Here’s one more welcome sign that life in Greensboro is getting back to normal after the pandemic that sent things into a tailspin for over two years.
A local favorite weekly entertainment event –Thursday night Jazz at the O. Henry Hotel – is back after its long pandemic hiatus.
Performances each Thursday will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Social Lobby of the hotel.
The Greensboro tradition started in 2015 but fell victim to COVID-19 in 2020.
Now, every Thursday, pianist Dave Fox, saxophonist Neill Clegg and bass player Matt Kendrick will be joined by a guest vocalist – and together they’ll cover a wide variety of music that falls under the tent of “jazz.” Listeners can expect everything from classic jazz to swing, to “Great American Songbook” music, not to mention Dixieland tunes and favorites from the ‘50s.
The jazz nights have been a big hit with local residents over the years and in the past have been especially popular during the holiday season.
The first night of the new series was Thursday, Sept. 15, and the hotel certainly started things off with a bang. Jessica Mashburn, who’s something of a local musical treasure, opened the series and will be a regular as well as hosting special New Year’s Eve shows – one early and one late. Those who’ve heard Mashburn perform have a hard time deciding whether they enjoy more her music or the very entertaining dialogue she’s known for between songs.
Mashburn is followed in the coming weeks by other talented singers such as Tanya Ross, Clinton Horton and Vaughan Penn, to name a few.
I’ve been to one of these things. Same problem as with some other amplified music venues. The music is TOO LOUD! How can you hear any conversation? Try telling that to the sound engineer. They get all huffy, like they know what they are doing, and you don’t.
So, include me out.