Sat

3/31/2012

8:00pm

Jazz

Ramona Collins, jazz singer

Jazz Masters Series: Concert and Conversation

• $30 Assigned Rows 1-2
• $20 Assigned Rows 3-5
• $15 General Admission
• $10 Student

• Ramona Collins, vocals
• Tad Weed, piano
• Marion Hayden, bass
• Sean Dobbins, drums

Event Details

The trio welcomes jazz master and celebrated vocalist Ramona Collins for the annual Jazz Masters Series, providing an evening of music with informal dialogue, giving audiences a rare glimpse into the artists’ musical lives in jazz. This event is co-sponsored by the Southeastern Michigan Jazz Association and is a Kerrytown Club Series event.  A cash bar will be available. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ramona Collins

Audiences throughout the Midwest have known for quite some time that this Toledo-based singer is one of the region's true treasures and best-kept secrets. Born in Toledo, Ohio, Ramona was reared in Lansing, Michigan, by a jazz pianist/singer mother - the late Alice (Collins) Carter - who encouraged her daughter to sing at an early age to combat her shyness. Today, anyone fortunate enough to witness the veteran performer at work will detect not a whit of shyness. Sultry, seasoned, witty and cool are words that come to mind when experiencing this engaging performer whose command of the stage and vast repertoire have helped her establish a solid rapport with club, concert and festival audiences wherever she goes.

Ramona recorded early in her career. She made her debut at age sixteen, singing standards on a recording accompanied by her mother and a drummer. Her voice attracted attention from local musicians and before long she was sitting in at jam sessions and clubs with her mother's musician friends. Her reputation as an exceptional song stylist and performer continues to attract musicians and songwriters of all ages, even today.

In 1997, Ramona and her band, Line One, released a well-received CD called "Everything Old Is New Again." This collection of frequently requested standards was recorded at the historic Rusty's Jazz Café (1962-2002) in Toledo and garnered high praise from jazz radio programmers and the group's loyal fans.

Known in her hometown of Toledo as a “jazz activist,” Ramona has produced a weekly radio radio program, called "T-Town Jazz", and along with the music, a regular feature of her show was conversational interviews with local, regional and national artists.  Ramona views her performing career as part entertainment, part educational. To that end, she has taken aspiring young performers under her wing, supporting and encouraging them and teaching them things that will help them grow as entertainers. . "There are a number of young people who have talent and respect for jazz," she says. "I'm thrilled they view me as a mentor...it's inspiring.”

Tad Weed

Tad Weed is a powerhouse of a pianist whose discography includes over a dozen albums. He has performed with some of the greatest names in jazz including John Patitucci, Mundell Lowe, Carmen McCrae, Charles Lloyd and Woody Herman. His artistically rich and diverse background allows him to command a wide range of styles, from bebop to the blues, funk and the avant-garde. He has performed in concerts, clubs, on television and radio around the world, including Brazil, China, Holland, England, France, Germany and Finland. Some of his more noteworthy appearances include The Concord Jazz Festival, The Boston Globe Jazz Festival at Symphony Hall, The Kool Jazz Festival and The Berlin Radio Festival. Weed is also in demand as an educator and has given clinics throughout the United States  alongside Bill Walrous, Bobby Shew, Jerome Richardson, Don Menza, George Shearing and Bud Shank.

Marion Hayden

Hailing from Detroit, Marion co-founder of the jazz band "Straight Ahead". She brings a fiery soul to the bass, with an authentic style, while maintaining originality. Bobby Jackson of WCPN-FM, Cleveland, OH interviewed Marion and provides the remaining remarks. Said Hayden, "I've had some thoughts about the music that I wanted to express for a long time. This has been a maturation process for me. I'm at a point in my life where I have something personal to say in musical terms.This recording represents my attempt at just starting to get that It represents the tip of the iceberg musically speaking, of where I've been, where I'm coming from, what my musical history has been and what my taste are." These are the words of a poised and confident Marion Hayden who speaks with the candor of someone who has lived some, and has traveled down the road a bit as a veteran musician. The creation of this solo project has allowed Hayden to explore her own music voice in a more detailed way. 

Sean Dobbins

Sean Dobbins got his start as a sought-after Detroit area jazz sideman at a young age, when he would regularly play with Blue Note artist Louis Smith. Though still young by jazz standards, Dobbins has amassed an impressive list of playing companions. He has performed/toured/recorded with Johnny Basset, Benny Golson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Frank Morgan, Joey DeFrancesco, George Cables, James “Blood” Ulmer, Marcus Belgrave, Larry Willis, Rodney Whittaker, Claude Black, Johnny O’Neal, Paul Keller, Tad Weed, Kurt Krahnke, Jon Hendricks, David “Fathead” Newman, Donald Walden, Cyrus Chesnut, Barry Harris, David Baker, Randy Johnston, Marion Hayden, Mose Allison, and a host of other great musicians. Dobbins is known in his community as a band director, drum teacher and positive influence for many. In 1999, he became the director of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Summer Jazz Program. In one year, the enrollment more than tripled, and in 2001 the group was featured on WEMU. Dobbins frequently plays at venues such as Baker’s Keyboard Lounge (Detroit), the Music Hall Jazz Cafe (Detroit), Murphy’s Place (Toledo) and Buddy Guy’s (Chicago). He currently plays with such groups as Dobbins, Krahnke and Weed; The Modern Jazz Messengers; and other local and national acts.