12/6/05

The Artie Shaw Orchestra Featuring Dick Johnson - Music from the 'King of Swing'

BENTON TOWNSHIP, MI. - Swinging sounds from one of Big Band's true legends come to the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Sunday, January 15th at 3:00 p.m. The Artie Shaw Orchestra Featuring Dick Johnson will delight fans with favorites culled from the extraordinary catalogue of the late Artie Shaw, a clarinet virtuoso and 1930s and 40s jazz icon.

Shortly after releasing the timeless "Begin the Bequine" in 1938, Artie Shaw earned the title "King of Swing" from Downbeat Magazine, displacing Benny Goodman. Shaw's orchestra went on to record such classics as "Moonglow," "Dancing in the Dark," and "Star Dust," an interpretation of Hoagy Carmichael's song that became one of the best-known recordings of the era.

Thanks to his innovative instrumentation and intricate arrangements, Shaw cemented a legacy as one of the 20th century's great musicians. His talent as a clarinet player and success as a bandleader and composer earned him enormous sums of money -- $30,000 a week, even during the Great Depression. In his heyday, Shaw enjoyed unparalleled fame and married two of Hollywood's most desirable starlets, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner.

Today, the music of Artie Shaw lives on through his chosen protégé, Dick Johnson. Having toured the world since 1983, this incarnation of the Artie Shaw Orchestra plays tribute to the late jazz giant's body of work. The 16-piece band, directed by Dick Johnson and composed of very accomplished musicians, also has been known to venture away from Shaw's catalogue and include tasteful contemporary arrangements as well.

Dick Johnson is a seasoned bandleader and player in his own right. Since 1952, Johnson has been a professional jazz musician, playing alongside the likes of Benny Goodman, Herb Pomeroy and Buddy Morrow, among others. His clarinet ability, in the words of Artie Shaw himself, is "the best I've heard, bar nobody, and you can quote me on that, anywhere, anytime."

Not surprisingly, Shaw hand-picked Johnson to carry on his legacy in 1983 and form the Artie Shaw Orchestra Featuring Dick Johnson, as it is known today. Johnson momentarily relinquished his band director title, however, when Artie Shaw briefly joined the band to perform a spectacular rendition of "Begin the Bequine" for Cole Porter's 100th Anniversary at Carnegie Hall.

Tickets for the performance of the Artie Shaw Orchestra are $20 and are available at the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Mainstage are available by calling (269) 927-1221. Students (kindergarten through college) and senior adults (60 and older) receive a 10 percent discount off single ticket prices. Special group rates are available to parties of 20 or more, which receive 15 percent savings on ticket prices. For further information about group rates and special arrangements, call the Group Coordinator at (269) 927-8109. Advance Limo Service is sponsoring the Artie Shaw Orchestra Featuring Dick Johnson performance.

The 1,505-seat Mendel Center Mainstage Theater offers state-of-the-art acoustics and comfortable seating in elegant surroundings. Other amenities include free, lighted parking; handicap accessibility (inside and out); and an array of special services and friendly ushers and support personnel.

The Mendel Center is located within 30 minutes of Niles and 40 minutes from Kalamazoo or South Bend. Located on the Napier Avenue campus of Lake Michigan College, the Mendel Center is one mile east of I-94 on Napier Avenue (Exit 30) in Benton Township, Michigan.