Earshot Magazine’s 2010 Northwest Vocalist of the Year Gail Pettis joins forces with Pearl Django – one of America’s most respected and busiest Hot Club style groups – for an evening of jazz at Gesa Power House Theatre.
Gail Pettis grew up singing “church music” in Gary, Indiana, but it wasn’t until she moved to Seattle in 1996 that she began to pursue a second career in music. She closed her orthodontic practice in 2006 and released her first solo album in 2007. Her rich, warm vocal and understated phrasing was described as “deliciously soulful” by Cadence Magazine.
Gail Pettis values the freedom of personal expression she finds in music. “For me, emotion is the currency of jazz,” she says. “Over the years, I have learned that wearing your heart on your sleeve is not always the best approach to every life situation, but within the context of music, vulnerability always feels right.”
With a performance history spanning more than two decades, Pearl Django is regarded as one of America’s finest gypsy jazz bands. The band’s focus is incorporating the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American swing music.
Pearl Django’s extensive repertoire includes traditional jazz classics and original compositions. Their music reaches out across the divides of taste to a wide variety of audiences. The band’s fervent followers include Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli fans, guitar enthusiasts, lovers of string music — including bluegrass devotees who relish nimble, clean, intricate picking — world music fans drawn to French and Gypsy accents, jazz buffs, and aficionados of the new swing music.
Pearl Django has played at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine and has been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” The band’s signature style is marked by pristine and dexterous string work, the steady pulse of rhythm guitar and an unmistakable swing that delights audiences of all musical sensibilities. They have released 11 albums to date.
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The 2016 Gesa Power House Theatre Season is presented by:
Waterbrook Winery, Browne Family Vineyards, Canoe Ridge Vineyard
Additional support provided by:
Courtyard Marriott, Inland Cellular, Pacific Power, Wingman Birdz & Brewz
