Ella Fitzgerald, the undisputed first lady of jazz, once said, “The only thing better than singing is more singing.” Award-winning vocalist Kim Nazarian fans the flames of Ella’s spirit, honoring the memory of her life through the songs she loved to sing. Saxophonist Phil Woods and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra pay tribute to the iconic songstress this Saturday at Blues Alley.
Their performance is part of the yearly, monthlong celebration, known in the District as Jazz Appreciation Month. The first JAM kicked off in April 2002 when Branford Marsalis and the Smithsonian’s acclaimed 18-member big band performed a weekend of concerts. There were lectures, educational offerings and an exhibition that year. Today the museum collaborates with other national institutions in providing a range of educational and outreach activities. To help teachers, students of music, librarians and other organizations commemorate JAM, the museum has published a series of posters and the brochure “How to Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month.”
| Onstage |
| Tribute to Ella |
| Where: Blues Alley Jazz Supper Club, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW |
| When: 10 p.m. Saturday |
| Info: $55; bluesalley.com |
Soprano Nazarian, one of the founders of the two-time Grammy-winning ensemble New York Voices, says she’s thrilled to play a major role in the club’s Tribute to Ella. She will sing every song in the lineup, except for one instrumental piece.
“I love performing,” Nazarian said. “I’ll be singing [Ella’s] legendary version of ‘Lady Be Good,’ ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ and ‘The Song is Ended.’ You’ll be singing it when you leave, I’ll guarantee that.”
Nazarian also looks forward to working again with Woods after a recent collaboration. “He’s one of our icons, one of our masters,” she enthused.
