Big band under the stars

BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Music Center and Retreat Farm kick off their “Music Under the Stars” summer concert series Saturday, July 24, with a performance by the Vermont Jazz Center Big Band.
The concert will be held at Retreat Farm, 45 Farmhouse Square, and admission is free. Gates open 5:30 pm; the concert begins at 6:30. All are welcome to bring lawn chairs and a picnic, and to enjoy food truck fare, maple creemees, and craft beers at The Thirsty Goat bar.
The 17-piece Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, under the direction of Rob Freeberg, will honor one of the greatest vocalists and pianists in jazz history: Grammy Hall-of-Famer Nat King Cole.
Nat King Cole recorded over 150 Billboard singles, selling more than 50 million copies during his lifetime. He was the first African American in the US to host his own radio program, in 1946, and TV show, in 1956, but his greatest legacy are his recordings.
Expressing Cole’s music and using many of the big band arrangements prepared for Cole himself will be vocalist Peter Eldridge. Eldridge has performed in some of the world’s most preeminent venues and festivals, including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and the Kennedy Center. As a member of New York Voices, he is a two-time Grammy-Award winner, and his original music has been covered by artists such as Nancy Wilson, Paquito D’Rivera, and Jane Monheit.
For more information about “Music Under the Stars” call (802) 257-4523 or email info@bmcvt.org.