Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024
10:00 am - 11:30 am | 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Nicole Pesce presents a 4-part “Women of Jazz” series and launches the event with a special tribute to the American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer Mary Lou Williams.
Part concert, part lecture – This musical “informance” will highlight some of the arrangements Mary Lou Williams wrote and arranged for Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman along with exploring snippets from Mary’s extensive collage of more than one hundred records.
In citing Mary’s vast musical catalogue comprised of hundreds of compositions, Nicole will explore timeless classics like “Rosa Mae”, “Nightlife”, “Mary’s Boogie”, and more.
Finally, Nicole will offer a closer look at Mary Lou Williams as a friend, mentor, and teacher to Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie.
Led By
Nicole Pesce *
Pianist, keyboardist, composer and arranger Nicole Pesce entertaining audiences with a unique blend of virtuosity, humor, and pizzazz. Nicole’s “Happy Birthday Variations” video has over six million views on YouTube, and Nicole was recognized by Arizona Foothills Magazine with their “Best of 2014” Award for Best Local Band/Musician. With a repertoire consisting of over 12,000 memorized songs, Nicole is often dubbed “the human iPod,” and is hailed as “one of the top ten musicians to hear in Phoenix,” by the Arizona Republic.
Nicole has performed for George Benson, Muhammad Ali, Ricky Martin, President George HW Bush, Waylon Jennings, Taylor Hicks, Janet Napolitano, Shaquille O’Neal, President Jimmy Carter, Chris Rock, Steve Nash, The Gypsy Kings, Glen Campbell, Margaret Cho and Brian Setzer. She’s appeared with American Idol contestant David Hernandez, The Moscow Ballet, Zowie Bowie, and the casts of Mary Poppins, Young Frankenstein, and Mamma Mia!
* returning Musicfest artist