FL
O
RE
NC
E
Skonberg
shakes up the
jazz world
Artist fuses her love
of classic jazz with
contemporary rhythm
COURTESY PHOTO
SEAcoast Entertainment brings jazz musician Bria Skonberg to Florence Events Center Sunday, Feb. 26, at 4 p.m.
“
ince its beginning 36 years ago,
SEAcoast Entertainment has
brought top quality performers to
Florence audiences,” said Linda Gargis,
SEA board vice-president.
SEAcoast Entertainment invites the
coastal community to celebrate Mardi
Gras a couple of days early with Bria
Skonberg’s New Orleans Jazz Band dur-
ing a Sunday afternoon tea dance Feb.
26 at 4 p.m. at Florence Events Center.
Skonberg is a specialist in classic
American hot jazz. She leads her band,
wails on the trumpet, and beautifully
vocalizes jazz standards with energy
and pizzazz.
A Canadian singer, trumpeter, and
songwriter, Skonberg is described by
The Wall Street Journal as one of the
“most versatile and imposing musicians
of her generation.”
Recognized as one of “25 for the
Future” by DownBeat magazine
(Summer 2016), Skonberg is newly
signed to Sony Music Masterworks’
OKeh Records, and released her debut
LP, simply titled BRIA, in September
2016.
Wielding a unique blend of modern-
S
day pop sensibility and sizzling musi-
cianship, Skonberg aims for a sense of
allure on the new collection.
She credits producer Matt Pierson
with helping her create music that is
both curious and exotic, playing with
tension and storytelling.
Elite jazz chops, artfully mixed with
worldly rhythms and contemporary
songwriting, result in a sophisticated
pop sound closely resembling that of
Michael Bublé, Diana Krall and Harry
Connick Jr.
Her original tunes include the tango
“Curious Game,” the bluesy instrumen-
tal “Down in the Deep” and the
Brazilian-flavored “How Can It Be” —
a reflection of the sampling era.
Noted as a Millennial “Shaking Up
the Jazz World,” according to Vanity
Fair, Skonberg is a self-described “small
town girl” from Chilliwack, British
Columbia. She left for Vancouver
straight out of high school and earned a
degree in Jazz Trumpet Performance
from Capilano University. But even as
she absorbed the deep knowledge and
disciplined work habits needed for a
jazz career, she was also hustling hard to
book her two bands. While in university
she juggled working every weekend,
traveling to festivals and shows, plus
cramming in schoolwork — all while on
the road.
When not traveling for her own gigs,
she was building up her stage-show
chops with Dal Richards, Vancouver’s
King of Swing. Playing at the 2010
Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver
capped off this exciting period, with
Skonberg featured at the Paralympics
opening ceremony.
To date, Bria has performed at some
100 festivals worldwide and has
received numerous awards.
And SEAcoast Entertainment has
even more to offer this season, with
shows continuing in March, April and
May.
SEA is providing Florence fans of
brass with a much-needed dose of ener-
gy with the Dallas Brass on Wednesday,
March 29, at 7 p.m.
The quintet masters all aspects of the
brass repertoire: classical, Dixieland,
swing, show tunes and more as they pro-
vide a musical travelogue through
American instrumental history.
On Wednesday, April 26, at 7 p.m.,
SEA presents “Barrage 8,” a high-ener-
gy dose of modern string instruments
and movement.
Their innovative stage performance
blends wonderfully with their musical
talent — and strings like you have never
heard them before.
On Wednesday, May 24, at 7 p.m., it
will be an incomparable night for
keyboard fans: dueling pianos when
“The Piano Caméléons” will ring out
the SEA season on two grand pianos,
expertly manned by a pair of virtuoso
pianists.
They revisit great classic pieces with
interpretations touched by traditional
jazz, world beat and other influences.
It will be a spectacle for the eyes, ears
and soul.
Tickets for all of SEAcoast
Entertainment’s shows can be purchased
at the Florence Events Center box
office, 715 Quince St., or by phone at
541-997-1994 during regular business
hours.
Artist profiles, show times, links to
video clips, and more are available at
www.SEAcoastEA.org.
F E B RU A R Y 2 0 1 7 • A r t s & En te r t a i n me n t • C OAST C ENTRAL •
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