Emmy award-winning pianist, composer, and television personality John Tesh is set to perform an unforgettable concert at Utah Tech University in St. George on May 11th. Known for his diverse musical career spanning over a quarter-century, Tesh will be showcasing his latest venture into the world of big band music, as featured on his 2012 album “Big Band” and the accompanying PBS special “John Tesh Big Band Live!”

From his early days as a sportscaster and co-host of Entertainment Tonight to his meteoric rise as a new age instrumental music superstar, John Tesh has consistently proven his ability to captivate audiences with his evolving musical styles. His journey began with Emmy-winning, synth-driven sports music and later saw him dominate the smooth jazz genre in the ’90s with his popular saxophone series. Tesh also found success in the CCM/Worship world, creating best-selling recordings that combined his musical prowess with his deep faith.

In this upcoming performance, John Tesh will be joined by his 7-piece band, which includes a 3-piece horn section. Together, they will perform a thrilling set of richly arranged big band standards, including timeless classics such as “The Summer Wind,” “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “Blue Skies,” “In the Mood,” “Sway,” and “Beyond the Sea.” Tesh will also incorporate his renowned original compositions, adding a personal touch to the evening’s repertoire.

Attendees can expect an intimate and engaging experience, as John Tesh will share personal stories and photos from his life and career path. From his early days in local radio to hosting Entertainment Tonight and ultimately pursuing his musical career, Tesh will provide insight into the journey that led him to create one of the top PBS specials of all time.

Don’t miss this opportunity to witness John Tesh’s infectious big band sounds live at Utah Tech University on May 11th. Tickets are available now at utahtech.edu, but they are selling fast, so be sure to secure your seats today for this exclusive one-night event. Get ready to be swept away by the timeless charm of big band music and the undeniable talent of John Tesh.

Featuring trumpeters, vocalists, and composers Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack III, the North American tour of SING AND SWING: Our American Songbook will be at the Eccles Mainstage Theater at Utah Tech University on February 13, 2024 at 7:30 PM.

“We’re both fans of the classic songbook era and the artists that made it possible,” says Skonberg. “The fact that we’re still playing these songs 75 to 100 years after they were written is a testament to their quality. Naturally, we gravitated towards the great pairings of trumpet players and vocalists, like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Prima and Keely Smith. We’ve listened to that music as long as we have played the trumpet. Also, the band with us is exceptional, so we’ll discover and highlight everybody’s hidden talents.” The show, she notes, “will have a friendly variety show type of feel.” 

Benack and Skonberg will lead a talented group featuring Jocelyn Gould (guitar); Jon Thomas (piano); Mark Lewandowski, (bass); and Charles Goold (drums).

The repertoire, notes co-leader Benny Benack III, will include songs such as Duke Ellington’s classic “In a Mellow Tone,” a duet featuring Skonberg on trumpet and vocals, featured in his most recent album, Third Time’s the Charm; “Comes Love,” a nod to the inimitable Louis and Ella; “Banana Split For My Baby,” a cheeky swinger by Louis Prima and Keely Smith, and “I’m Glad There is You,” a classic by Sarah Vaughan and Clifford Brown. 

“There’re a lot of familiar songs that people know and love,” says Benack. “But we have put fresh arrangements on these songs. And Bria and I also have some of our brand-new original material inspired by this era’s music. We wanted to have a modern take on the songwriting form. So we have some of that as well. You keep the music fresh by adding your experiences and making it relatable to the audience before you.” 

To present SING AND SWING: Our American Songbook, and following the success of last year’s “SONGS WE LOVE: 50 Years of Jazz Song,” Jazz at Lincoln Center is partnering again with the international booking agency IMG Artists. The aim of JALC’s tour initiative is to allow presenters to offer excellent jazz programming while introducing to a broader audience the musicians who will reinterpret and reimagine the sound of jazz for years to come. It is part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s mission “to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy.” As part of those efforts, the SING AND SWING: Our American Songbook tour will include an educational component in selected cities. 

“I didn’t grow up in a big city. I grew up in a small town,” says Skonberg, a native of Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. “There was no way that anything from Jazz at Lincoln Center would come there. It will be a real pleasure to connect with people from different towns along the way. It’s going to be a joy to get to spread the word.” 

Called “one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation” by the Wall Street Journal, Bria Skonberg is a singular talent who has performed with everyone from Jon Batiste, Wycliffe Gordon, U2 and Sun Ra Arkestra to the nation’s top symphony orchestras. Her music has garnered tens of millions of streams worldwide. The Juno award winner’s seventh studio album What it Means, which was recorded in New Orleans with the Cres-cent City’s finest, will be released in Fall of 2024. 

The daughter of teachers, Skonberg is deeply committed to education. She is the co-founder and director of the New York Hot Jazz Camp, and has served as faculty at the Teagarden, Centrum and Geri Allen Jazz Camps, in addi-tion to presenting hundreds of concerts and clinics for students of all ages, both independently and on behalf of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazz House Kids, and the Louis Armstrong House Museum. 

