For the fifth summer, Josh Duffee and his big band will return to Hackensack for a two-day music festival at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 12 and 13, at the Hackensack Community Building, sponsored by the Northwoods Arts Council.
This year the spotlight shines on “The First Ladies of Song,” the female vocalists of the big-band era, who include Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Peggy Lee and Anita O' Day. Each night the show will feature different music from the big-band era.
Guest vocalist for both performances will be Linnea Saddler, Duffee's classmate at Moline High School in Moline, Illinois. Another music festival highlight will be drum performances by Duffee, band leader and professional percussionist. He will perform on one of the drum sets owned by famed Louie Bellson.
Duffee is from Davenport, Iowa, and considered one of the world's leading 1920s style percussionists. He leads several musical groups in the Quad Cities area, playing both jazz and music of the big-band era (1920s-40s). Duffee performs around the world at jazz festivals and concerts. He is a respected historian and jazz authority, often lecturing and giving presentations at high schools and colleges.
“First Ladies of Song” tickets are available at Southside Fuel Plus, Swanson's Bait and Gas in Hackensack, the July flea market at Sacred Heart Church, and on the Northwoods Arts Council website www.northwoodsartscouncil.org. Tickets sell quickly.
ADVERTISEMENT
