Prolific jazz vocalist Charenée Wade will present a free concert on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts Atrium.
The first artist ever to enter two Thelonious Monk Vocal competitions, Wade walked away from the second one in 2010 with instant buzz, coming in second to her new friend Cécile McLorin Salvant. Known for expert vocal improvisation and her seriously swinging groove, Wade evokes a classic jazz sound akin to Betty Carter and Sarah Vaughan, two of her musical touchstones. Her debut, Offering: The Music of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, pays tribute to another inspiration, the socially conscious poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron.
Sponsored, in part, by David and Clayton Lightman and family, the event is made possible through the Jazz Touring Network program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information about the performance, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at lisa.leighton@bucknell.edu.