| CONTACT | Robert LarsenDirector of Communications 707-433-0998 or 800-474-9436 rlarsen@rodneystrong.com |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
24th ANNUAL SUMMER CONCERT SERIES AT RODNEY STRONG VINEYARDS
Kicks Off with Jazz Attack – Chris Isaak & Chris Botti Return – Concludes with Tower of Power
HEALDSBURG, California (May 2014) –Rodney Strong Vineyards’ 24th annual concert series lineup is now official. This year, the winery will open their new patio as they welcome guests and host great names in music starting with jazz supergroup Jazz Attack, continuing with Bay Area favorites Chris Isaak and Chris Botti, and concluding with horns galore, Tower of Power, over Labor Day weekend. The series will have a festive feeling this year as the winery celebrates their silver anniversary of family ownership. Join Rodney Strong Vineyards at their beautiful lawn setting, The Concert Green, and enjoy the music and award-winning wines. For all the details, visit www.rodneystrong.com/concerts.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Jazz Attack: Rick Braun, Peter White & Euge Groove
Nearly twenty years into his solo career, Rick Braun’s done just about everything, from backing the likes of Rod Stewart and Sade to stepping out into the spotlight as a vocalist and a master of the trumpet and flugelhorn. Peter White has maintained a reputation as one of the most versatile and prolific acoustic guitarists on the contemporary jazz landscape. Armed with an unparalleled combination of lyricism and energy, he combines elements of jazz, pop and classical guitar to create a sound that is singular and at the same time accessible to a broad audience. Steven Eugene Grove, better known as Euge Groove, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist with a strong Top-40 background. Always a crowd favorite, Euge Groove is currently recording his ninth album, due out this summer.
Doors: 4 p.m./Show: 5 p.m. | Tickets: VIP $90 / GA $60
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Chris Isaak
In the course of Chris Isaak‘s career, he has released nine extraordinary albums, been nominated for two Grammy awards, acted in several motion pictures and starred in his own critically acclaimed TV series on Showtime. His legendary shows with his longtime band Silvertone have entertained tens of thousands of people for over two decades. Even his hair has its own fan club. Now, after more than a quarter of a century into his career, Chris Isaak finally created the album he’s always wanted to make – Beyond the Sun, an ode to the glory days of Memphis’ Sun Studio and the visionary artists who got their starts there – Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. Isaak received his career-changing break when his third album, Heart Shaped Worldbecame a hit when director David Lynch used Isaak’s song “Wicked Game” in the film Wild at Heart. Herb Ritts’ video for the song helped make Isaak a star and sex symbol.
Doors: 4 p.m./Show: 5 p.m. | Tickets: VIP $115 / GA $75
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Mindi Abair with special guest Elliot Yamin; Spencer Day opens the show
In a career that spans seven solo albums and countless collaborations in the studio and live on stage, Mindi Abair has made her mark on jazz, pop, rock, R&B, soul, funk and more. In addition to her acclaimed body of solo work that includes ten # 1 radio hits and close to half a million albums sold, Abair was the featured saxophonist on the 2011 and 2012 seasons of American Idol, jammed with Paul Shaffer on the Late Show with David Letterman and joined rock legends Aerosmith for their 2012 summer tour. More recently, Abair received a 2014 GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category for Summer Horns, a #1 recording with her friends Dave Koz, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot.
Elliot Yamin is best known for being a fan favorite, and placing third, on the 2006 season of American Idol, which launched his solo career that has featured gold certified albums and the hit single “Wait For You.”
Vocalist, pianist and modern “torch singer” Spencer Day was raised in the small town of Pinetop, Arizona by his mother, an accomplished music teacher and soprano vocalist. Her talent and love of music encouraged him to become the singer and musician that he is today, finding inspiration from the works of Cole Porter, Roy Orbison, Joni Mitchell and many others. It has been an exciting few years for Day, having performed at the San Francisco Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl and at various international events. Spencer spent the winter of 2014 in the studio working on his fifth album Daybreak, set for release on May 6, 2014. The album is filled with a selection of classic tunes from the 60s, in addition to five original songs that pay homage to the era. “The whole album is really a reflection of where I stand at this moment; more happy than I’ve ever been in my adult life.”
