Want to inject some free music into your Sunday? The Performing Arts Serving Acadiana group makes this possible.
A quartet of members of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra will perform Sunday at 2 p.m. at Washington Elementary School, 1530 La. 10 in the city of Washington.
The group will appear later today at 5:30 p.m. at the Holy Rosary Institute, 421 Carmel Drive in Lafayette.
“We’re going to have fun at both of these shows, listen to great music and hopefully make new friends,” said Jackie Lyle, Executive Director of Performing Arts Serving Acadiana. “It’s easy to attend. Just introduce yourself. You can also reserve a place via the event tab on our Facebook page.
Both performances are free and wearing a mask will be compulsory. More information can be found at www.facebook.com/pasacadiana.
“We know that local access to the arts is one of the components of a thriving community,” said Lyle, “and these types of activities allow us to meet people where they live.
The musicians will also host a clinic for high school jazz musicians in the music room of Lycée Lafayette at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
These informal pop-up performances lead to a performance by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. on October 21 at the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette.
That night, the jazz orchestra, led by artistic director Adonis Rose, will play the tunes of famous Louisiana musical genius, Allen Toussaint.
The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra has established itself in the jazz world, taking the sonic power and stylistic versatility of a big band and adding a New Orleans emphasis on groove and accessibility. Under the direction of Rose, the group presents its range more than ever. A band for all types of listeners, the orchestra is a great entry point for new jazz fans.
During her 25-year career, Rose has performed at major festivals and jazz venues around the world.
Toussaint’s songbook includes hits like “Mother-In-Law” and “Southern Nights” as well as tunes recorded by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. He has cut a wide swath across the musical landscape as an arranger, record producer, composer and performer. From his Saint Street Studio, which was lost in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, he produced some of the most popular music of the 20th century. Many musicians have recorded Toussaint’s successful compositions, including “Whipped Cream”, “Java”, “I Like It Like That” and many others. He has produced hundreds of recordings, among which the best known are “Right Place, Wrong Time”, Dr. John and “Lady Marmalade” by Labelle.
Toussaint has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Blues Hall of Fame. In 2013, he received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama.
The Performing Arts Serving Acadiana group’s lineup continues later this year with Postmodern Jukebox by Scott Bradlee, the musical collective known for putting “pop music in a time machine” on December 1st. The vibrantly energetic and emotionally captivating drama “Black Angels Over Tuskegee” arrives in Lafayette for a performance on January 20, 2022.
This project is funded in part by a grant from South Arts, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Louisiana Division of the Arts, as well as a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, recreation and tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, administered by the Acadiana Center for the Arts. Funding was also provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. This project received additional support from the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission.
For more information on any performance, email jackie@pasaonline.org or call PASA at (337) 781-1273.
