“We’ve got a few new arrangements that we’re bringing in, but we’re going to play all the old favorites,” Wilson says. “Wendy [Jones] has a big band arrangement of ‘White Christmas.’ And last year we started doing ‘Silent Night.’”

“We’ve got a few new arrangements that we’re bringing in, but we’re going to play all the old favorites,” Wilson says. “Wendy [Jones] has a big band arrangement of ‘White Christmas.’ And last year we started doing ‘Silent Night.’”
Not surprisingly, Russ Wilson has his own opinion as to why big band jazz has endured. “For lack of a better term, it appeals to the masses,” he says. “Besides the true musical value — which has to be there — there’s entertainment value to it.”
This time around, it’s an all-locals edition (well, three actual local artists and one honorary local).
This week’s roundup includes Russ Wilson’s “Have Yourself a Swinging Little Christmas,” Amy Black’s Muscle Shoals Revue, Will Ray & the Space Cooties and a Hustle Souls New Year’s Eve show.
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a new documentary about Bob Moog’s life, as explored by his daughter; a collective jazz concert where six local composers’ works will be premiered by a 40-person orchestra; and a couple’s plan to bike 2,774 miles while supporting Homeward Bound.
Asheville’s Godfather of jazz, Russ Wilson, is mounting a concert series that he calls Russ Wilson’s History of Jazz. The year-long Sunday evening series at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall kicked off with a Sunday, Jan. 3 set, and the next installment, “The Roots of Jazz,” takes place Sunday, Jan. 24.
The musical thread that weaves this diverse collection of live acts is simple: fun. Different kinds of fun, to be sure — funk, noir-pop, early rock ‘n’ roll and something delightfully unclassifiable.
Twice monthly, my blog 30 Days Out spotlights upcoming music shows and events of note, shining a light into some less well-lit corners, where some fascinating artists schedule performances. I do my best to give ample advance notice so that you can adjust your budget and calendar in a way that lets you get to […]
There’s something inexplicably cheery — and not ironically so, despite the prevalence of seasonal sweaters — about the Christmas specials of Bing Crosby and Lawrence Welk. These shows of decades past delivered holiday medleys and warm sentiments that spanned giddy good times to reflective moments. They conjured seasonal memories with traditional carols and festive standards. […]
Twice monthly, my blog 30 Days Out spotlights upcoming music shows and events of note, shining a light into some less well-lit corners, where some fascinating artists schedule performances. I do my best to give ample advance notice so that you can adjust your budget and calendar in a way that lets you get you […]