Pre-Valentine’s Day event to feature jazz, dancing, sweetheart dinner
The Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra will feature big band swing tunes at a pre-Valentine’s Day show at the Macey Center.
courtesy photo
Jazz music, swing dancing and a buffet dinner are the ingredients for a special pre-Valentine’s Day evening scheduled for February 10 at the Macey Center. The Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra performs at 7:30 p.m., followed by a free swing dance workshop in the Macey Center’s upstairs lobby, led by the New Mexico Tech Ballroom Dance Club from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. A sweetheart soiree with buffet dinner cash bar will be available before the show at 18:00
The Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra will showcase the big band sounds of sax, trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, bass and drums on songs like “On a Misty Night” and “Where or When.” The 18-strong orchestra, founded in 1982 and conducted by Dr. Glenn Kostur, professor of jazz studies at the University of New Mexico, includes professional and semi-professional musicians, as well as educators from public schools and universities. The band have been performing to audiences throughout the Southwest for more than 30 years.
Hillary Smith will join the orchestra as vocalist. Smith performed at the Macey Center with HoneyHouse, a female vocal trio, and at SocorroFest with guitarist Chris Dracup in November 2019. Her bold blues, rock, and gospel-style vocals have been a centerpiece for a variety of popular New Mexico bands.
“With music, food and drink and plenty of room to dance, this special event at the Macey Center promises to be one to remember,” said PAS Director Ronna Kalish. “We are so excited to bring together all the elements of a romantic evening in time for Valentine’s Day.”
Tickets for the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra performance are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for youth 17 and under, and are free for New Mexico Tech students and are available online at nmt.edu/pas. Tickets for the Sweetheart Soiree dinner buffet featuring roasted chicken with lemon and rosemary (boneless) with garlic jus, mixed green salad, bun, scalloped potatoes, roasted broccoli with cherry tomatoes, and cheesecake with strawberry sauce are $20 for the general public and $10 for NMT -Students. Tickets for each event are sold separately.
Local sponsors include the Betty Clark Platinum Inaugural Endowment, Penny and Jim Lommen, Paul and Kay Krehbiel, KUNM-FM, New Mexico Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Visit the PAS website at nmt.edu/pas for live streaming links.
