BRATTLEBORO — Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present an evening of swing and Americana music by Zara Bode's Little Big Band and StompBoxTrio, as part of the 2022 Next Stage “Bandwagon Summer Series,” on Sunday, Aug. 28, at 4 p.m. on the lawn at the New England Center for Circus Arts.
Zara Bode's Little Big Band performs classic American swing “to delight the ears, eyes, and feet,” say organizers. Inspired by the likes of Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt, and Ella Fitzgerald, the Little Big Band features “top-shelf chanteuse Zara Bode (of Signature Sounds artists The Sweetback Sisters) and a sizzling horn section led by clarinetist and arranger Anna Patton.”
“From chic to cheeky, the southern Vermont-based septet digs into the classics with aplomb and affection, creating vibrant new takes on the old radio hits,” states a news release.
StompBoxTrio is a Western Massachusetts-based band that features Evelyn Harris (vocals, percussion), John Cabán (Dobro steel guitar, stompbox, vocals) and Paul Kochanski (bass, foot tambourine, vocals). “The trio blends classic 20th-century American blues, rock, and soul music with 21st-century mojo to create a sonic, soulful, hip-shaking juggernaut all their own,” say organizers.
A performer on the Pioneer Valley music scene for many years, Harris began her professional career working in the Washington, D.C., jazz community and was a composer, arranger, and lead singer with the group Sweet Honey In The Rock for 18 years.
Guitarist, composer, and producer Cabán has roots that run deep in blues, funk, R&B, ambient, experimental, and world music, and has performed around the world with the likes of Bo Diddley, Art Neville, and Gloria Gaynor.
Two-time Grammy nominee Kochanski has played American roots music since high school with the likes of Lori McKenna, “Big” Al Anderson, and Ronnie Earl.