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Norris welcomes jazz artist Spider Saloff Sept. 11 for St. Charles Jazz Weekend

Two of Chicago's premier jazz artists, singer Spider Saloff and pianist Jeremy Kahn, team up to perform "The Cool Heat of Peggy Lee," at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the historic Baker Community Center, 101 S. Second St. in downtown St. Charles.

Produced and presented by the Norris Cultural Arts Center, the concert highlights this year's St. Charles Jazz Weekend.

Public health guidelines, including capacity restrictions, will be observed to assure concert patrons a safe and enjoyable experience. For a link to purchase tickets, which are priced at $25 and include two complimentary beverages, visit www.NorrisCulturalArts.com. For other information, call The Norris at (630) 584-7200.

At her 100th birthday, Peggy Lee remains a music icon - singer, songwriter, actress, star of film and television. This program pays homage to the smoldering understated style of Peggy Lee, tracing her story from her humble beginnings through the glamour of the 1950s and '60s and her continued chart breaking recordings.

The concert includes Peggy Lee's classic jazz hits as well her pop music classics. Saloff presents all of this with her unique comic wit and a contemporary twist that appeals to audiences of all ages.

This concert debuted in the summer of 2017 to sold-out audiences at the Ravinia Music Festival. Featured songs include "Fever," "Lover," "Why Don't You Do Right?," "The Best is Yet to Come," "Is That All There Is?," "Black Coffee," and "He's a Tramp."

Spider Saloff is the host and star of the syndicated public radio series "Words and Music." The Chicago - based jazz vocalist and comedian has won accolades around the world for her introspective yet comedic approach to the genre.

Saloff is acclaimed as one of the great interpreters of the American Songbook. Saloff has composed multiple concert tributes to Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Stephen Sondheim and many others. At the famed Chicago Jazz Festival, she performed to audiences of over 26,000 at Chicago's Millennium Park as well as many other venues.

Saloff's concert career includes recent performances at the Poznan Poland Jazz Fest, The Pheasantry in London, as well as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Overture Center, Ravinia Music Festival, The Auditorium Theater, and the Smithsonian Institution. Her major night club engagements included turns in Chicago at The Green Mill and Jazz Showcase and in New York at Birdland and Feinstein's among many others nationwide.

Saloff is a national and international award-winning performer who has recorded nine acclaimed CD albums. See her website at www.spidersaloff.com.

Jeremy Kahn is one of Chicago's busiest pianists, dividing his time between jazz venues, pit orchestras, and recording and teaching studios. A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, Kahn spent 12 years in New York, where he was a member of Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, and was the pianist in the Chicago Jazz Ensemble led by Jon Faddis. He has performed on stage with Dizzy Gillespie, Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, Branford Marsalis, the Chicago and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras, and on screen with Madonna, Mary Wilson and Johnny Crawford.

Kahn has played at many of Chicago's theaters, including the Oriental, Cadillac Palace, Shubert/CIBC, Auditorium, Chicago, Aurora Paramount, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Lincolnshire Marriott, Porchlight and Royal George for shows like "Wicked," "Spamalot," "The Lion King," "Les Miserables," "Aida and Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara." He was also the pianist/conductor for productions of "Hot Mikado" and "Pal Joey," and is currently a faculty member of Northwestern University and the Music Institute of Chicago.

He has been a featured performer at the Chicago, Hyde Park and Poznan (Poland) Jazz Festivals, and a featured guest on the radio shows of Studs Terkel and Marian McPartland. See Kahn's website at www.kahnman.com.

For information on St. Charles Jazz Weekend, visit www.stcalliance.org.

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