Sarah Vaughan Live at Mister Kelly's & The London House Monday, May 21at City Winery
“Sarah Vaughan Live at Mister Kelly's and London House: a benefit performance and preview for the documentary film, 'Mister Kelly's: Wasn't it a Time?'"
Relive Chicago musical history as eight outstanding Chicago vocalists recreate the epic recordings of Sarah Vaughan at the legendary Chicago nightclubs, Mister Kelly's and The London House. “The Divine One” recorded her “At Mister Kelly’s” LP on August 6-8, 1957. This landmark concert has been remastered and re-released numerous times, but has finally been released with 20 complete tracks. On March 7, 1958, Sarah Vaughan recorded 7 tracks late night live for “After Hours at the London House.” This concert combines music from both Chicago shows with such classics as "Willow Weep for Me," "Just One of Those Things," "Honeysuckle Rose,” "How High the Moon," "Embraceable You," "Poor Butterfly," "I Cover the Waterfront" and many more songs from the Great American songbook BY Harry Warren, Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, and George & Ira Gershwin, plus Chicago’s own Johnny Frigo’s “Detour Ahead.”
This two-act concert features Kimberly Gordon, Sophie Grimm, Lynne Jordan, Frieda Lee, LaShera Moore, Daryl Nitz, Jeannie Tanner, and Ellen Winters. Musical direction is by Andrew Blendermann, with Joe Policastro on bass and Phil Gratteau on drums. There will be a special guest performance by a Chicago high school student protege from ChiArts.
This concert is also a benefit for the new documentary film"Mister Kelly's: Wasn't It a Time?”, produced by David Marienthal of Happy Medium Ventures, and directed by Philip Koch. Featuring interviews with Dick Cavett, Bob Newhart, Tom Dreesen, Lainie Kazan, and others, this film chronicles an era of entertainment at a nightclub circuit that “hosted a parade of a musical and comedic talent that would define American entertainment at the time and influence coming generations,”(Rick Kogan, WGN.) The legendary Mister Kelly’s illuminated legendary Chicago’s Rush Street, and the entire country, by launching talent like Barbra Streisand, Woody Allen, Bette Midler, Herbie Hancock, and Richard Pryor. Its visionary owners George and Oscar Marienthal smashed color and gender barriers to put fresh, irreverent voices on stage and transform entertainment, as America knew it in the '50s, '60s, and ’70s Once completed, the film “will illuminate a critical time and place not only in Chicago nightlife but in American cultural history”(Howard Reich, Tribune.) The film is scheduled for showing on WTTW Channel 11.
Audience members will also be able to bid on and buy memorabilia from Mister Kelly’s, The London House, and Happy Medium.
Come enjoy great music, support a worthy film project, and share in Chicago’s rich musical history, all on Monday, May 21 at “Sarah Vaughan Live at Mister Kelly's and London House.”
Happy Medium Ventures and Daryl Nitz Entertainment present
Sarah Vaughan Live at Mister Kelly's & The London House
Monday, May 21, 2018
$30-$50