Doors: 4 p.m./Show: 5 p.m. | Tickets: VIP $75 / GA $50
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Chris Botti
In recent years, jazz trumpeter Chris Botti has seen his career launch into superstardom. “I always wanted to be the star, but I wasn’t down on myself for being behind the scenes for so long.” Botti has established his reputation touring with Barbra Streisand, performing at the White House with Herbie Hancock, and selling more than three million albums, including the 2013 release Impressions, a Grammy winner for Best Pop Instrumental Album. He has found a form of creative expression that begins in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre. With Impressions and the albums that preceded it, Chris Botti has thoroughly established himself as one of the important, innovative figures of the contemporary music world.
Doors: 4 p.m./Show: 5 p.m. | Tickets: VIP $100 / GA $75
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Tower of Power and Jonathan Butler
Since 1968, Tower of Power has been creating a unique kind of soul music, often hard to categorize, but the band’s leader and founding member, Emilio Castillo, has labeled their sound as “Urban Soul Music.” Fans have responded with sold out concerts, driven by hits such as “What Is Hip,” “You’re Still A Young Man,” and more. Rising from the streets of Oakland, Tower’s rhythm section lays down a groove like no other, the multi-layered horns are powerful, and the way they approach everything, from writing and arranging to mixing and performing, is totally their own. Combine all of that with an outstanding lead vocalist and you have one of the most dynamic groups of musicians to ever hit the stage.
Jonathan Butler is a South African native whose expansive musical gift has earned accolades in the R&B, contemporary jazz and gospel fields. In 2014, Butler is celebrating what he calls “the season of me” and finally admitting that he is living his dream. He tells the story of his life and loves in the eleven original songs that “came from the heart” on his forthcoming Artistry Music album, “Living My Dream,” which will be released June 24.
Doors: 4 p.m./Show: 5 p.m. | Tickets: VIP $95 / GA $65
On Monday, May 5, season passes and individual concert tickets will be on sale by calling (707) 869-1595 ext. 4 or through www.rodneystrong.com/concerts. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Rodney Strong Vineyards Tasting Room.
Rodney Strong Vineyards Wine Club members enjoy an exclusive reception before the shows and at intermission, as well as $5.00 discount on each ticket price. Wine Club tickets must be purchased through Rodney Strong Vineyards by calling (866) 779-4637.
NOTE: General Admission Season Pass tickets are $325 per person, per pass. VIP Season Pass tickets are $475 per person, per pass. All shipping and handling fees are waived for Season Passes, a savings of $28 per ticket.
Surrounded by acres of beautiful vineyards, guests will be treated to some of the top performers in contemporary music while picnicking at the winery’s intimate concert venue, The Concert Green.
Bring a picnic meal to enjoy with friends on The Green or purchase an assortment of prepared foods from local purveyors who will be onsite. You may also purchase Rodney Strong Vineyards’ wines as well as choose from an array of non-alcoholic beverages.
No outside alcoholic beverages will be allowed into the venue. Low-back chairs or blankets are recommended for all lawn seating. No high back chairs or umbrellas. Parking is complimentary and attendants will point the way. The famous Russian River fog usually arrives in the early evening, so attendees are advised to bring jackets and sweaters, or guests can purchase specially branded sweatshirts at the show.
*Note: Images are available upon request.
Rodney Strong Vineyards is dedicated to crafting world-class wines that capture the essence of Sonoma County. Rodney Strong sustainably farms 14 estate vineyards and produces wines from Sonoma County’s finest appellations – Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Chalk Hill and Sonoma Coast. The winery was founded in 1959 by Sonoma County wine pioneer Rodney D. Strong as the 13th bonded winery in the county. It was purchased by the Klein family, a third generation California farming family, in 1989. The company aspires to conserve and protect the environment in all its operations.
Rodney Strong Vineyards is located at 11455 Old Redwood Highway, off Highway 101 just south of the town of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. The winery is just one hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Maralyn D. Hill, M.Ed., The Epicurean Explorer
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