Get ready for a concert worthy of the jazz greats, when Andrew Cleaver and the Space Coast Symphony JAZZ Orchestra present Big Band Favorites. You can catch the performance on Sunday, September 1 at 3:00 PM at the Emerson Center, 1590 27th Avenue in Vero Beach. The swingin’ fall program will feature music from the Big Band Era, including music from Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Count Basie. The audience will also hear modern selections from artists like Peter Ellman, Sammy Nestico and Maynard Ferguson. Featuring excellent jazz musicians from near and far, the SCSJO will take you back in time with “American Patrol,” “Tuxedo Junction,” and “Sing, Sing, Sing,” while introducing you to big band jazz favorites from the '70s, including "Maria" and "Besame Mucho." Bandleader and saxophonist Andrew Cleaver will pay homage to the late great Charlie Almeida, with "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most." Almeida was a founding member of the U.S. Air Force's elite jazz ensemble, Airman of Note, as well as a member of the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors. Joining the jazz musicians for the evening will be the sultry Orlando singer, Chase Shelleé. Originally from the Philippines, Shelleé is currently at work on her second album and is the front woman for the vintage band, Underground Retro. Tickets for Big Band Favorites are $35 in advance for adults, available through the orchestra website at SpaceCoastSymphony.org or at Marine Bank & Trust beachside and mainland branches. Tickets at the door are $40. Big Band Favorites is free for those aged 18 and under or with a student ID. For more information, call toll free to 855-252-7276 or visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org.
Space Coast Symphony JAZZ Orchestra Conductor, Andrew Cleaver is no stranger to jazz. While in the United States Air Force, the bandleader played with the prestigious Airmen of Note jazz band. He has toured all over the world and was the lead saxophonist for the Air Force's Glenn Miller Band. For Big Band Favorites, he has assembled a cadre of jazz musicians of the highest caliber.
"We have some stars from Orlando and Detroit coming in for this concert," said Cleaver. "Mike Williams played lead trumpet with the Count Basie Orchestra for 25 years, Joe Eckert was the lead alto sax with the Air Force's Airmen of Note for 20 years and the famous Daniel Jordan on lead tenor sax has played with Maynard Ferguson, among many others. These are not your average musicians. Jazz fans should buckle up for an experience they won't soon forget."
Concertgoers aged 18 and under or with a college ID are admitted free to every SCSO concert. For more information about the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra and Space Coast Symphony JAZZ Orchestra 2024-25 Season, please visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org or call toll-free (855) 252-7276.
ABOUT CHASE SHELLEÉ -- Chase Shellee hails from the Philippines, where she grew up singing in church, playing piano, and writing songs and stories. Attending conservatory in New York City, she fell in love with jazz, began wrestling with the blues, and found ways to infuse her own sultry style into both standards and modern music. She returned to the Philippines to record and release her debut album, "High On Maybe."
Her cover band, Chase Shelleé and the Underground Retro, exude a high energy feel with a smoky finish and vintage throwback, while her original work teases and toys with the lines of jazz, blues, and alternative music. Chase currently lives in Orlando, Florida with two pit bulls, her cat, Harley, and a lot of books.
In 2022, Chase Shelleé was nominated as "Best Jazz Act" in Orlando Weekly's annual "Best of Orlando" poll. The same year, she released a new single, "Jezebel," and an accompanying music video, available on all platforms. Chase holds a residency at The Grand Bohemian in Downtown Orlando, performing at the elegant Bosendorfer Lounge. For more information and to listen to her music, visit www.chaseshellee.com.
ABOUT BAND LEADER ANDREW CLEAVER-- Saxophonist and Melbourne, Florida resident Andrew Cleaver has been a professional soloist for more than 35 years. He started his musical life as a young US Air Force performer after graduating from Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Along the way, he was a member of the United States Air Forces in Europe Band, the Air Force's Glenn Miller Band and the Air Force Ceremonial Band. Transferred to the Air Force Band of Mid-America, Andrew was assigned to the Air Force’s premier jazz ensemble, The Airmen of Note before retiring in 2009. According to Andrew, it just doesn’t get any better than that! The former Pentagon public affairs specialist and Treasury Department employee is known locally for his proficiency in educating and inspiring young Melbourne-area saxophonists at his private lesson studio. Andrew also works with Brevard County schools including Viera, Melbourne and Heritage high schools.
Andrew has performed with Louise Mandrell, The Ronettes, Kevin Eubanks, The Beverly Sisters, Karrin Allyson, Paquito D’Rivera, Butch Miles and saxophone master instructor Eugene Rousseau. He also played saxophone on the Grammy Award-winning album, "PDQ Bach: Music for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion," which won Best Comedy Album in 1992.
His military performance tours lead him through 20 countries with audiences including England's Queen Mother, Prime Minister John Major, presidents Bush, Clinton and Obama as well as several U.S. senators and other international dignitaries.
ABOUT THE SPACE COAST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA— The SCSO is a lively and passionate Central Florida orchestra comprised of professional musicians, music educators and mentored amateurs of exceptional ability. The Orchestra was formed by Conductor and Artistic Director Aaron T. Collins with a two-fold mission: to provide mentoring and performance opportunities for Florida’s finest young musicians as well as to provide professional concerts at genuinely affordable prices. The ultimate goal of the organization is to help ensure the symphonic tradition for the enjoyment of future generations.
Aaron T. Collins is garnering recognition for his achievements. LEAD Brevard named the ambitious Collins one of their "4 under 40" Young Professionals, the youngest-ever recipient of the honor. Space Coast Business magazine listed him as one of Brevard's "100 Most Admired Businesspeople." Collins is a past recipient of the Richard A. Stark Award for cultural leadership from the Cultural Council of Indian River County. Through his personal involvement with more than a dozen performing arts groups, pioneering reciprocal ad program and social media cross promotions, Collins has gained a reputation for generosity; championing other arts organizations throughout Central Florida for the cultural enrichment of the community.
School-aged children 18 years and under are admitted free of charge, as are college students with a valid ID. In keeping with their mission, the symphony provides a unique Symphony for Everyone ticketing program, a "pay-what-you-can" option designed to provide substantially discounted admission to any Space Coast Symphony concert. Relying on a non-traditional orchestra model and a slim budget, the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra is one of only a handful of U.S. orchestras to perform year-round. The nonprofit organization also maintains the Space Coast Symphony JAZZ Orchestra and the Space Coast Symphony Wind Orchestra, with several free performances each year. More information about the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming concerts, ticket sales, venues, directions and sponsorship opportunities is available at SpaceCoastSymphony.org by calling toll free (855) 252-7276.
Photo courtesy Chase Shelleé
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