she goes. Finally the Triangle Blues Society Blues Challenge winner for 2007, 2008 Beale Street Blues Kings Award and 2008 Charlotte Music Award Winner for Best Blues Band, Contagious Blues Band from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Saturday night the BDBF brings to the stage the legendary musician Taj Mahal who has been playing his own distinctive brand of music- variously described as Afro-Caribbean blues, folk-world-blues, hula blues, folk-funk, and a host of other hyphenations for more than 40 years. A self taught musician, Taj Mahal plays more than 20 instruments, including the National Steel and Dobro guitars. His remarkable voice ranges from gruff and gravelly to smooth and sultry. Denise LaSalle is a seriously talented songwriter. Her soul blues style has strong urban contemporary overtones at times. It is best to think of LaSalle as a modern-day Bessie Smith. Bernard Allison totes the same sookin’ six string shooter that his late father, Luther Allison assaulted the blues with. He is blessed with his father’s soulful voice, spiritual devotion, and a musical freedom which experiments with the blues. As a true “son of the blues” Allison possesses the requisite guitar feel and vocal intonations necessary to push his blurs into the next century. He knows the energy level necessary to hold audiences and combines enough showmanship and spontaneity to push the performance in fresh, innovative directions each night. Finally, the Piedmont Preservation Blues Society Blues Challenge Award winner for 2007, The Big Road Blues Band, a stripped-down three-piece band from Ashville, NC featuring Duane Simpson on Guitar, Peggy Ratusz on Vocals and Percussion, Jill Fromewick on Harmonica or Joshua Singleton on Harmonica and vocals.

At the Festival there is something for the entire family, a Kids Zone with interactive entertainment for youngsters; and a Marketplace where blues lovers can indulge in an eclectic mix of regional and international foods for the soul, arts and crafts by NC artists, and a variety of unique specialty items. The music is sure to make you move, but if you feel a need, lawn chairs and blankets are welcome. Join in the fun on the infield or in the grandstand, rain or shine!! Gates open at 5 PM and show ends at 11PM.

The annual festival pre-sale is scheduled for June 23-27. Tickets will be (2) for $50 for this one week only special, limited number of tickets available. Advance tickets on sale July 1. Tickets per night are $35 advance; $45 after 9/17/08. A three day package will be on sale for $85 each through 9/17/08. Children 12 and under admitted free with a ticketed adult-except on 9/18. Visa/MasterCard/Amex/cash accepted. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.hayti.org or www.bulldurhamblues.org, or drop by the Hayti Heritage Center at 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC. Or call (919) 683-1709 ext. 21.

Vendor application forms are available now, call 919-683-1709 ext. 21 or download the application from the website at www.hayti.org.

Volunteer forms will be available June 1^st, call 919-683-1709 ext. 33 or download the application from the website at www.hayti.org.

For sponsorship information contact Janella Sellars, Development Director at 919-683-1709 ext 28 or jsellars@hayti.org

This annual festival, produced by St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc., has been successfully presented since 1988. It is nationally recognized as one of the premier Blues festivals in the country and was honored in 2000 with the “Keeping the Blues Alive Award” by The Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN. This three-day event has become North Carolina’s largest celebration of the Blues, recognizing Durham’s rich musical heritage as an important center of Carolina and Piedmont Blues. The festival has attracted as many as 20,000 Blues lovers and has over a 3 million dollar economic impact on the Durham economy annually.

The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) founded in 1975, is an African American cultural and educational institution deeply rooted in the historic Hayti community of Durham, North Carolina. SJHF is dedicated to advancing cultural understanding through diverse programs that examine the experiences of Americans of African descent – locally, nationally and globally. The Foundation is committed to preserving, restoring and developing the Hayti Heritage Center, the former St. Joseph’s AME Church, a National Historic Landmark, as a cultural and economic anchor to the greater Durham community. Funds raised from the event support the programs and operations of the Foundation and Hayti Heritage Center.

For more information call (919) 683-1709 or info@hayti.org.

St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. in partnership with Durham Parks & Recreation Department presents the Tobacco Road Concert Series. A series of concerts that will have you snapping your fingers, tapping your feet, swinging and swaying, humming the tunes and relaxing in the atmosphere of the enhance center city CCB Plaza in downtown Durham this spring and fall. Bring your lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy the soulful sounds of blues, jazz, folk or gospel music either after a work or during your lunch break. This series is FREE and open to the public.For more information call (919) 683-1709 or www.hayti.org or Durham Parks & Recreation Department (919) 560-4355

CCB Plaza

(Crossroads of Corcoran St. & Parrish St., Chapel Hill Street & Foster St.)

May 15 – HIP SAUCE – 6pm – 8pm

May 22 – Andy Coats & the Bank Walkers – 6pm – 8pm

June 3 – Jasme’ Kelly – 12 noon – 1:30pm

June 17 – Will McFarlane – 12 noon -1:30 pm