BRATTLEBORO — Samirah Evans and Franz Robert will perform a duet concert at the new 118 Elliot art space in Brattleboro on Thursday, Aug. 20.
The concert marks the first time the two will formally share a stage, says Evans. She credits Vermont Jazz Center director Eugene Uman with urging her to work with the young pianist, who will be attending the Manhattan School of Music this fall.
“Franz is so incredibly gifted and a lovely human being. I'm so delighted that we have this opportunity to make music together before he leaves the area,” says Evans.
Show time is 7 p.m., and admission is with a suggested donation of $10. 118 Elliot is a fully accessible facility located at 118 Elliot St. in downtown Brattleboro.
Franz W. Robert II discovered the piano at the age of five and by age 11 he could play orchestral parts from numerous choral works by Bach and Handel on the organ by ear.
He started formal classical training at 13, playing works by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Mozart.
He began playing jazz when he discovered the music of Fats Waller and James P. Johnson at age 14, and switched to a full-time focus on jazz at 15, studying in depth with Uman.
Since then, he has been featured at the “Prodigy Concert” series of the Pittsfield City Jazz Festival with his trio, made the Vermont All-State Jazz Big Band, and performed at various venues throughout New England and New York City.
Uman says of Robert, “Music is inseparable from Franz's persona, but what is truly remarkable is his commitment to learning, listening and getting to the heart of the musical essence and then conveying that distilled message to others using the piano as his means of expression.”
Samirah Evans was a fixture on the New Orleans music scene for nearly 20 years. She appeared as a bandleader or featured vocalist at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 14 times and shared stages with James Brown, B.B. King, Irma Thomas, Roy Ayers, Terence Blanchard, and Donald Harrison Jr., among others.
After moving to New England following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Evans has continued to captivate audiences at concert halls, night clubs, and music festivals across the Northeast, including New York City's Blue Note and Iridium; Boston's Beehive and Boston Harbor Hotel; and western Massachusetts' Iron Horse Music Hall, Arts Block Cafe, and Green River Music Festival.