Enduring jazz singers are a rare breed. West Michigan is lucky to have a few of these gems, including the effervescent Mary Rademacher.
As I said noted on the air at News Talk 1340 AM earlier this week, few Grand Rapids area musicians are more recognizable than Rademacher, who has established herself as a consummate entertainer throughout the region: She’s a singer, dancer and choreographer who has performed solo, with her Rad Pack band, Boogie Woogie Babies, Tom Hagen Trio, Mary Rademacher Quartet, Paul Keller Orchestra and many others after touring the world with the USO and performing once upon a time at Tootsie Van Kelly’s in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.
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In demand due to her versatility in singing jazz and swing music, pop standards, show tunes and more, Rademacher has recorded solo CDs as well as albums with local singer Rick Reuther and with the Boogie Woogie Babies. She was honored as the West Michigan Jazz Society’s musician of the year in 2006.
On Wednesday, another former jazz musician of the year, pianist Steve Talaga, joined Rademacher for my Local Spins Live segment on News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW) to talk about her music and perform the Gershwin classic, “I Got Rhythm.” You can view a video of that in-studio performance below.
And on Saturday, she’ll join another stellar singer, Edye Evans Hyde, at St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Ave. NE, for “Music of the Night,” a benefit for the Reed Family Music Scholarship, sponsored by the Foundation for Catholic Secondary Education and the Catholic Central Music Department.
The 8 p.m. concert will feature a “who’s who” band supporting the two singers: Talaga, Rob Smith, Tom Lockwood and Tim Froncek. The concert will begin with a performance by the Michigan State University a cappella group Capital Green.
Tickets are $15; get more information at the website here or through the West Michigan Jazz Society. Learn more about Rademacher and see her upcoming performance schedule at her website.
And see last week’s Local Spin of the Week, the pop/rock’s Pistolbrides, and video of an exclusive in-studio performance by clicking here.
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
http://johnsinkevics.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/pistolbrides-local-spins-band-of-the-week/