Disney And The Duke

You Gotta Hear This! salutes two great American impresarios. Walt Disney, the father of feature-film animation, and Duke Ellington, the master of mainstream jazz, are together on the same bill. There is more to the pairing of Disney and the Duke than some alliterative gimmick. Consider that Disney and Ellington were not only masters at their respective crafts, they were also astute businessmen. Each created successful brands from their names – The Walt Disney Studio and The Duke Ellington Orchestra still survive, long after their founders’ deaths. Both men recognized and nurtured individual talent at the same time encouraging their artists to work as a team. And by sheer artistic merit their musical product transcended the commercial, to earn places of prominence in the American Songbook. Disney and the Duke were artists, impresarios and great American originals.
The first half of the March 27 You Gotta Hear This! concert showcases a talented group of young singers who have blossomed under the tutelage of voice teacher Steven Marking. They are Sarah Burdge, Tyler Brewer, Natalie Giordano, David Hojnowski, Emma Kerr, Danielle St. Hilaire, Tiffany St. Hilaire, Katie Schultz, Sarah Sigot, Savannah Stevens and Abigail Tague. Accompanied by pianist Dottie Cross, Marking and his students will perform songs which represent the diversity of musical styles that emerged from the Disney studio, from Tchaikovsky-inspired melodies to tunes with a Dixieland swing, and almost everything in between. The entire family will enjoy such favorites as “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Once Upon a Dream,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “The Bare Necessities” and many others.
For the evening’s Duke Ellington tribute, You Gotta Hear This! presents an ensemble of instrumentalists who’ve been playing together for years – David Banulis, guitar, Arthur Amuso, double bass, Glen Hueckel, sax, flute and clarinet, and Jeff McRae, drums. Marking, renowned for his smooth, rich baritone, will be joined by vocalists Leonard Cave, Melissa Dawes, Andrew Harvey, Liz Hill and Ingrid Schaaphok. Among their selections will be classics like “Maybe I Should Change My Ways,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing,” “Satin Doll” and “Take the A Train.”
Disney and the Duke begins at 7 pm on Saturday, March 27, at the Blake Hall Theatre on the campus of the Hoosac School on Pine Valley Road in Hoosick. The suggested donation is $15, $10 for seniors, children free. Refreshments are available. Call 518-424-1089 for more information or go to www.YouGottaHearThis.org.