ELIXIR at The Freight House presents vocalist SABRINA BROWN - 6/5

 

ELIXIR at The Freight House presents

VOCALIST SABRINA BROWN

- Thursday, June 5^th  

 

ELIXIR at The Freight House, White River Junction’s premier destination for fine dining and live music, presents an Upper Valley favorite -- the very talented and versatile vocalist SABRINA BROWN, performing an eclectic mix of jazz standards, show tunes, pop and bossa nova with pianist FRED HAAS and bassist DAVID WESTPHALEN, on Thursday, June 5, 2008 from 7 to 10pm.  (Please note new summer music hours: Tues. through Thurs. 7-10, Fri. & Sat. 7:30-10:30.)  Call ELIXIR at 802-281-7009 for reservations.  There is no cover charge for the music.

 

Sabrina Brown, whose father recalls her singing as a baby in her crib, began singing in church for weddings, funerals, and services at age twelve.  Growing up in Seattle, her parents took her to classical, pop, folk, and world music concerts.  She took piano lessons and studied with some of the area’s best classical voice teachers.  At a community college in Seattle, she was a member of the Jazz Choir and studied music performance in a program called Professional Entertainment Training that included dance, music theory, and learning to play several instruments.  Sabrina’s interest in jazz was born when she opened a restaurant and began looking for the right “sound” for the business.  She fell in love with the saxophone listening to Ben Webster (unaware that the saxophone would someday play a very special role in her life!)   Occasionally, she would sit in with the musicians she had hired.  The business, raising four fabulous children, and relocating to New England in 1992 contributed to her putting her singing career on hold for ten years – until she met Fred Haas, first as a pianist, then as a band leader and saxophone player.  Her mentor, inspiration, and teacher for the past 14 years, Fred became her husband last summer.  Twelve years ago the two started Interplay Jazz Camp, bringing together renowned instructors and students for a summer intensive program that is growing and expanding every year.  Sabrina’s studies with such top jazz vocalists as Rebecca Parris, Shelia Jordan, and Dena DeRose have helped her develop her own rich, expressive sound and the uncommon ability to tell a story through each song.

 

Fred Haas, a Dartmouth grad (’73) who teaches saxophone, jazz piano, improvisation, jazz history, and music theory at Dartmouth College, has performed throughout New England and beyond with countless artists, including Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles, Clark Terry, Lena Horne, Dionne Warwick, Joe Morello, Attila Zoller, and Milt Jackson, and Pat Metheny, who calls Fred “a totally world-class saxophone player.”  In 1996, he and Sabrina Brown founded Interplay Jazz Camp in Woodstock, VT, which provides an opportunity every summer for musicians of all ages to participate in a relaxed and supportive learning environment, which includes yoga and meditation, as they focus on the improvisational art of jazz with an experienced, all-star faculty.  This year’s camp featured two extraordinary musicians on the faculty: vocalist Sheila Jordan and pianist Kenny Werner.  Fred’s record label, JazzToons, has produced several jazz CDs that feature him on saxophone, including Interplay with guitarist Gene Bertoncini, Strike Up the Band and Friends with the Paul Broadnax Quartet, and I thought About You with pianist Bob Hallahan.  Fred’s most recent CD, Telling Stories, is a collection of twelve original compositions featuring Fred on sax and piano, Gene Bertoncini on guitar, and Michael Moore on bass.  Visit www.interplayjazz.com for more information about Interplay Jazz Camp and JazzToons.

 

David Westphalen is a well-known bassist, trombonist and bandleader in the Upper Valley. For many years his band Swing Machine has performed at dances, Dartmouth College functions, weddings and other private events around northern New England. After graduating with a major in music from Tufts University, he taught high school music in Vermont for two years. David currently plays bass with a number of Vermont-based musicians, including Fred Haas, Michael Zsoldos, Bob Merrill and Dave Ellis. He also works with several small combos, including a duo with guitarist Billy Rosen, and occasionally sings jazz standards. David plays trombone with the Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, based in Brattleboro, as well as the seven-piece, traditional jazz band The Almost Legendary Thundering Muskrats. 

 

Located at The Freight House, 188 S. Main Street, White River Junction, VT (802-281-7009), ELIXIR Restaurant and Lounge presents eclectic fare and small plates and features special martinis, local beers, an international wine list and live music nightly.  Eat, laugh & drink.