"Birth of the Cool"

The Valerie Gillespie Jazz Ensemble blends vocal and instrumental styles to produce an energetic sound that draws audiences in with a wide variety of familiar songs. Combining the beautiful sounds of Rick Steuart on keyboards and Dave Rudolph's exciting drums with the world-class talent of Valerie Gillespie on saxophones, flute and vocals, the group produces a product that is appealing to all types of audiences.

Guest artist John DePaola on trumpet is a jazz enthusiast's delight. His playing has been known to ignite a rhythm section's groove. Bringing experience from the "old school", DePaola provides an excellent example of intelligent, cleanly articulated explorations during improvisation on all of his tunes.

The Valerie Gillespie Jazz Ensemble will feature the tunes of Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, such as Bernie's Tune, Five Brothers, My Funny Valentine, Blue Boy, Nights at the Turntable, Look for the Silver Lining, and many more.

The Valerie Gillespie Jazz Ensemble gives audiences music to tap their toes to and sing along. Audiences love to interact with The Valerie Gillespie Jazz Ensemble, as the group enjoys playing special requests and are highly motivated to fulfill the audience's desires.