SAN FRANCISCO, CA. (Top40 Charts/ San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation) - Pat Yankee, the noted jazz singer who won a 1999 Bay Area Critic's Circle Award for her tribute to Bessie Smith, will perform a special concert, "Remembering
Sophie Tucker," at 2 p.m., Sunday, June 14, at the First Unitarian Church Center, 1187
Franklin Street (at Geary) in San Francisco.
The show of songs that Ms. Tucker made famous during her seven decade career as the "Red Hot Mama" was created by Frank E. Reilly. It is presented by the San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation and sponsored by The O'Reilly Law Firm. Tickets are $20 each for Foundation members, $25 for the general public and $75 for sponsors - including seating in the first two rows. Tickets are available at the Foundation's web site: www.sftradjazz.org.
Ms. Yankee, the last of the red hot mamas, began her career with the famed Ted Lewis band as a tap dancer, then became a jazz vocalist with her own band, "Pat Yankee and the Sinners." She performed for many years with San Francisco's own Turk Murphy Jazz Band at Earthquake McGoon's and, later, at the Fairmont Hotel. Her career took her all over the world. In 1983 she gained great reviews for her role in an off-Broadway show, Basin Street, set in New Orleans, where she took the role of the infamous Madam of Storyville, Lulu White.
Reilly, who hails from New York, was Founder & Artistic Director of The Chamber Theater of San Francisco for fourteen years. Prior to that he performed at the American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Stage Company, Zellerbach Auditorium and other Bay Area theaters. He appeared in many television and radio commercials as well a dozen feature films. Now a resident of Portland, Maine, he has completed five plays and a musical with New York composer Hank Beebe.
Ms. Yankee and Reilly, her creative partner, also collaborated on a tribute to jazz great Bessie Smith that played at festivals throughout the country before coming to the Alcazar Theater in San Francisco for an eight-week run. In 1999 Ms Yankee was awarded "Most Outstanding Female Performer in a Musical" by the Bay Area Critic's Circle. She also paired with Reilly on the hit show "Salute to Saloon Tunes." She will be backed up by her band, The Gentlemen of Jazz - Mike Greensill, conductor and piano; Richard Theuer, trumpet; Jim Rothermel, reeds; Jim Maihack, trombone; Steve Hanson, string bass; Manny Constancio, banjo and guitar and Bill Nawrocki, drums. Reilly is the narrator and director.
The San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation was created in 1981 as an archive of several thousand items relating to the jazz revival begun in San Francisco about 1939, especially with the great jazz bands of Lu Watters and Turk Murphy. The Foundation fosters live, high quality traditional jazz regionally and world wide.
Current activities include archival preservation, supporting live events and broadcasts, collaboration with other jazz and educational institutions, and developing new products and media applications. For additional information, e-mail: [email protected].
