ChurchJazz Ensemble Concert

Immanuel Lutheran Church, 950 Hart Rd, Batavia, IL | Get Directions »
FREE

ChurchJazz, a Chicago-based jazz band, will open Immanuel’s 2013 Second Sunday Concert Series with a program at  3 p.m. on February 10 in the Family Life Center.

The program will be jazz versions of familiar hymns. The group played at Immanuel about six years ago and received raves from those who heard it.

ChurchJazz has been playing together for 30 years and has performed throughout the United States. Each member of the group is a professional musician but some have other professions as well.  Performances are scheduled about 12 times each year.

Those who will perform at Immanuel include Andy Tecson, tenor sax and leader;  Bobby Shiff, piano; Victor Garcia, trumpet; Jerry Coleman, drums; Stewart Miller, bass; Ken Jandes, alto sax, and vocalists Dawn Holt Lauber and Gayle Bisesi.  Some band members have performed with such artists as Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Tex Benecke, Clark Terry and Billy Eckstine.

Ken Jandes is also a classical musician and Jerry Coleman has performed with the Chicago Lyric Opera. Tecson has composed the ChicagoJazz Mass and Jazz Psalms; he also, with Bobby Shiff and Bobby Lewis, composed a Jazz Passion which is performed each year at Easter. A Christmas performance, Bending Toward the Light, is given several times each Christmas season.

ChurchJazz supports several charitable causes including the Carter Center’s efforts to distribute mosquito netting in Africa, Lutheran Life Communities development of The Arlington, a full-service retirement community in Naples, Florida; Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois; Lutheran Social Services of Illinois and other groups.

There will be a free-will offering at the program; there are no ticket sales. CDs of the group’s music will be available for purchase after the program.

Additional programs in the series will be at 3 p.m. March 10 with a hymn fest, and 3 p.m. April 14 with performances by Immanuel’s Praise Band with other area Praise Bands.