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Junius Courtney Big Band w/ Denise Perrier and special guest Bobi Cespedes
Open Dance Floor! Friday, 0, , 12:00 am (doors open at 7:00 pm)"From Berkeley to Havana With Love" $20 adv / $24 door Purchase tickets online 00
The Junius Courtney Big Band is celebrating its fifty-five-year anniversary, and is pleased to be returning to the Freight for another night that will lift off to delirious realms of swing…and percussive Afro-Cuban and Latin grooves. Nat Courtney, son of the band’s founder, is in the driver’s seat as bandleader at the drum kit. George “Jazbeaux” Spencer, musical director, draws on his musical experiences with Esther Phillips, the Manhattans, Martha Reeves, Dakota Staton and a host of others. The “cast of veterans who know how to tell a story in eight bars” (per Andy Gilbert) pulls out the stops and delivers the compulsion to dance. And to soothe the soul of those who would rather swing from the Freight’s comfy seats.
Wednesday, April 12th, will be a uniquely original and memorable night at the Freight. Get your dancing shoes ready to fly and your heart ready to soar!
Listen to a track from Junius Courtney Big Band:
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With the full dance floor open and the compelling rhythms of Cuba and swing at play, this “Bay Area institution” of a big band will transport you to Havana and back.
Afro-Cuban songstress Bobi Cespedes is a singer, songwriter and performer who leads the pantheon of Bay Area Afro-Cuban musicians. She has a devoted following, and is appreciated for her innovation and heart. Bobi’s creativity is augmented by her previous work with Mickey Hart and Conjunto Cespedes. As the Junius’ special guest, she’s bringing the Cuban big band vocal tradition to Berkeley, with love. There will be reflections of Beny Moré and romance.
World-traveler and world-class vocalist Denise Perrier is recently returned from performances in Cuba, and more recently returned from the Vladivostok Jazz Festival. A member of the Junius Courtney Big Band for fifteen years, Denise exudes soul, sass, class and most formidable chops. At the Freight, she’ll be recalling the exuberance of her international performances to deliver a swinging tribute to the Latin tinge, Cuba and her own blues-drenched roots.
