Vocalist/Actress Mardra Thomas for years has painted a musical and historical picture on stage of the life and legacy of Billie Holiday. Her sultry voice is well suited to showcase Holiday’s sculptured phrasing that stamped a signature style on jazz singing.
Pianist/Organist Reggie Thomas is Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Northern Illinois University. He can be seen fronting his own groups (Mardra/Reggie Thomas Ensemble; OGD) on both piano and Hammond organ and performing with other artists including Will Matthews, Ann Hampton Callaway, and the Carl Allen/Rodney Whitaker Project.
The Thomas’ recordings collectively and individually include work with many jazz greats such as “Creepin’ With Clark”, Clark Terry/Mike Vax (Summit Music), and multiple projects with Clay Jenkins and Kim Richmond; as well as their own “Fade to Blue”(MaxJazz),”Standard Time” with Harold Jones (Victoria Records),”4″ (Jazz Compass), “Better Than Alright” MSU Professors of Jazz, and their most recent release “Matters Of The Heart”(MRTJazz) available on Itunes and CDBaby. Make sure you experience them live. Wherever you see them, you are sure to feel the warmth and welcome of “solid swing.”
Performance starts at 7:30 p.m., with opening performance at 6:30 p.m. by the Lawrence University Student Jazz Trio.