Benack, part of a family of Pittsburgh jazz notables, follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, trumpeter, and bandleader Benny Benack, Sr. (1921-86), and his father Benny Benack, Jr., a saxophonist and clarinetist who gave young Benny his first professional experience. 

An Emmy-nominated trumpeter and vocalist, Benack (affectionately known as BB3) was recognized in the 2022 DownBeat Critics Poll as a Rising Star Male Vocalist and a top Rising Star Trumpeter. He has performed interna-tionally as an Emcee/Host for Postmodern Jukebox, and appeared as a trumpet soloist for Josh Groban, Diplo, fash-ion icon Isaac Mizrahi, as well as cabaret legends such as Marilyn Maye, Melissa Errico and Ann Hampton Calla-way. He has also been a special guest with the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops Orchestra and the Columbus Jazz Or-chestra. His TV credits include appearances in the house band of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as well as NBC’s Maya & Marty. He achieved online notoriety for his vocal features with the GRAMMY-award winning “8-Bit Big Band” as well as his viral hit sensation music video of “Social Call” featuring Veronica Swift. Benack has recorded four well-received albums, One of a Kind, A Lot of Livin’ to Do, Season’s Swingin’ Greetings and, mostly recently, Third Time’s the Charm.

February is a busy month at M.K. Cox Performing Arts Center with 3 great shows for you to see!

First up is the award-winner songwriter and singer Kat Edmonson on February 10. Raised on the music and film of the early-to-mid-twentieth century, Kat is a rare artist who embodies the spirit of the past while remaining resolutely au courant. She performs original songs and familiar classics in her live show, interweaving humorous anecdotes, philosophical musings, and her love of film with disarming candor and vulnerability. The Texas native began crafting her signature sound while performing in Austin’s local club circuit for years before releasing her debut LP Take To The Sky in 2009. In 2013, The Songwriters Hall of Fame awarded Kat the Abe Olman Scholarship Award for Excellence in Songwriting. “Intuitive about melody and handy with a turn of phrase (The New York Times), the songsmith has been writing ever since she was a little girl, having published over 40 songs to date.

Kat is equally comfortable on the stage, in the recording studio, and on a movie set. In 2016, she appeared in Woody Allen’s Cafe Society as a 1930s jazz singer and was highlighted on the official soundtrack performing her version of “Mountain Greenery.” Her experience in Allen’s film inspired the artist to study the craft of acting. She subsequently spent two years in conservatory at The William Esper Studio in New York City. More recently, in the winter of 2022, Kat made her theatrical debut in “The Hang”: a new jazz opera by Taylor Mac and Matt Ray. Upon its opening, the off-off Broadway show received “Critic’s Pick” in The New York Times highlighting Kat’s “extraordinary artistry.”

Next up, coming directly from the Living Room to the stage, 16-time Grammy award-winning musician, composer, and producer David Foster and acclaimed singer, television, and Broadway star, Katharine McPhee are bringing their viral Instagram show on the road. Their show An Intimate Evening with David Foster and Katharine McPhee is on February 17.

Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foster. He has created hit songs for a diverse array of artists including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Seal, Chaka Khan, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Brandy, ’N Sync, Boz Scaggs, and Gloria Estefan.

Katharine McPhee can most recently be seen starring in the Netflix Original Series COUNTRY COMFORT. Previously she starred as ‘Paige Dineen’ on the CBS’ spy drama SCORPION and was featured in NBC’s award-winning musical series SMASH, executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Katharine appeared on the big screen in Columbia’s romantic comedy THE HOUSE BUNNY. In addition to her acting career, she finds great success in the music space after her turn on Season 5 of AMERICAN IDOL. Katharine’s first single debuted at #2 on the Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart. Her debut album landed on the Billboard 200 chart and went gold in 2008. Katharine also has a presence in theater, having recently starred in both the U.S. and U.K. productions of ‘Waitress’.

This intimate show with the powerhouse duo will be packed with David‘s hits from Chicago, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé etc. and Kat’s biggest songs from American Idol, Smash, and Waitress. Plus some of their favorites that they just love!

Finishing out the month, is NBC’s America’s Got Talent finalist Daniel Emmet on February 25. He is best known for taking on the “impossible challenge” levied by Simon Cowell; to learn a brand-new song in Italian, in one hour, and then perform it live on national television! It was a spellbinding moment that, as in all of Daniel’s AGT performances, brought the judges and America to their feet in fervent applause. Since his 2018 appearances on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, Daniel has released his acclaimed single “True Reflection” which debuted at #1 on the iTunes Classical Chart, and in addition, Daniel debuted on the Las Vegas strip as a headliner at Caesars Palace for the exclusive run of his show  “All That I Am”.