Short Version Press Release:
For more information contact Matt Langley. 207 337 2375 matthewclangley@gmail.com
Jazz heavies including Beth Duncan, Clairdee, Ken French, Ruth Davies and John Girton will perform a free concert in Nevada City’s Pioneer Park on Sunday August 1st, 2021 from 6-9PM. The concert will be a celebration of Bill Douglass’ and Nora Nausbaum’s contributions to the jazz scene of Nevada County and the Sierra Jazz Society over the past two decades.
The Sierra Jazz Society, a California 501C3 non profit, was created by Bill & Nora, and is dedicated to Jazz education, presentation and promotion in Nevada County and the surrounding areas.
The Sierra Jazz Society will continue the work of Bill and Nora under new leadership. This concert, honoring their dedication to the community, will be presented annually. Plans are also underway to reboot the popular Sierra Jazz Society Jazz Camp in Summer of 2022.
In addition to the performers listed, there will be a house band made up of some on the area’s finest musicians and, in the jazz tradition, there will be a special guest or two over the course of the evening. The concert will be free and the Sierra Jazz Society will be welcoming your generous donations at any level to support the outstanding performers in this event and the mission of the Jazz Society going forward.
Long version Press Release:
For more information contact Matt Langley. 207 337 2375 matthewclangley@gmail.com
In a special appearance by Bill Douglass, international recording artist Clairdee and Sacramento leading jazz vocalist Beth Duncan will be joined by Bay Area musical dignitaries Ruth Davies and Ken French in leading the Sierra Jazz Society faculty in a free picnic concert in Nevada City’s Pioneer Park on Sunday August 1st, 2021 from 6-9PM. Donations will go toward the musicians, the Sierra Jazz Society Scholarship program, and the production cost for the show.
The concert will be a celebration of Bill Douglass’ and Nora Nausbaum’s contributions to the music of Nevada County and the Sierra Jazz Society over the past two decades. The Sierra Jazz Society (a 501C3 non-profit), was created by Bill Douglass and Nora Nausbaum in 2003 and is dedicated to jazz workshops, annual music camps and performance in Nevada County.
Bill and Nora retired from the Jazz Society after Bill was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and the helm is now taken by a Board of Directors consisting of David Clouse, Matt Langley, and Peter Wilson; all seasoned musicians, educators, and promoters, who are chartered with continuing both the educational work and performance series.
Native son Bill Douglass grew up in Nevada County, and as the inspiration for the Sierra Jazz Society Bill has played bass with many jazz greats including Marian McPartland, Mose Allison, Bobby McFerrin, and Tom Waits among many others. During the course of his career Bill has recorded over 100 albums and also performed on many film and TV scores including The Black Stallion, Disney’s Never Cry Wolf, 1,000 Pieces of Gold, and National Geographic Specials.
Nora Nausbaum is a classically trained flutist with a Master Degree in Music Performance from New England Conservatory of Music, and has taught at Northern Michigan University and Arkansas State University at Jonesboro. Nora plays locally with the Amaryllis Trio and continues with her private teaching practice. Nora also plays jazz, having learned from her husband Bill who taught so many musicians to listen and improve in the long jazz tradition of playing with them and teaching by example.
The Sierra Jazz Society has the great fortune to bring jazz sensation Clairdee to star in the picnic in the park. Clairdee has performed in leading concert halls, festivals and nightclubs around the world, and has collaborated with some of America’s most celebrated jazz masters. She has performed with pops symphony orchestras, big bands, small jazz combos, and intimate duos, and as one of the leading jazz voices in the Bay Area Clairdee has is the recipient of the 2018 recipient of the Bay Area Jazz and Blues Artist Lifetime Achievement Award. Soulful, swinging, and stylish, and with a gift of an immediate intimate connection with her audience, Clairdee is a masterly interpreter of lyrics with a lustrous, velvety tone, and embodies the tradition’s twinned legacy of standing for social justice with glamor and guts. Deeply informed by the music’s departed masters, Clairdee puts a personal stamp on whatever she sings, and leaves an indelible mark on her audience.
“In the tradition of all great vocalists, Clairdee infuses each song with her own unique style while always remaining true to the song itself.” ~ Nancy Wilson
Co-starring the show will be one of the top jazz female vocalists in the greater Sacramento region, Beth Duncan. An in-demand and active performer throughout Northern California, Beth is well known not only as one of the region’s top female vocalists, but also as the long-time former host of Northern California’s CapRadio’s popular ‘Insight’ radio show for many years. Her latest album “Comes The Fall” received strong reviews and won an Independent Music Award (IMA) for best song, debuting on the national CMJ (radio) network at #26 right below Diana Krall. Beth’s vocal interpretations encompass the full range of emotion while maintaining a strong undercurrent of sheer love for life and joyful celebration for her art.
Duncan possesses an impressive staying power as she passes from one genre to the next. Her presence is potent, her voice certain, and her focus pure and direct” ~ Michael Bailey; All About Jazz music critic
When The Sierra Jazz Society set out in search of the featured artists, they understood the importance of finding a great bass player, and the road led directly to Ruth Davies. Ruth has played at Bill Clinton’s inauguration, performed with such jazz and blues greats as Keb’ Mo’, Charles Brown, Clark Terry, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison, Maria Muldaur, Etta James, Terry Gibbs, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Little Jimmy Scott. Her discography (including several Platinum and Grammy-winning CDs) covers various jazz and blues styles as well as movie soundtracks. She has recorded with Charles Brown, Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker, Van Morrison, Clark Terry, Vassar Clements, Toots Thielemans, Ernie Watts, Elvin Bishop, Maria Muldaur, Jackie Ryan, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, among others.
She toured the world for ten years with the late Charles Brown, performing at major jazz festivals and concerts and on radio and television broadcasts worldwide. Ruth continues to spend considerable time abroad. She has recorded and performed internationally with Maria Muldaur, Denise Jannah, Dmitri Matheny and European pianist/composer Amina Figarova. Lately she has “returned to the roots” and travels with Elvin Bishop’s band.
Ruth believes in teaching and in bringing music to the public schools and has presented music programs to over two thousand school groups. She has been on the faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for 17 years and has had a very successful “Ruth Davies Blues Night” series at the Stanford Jazz Festival, The San Francisco Symphony’s “Adventures in Music” program and the “Just Say Jazz” project deliver music education to the classroom.
The picnic in the park concert will be directed by Ken French. Ken is widely recognized as one of the premier jazz pianists in the Bay Area performing with his own trio as well as serving a Musical Director for Clairdee. Ken has been on the faculty of the Sierra Jazz Society since the beginning and continues a rigorous performing schedule in addition to teaching and sharing his passion for music. Joining Ken and the star performers will be John Girton on guitar, Dave Tidball on sax and clarinet, and local musicians Jason Wilkins on bass, Matt Langley on sax, and Kit Bailey and David Clouse on drums and percussion.
Years ago, when John was in my band, we were recording with an all-star line-up headed by Benny Carter that included the famous jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell, and Benny Carter assigned the solos to John Girton. That’s how wonderful a player he is.” – Maria Muldaur
The chance to see and hear Bill again is reason enough to be excited, and the line-up of musicians is incredible, but the real surprise right from the onset has been the overwhelming amount of enthusiasm and support. Almost immediately it has had the makings of being a very special evening. We can hardly wait! – David Clouse; co-producer
Bill Douglass was the artistic director of the Sierra Jazz Society from its inception, around 2005, until sometime in early 2020. Bill is renowned in the Bay Area and the Sierras as a fine bass player and bamboo flute player.