Jazz singer Alyssa Allgood opens first season of 'Saturday Night Lights' in St. Charles
The Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles launches its first season of "Saturday Night Lights" concerts at the Baker Community Center Feb. 15, when it presents Chicago-based jazz vocalist Alyssa Allgood. She will perform with Ben Waltzer on the piano, Dennis Carroll on bass, and Dana Hall on drums.
Tickets are available at www.norrisculturalarts.com, priced at $20 in advance. Tickets purchased at the door will be priced at $25. Each attendee will receive coupons for two complimentary beverages.
The Norris Cultural Arts Center for the first time in its 42-year history will present events at a second St. Charles venue, the historic Baker Community Center.
The Norris recently installed theatrical lighting and sound systems in the Baker Center auditorium as a gift to the community, upgrading the auditorium as a venue for professional concerts and other events. The series will continue with Ragged Rascals Irish band on March 7; Dan Buck and One of the Boyzz on April 4; and Joan Ellison in "Love Finds Judy Garland" on May 16.
The Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich calls Alyssa Allgood "a fast-rising Chicago singer ...(who) combines an unpretentious stage manner with a sophisticated jazz sensibility."
Alyssa Allgood has gained attention for "her technical control and (the) creative imagination of her work" (Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune). She has been described as an "impressive bop-oriented singer" by DownBeat Magazine and "an emerging talent of considerable strength" by The New York City Jazz Record.
Allgood was recently named "Best Jazz Entertainer" in the 2019 Chicago Music Awards. Her performance accolades include appearances at the world-famous Birdland Jazz Club in New York City, the Green Mill, the Jazz Showcase and the Chicago Jazz Festival in Chicago, and the Jazz Estate in Milwaukee.
Allgood's sophomore album, the 2018 "Exactly Like You," features her jazz organ quartet playing a mix of arrangements of jazz standards, pop classics and original songs. For Allgood, this album is all about taking risks and trying to show multiple sides of who she is, both personally and as an artist. The album was released November 2018 on the Vancouver label Cellar Live Records.
Her debut album, "Out of the Blue," was released in fall 2016 to wide critical acclaim. The album re-imagines the classic Blue Note Records era with original arrangements and lyrics.