By Gail McCarthy
A week after performing for the film industry elite at the 2010 Academy Awards Governors Ball last weekend, Rachael Price, a young jazz vocalist will perform for Rockport Music on Saturday, at its last concert to be staged at the Rockport Art Association where the musical festival had its beginnings almost 29 years ago.
Price will jet from the movie mecca on the west coast to the small seaside town on the East Coast in her Rockport Music debut.
The 24-year-old jazz sensation will sing hits from the American Songbook and original compositions. She will be joined by her trio comprised of Erik Prevert on bass, Dave Brophy on drums and Warren Wolf on piano.
She has a degree in jazz studies from the New England Conservatory, having graduated in 2008. But she has been performing since she was a teen. Her appearances are global. She has performed at jazz festivals in Brazil and Panama. This month, she will release a new recording, "The Good Hours."
Born in Australia and raised in Nashville, Price was weaned on jazz music and was likely singing it as soon as she found her voice as a baby. Not only did she love jazz, the jazz world loved her. As a high school student, she was chosen by the Grammy Foundation as a vocalist for its National High School Jazz Choir. She had continued success and became the youngest semi-finalist at both the Montreaux International Jazz Vocal Competition in Europe and the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in the United States, according to her biography.
When she was 17, she was performing in Switzerland where she so impressed six-time Grammy nominee Nnenna Freelon and her manager, Ed Keane, that he signed on the young singer, who has toured since then. When she first performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, the audience gave the aspiring jazz singer a standing ovation.
This performance by Price marks the end of an era with concerts of Rockport Music at the Rockport Art Association.
But it is not the end of the two fine arts organizations working together.
"After over 400 concerts at the Rockport Art Association, we look forward to working with our friends at the RAA in promoting Rockport as a destination for fine music and art," said Tom Burger, Rockport Music's board chairman. "We look forward to collaborating on musical and art offerings that are relevant to residents and visitors to Cape Ann."
Carol Linksy, executive director of Rockport Art Association, said the association was glad to have been part of the musical adventure.
"It's been a wonderful run," she said. "We've met and talked about different ideas on how we can work together going into the future — a fusion of art and music — but we don't know what it will be yet. As we go forward I think we will find many things to do together. Cape Ann is such a wonderfully rich artistic spot with music, dance, art and theater."
Gail McCarthy may be contacted at 978-283-7000x3445 or gmcarthy@gloucestertimes.com.
IF YOU GO
What: Rockport Music presents jazz sensation Rachael Price in concert.
When: Saturday at 8 p.m.
Where: Rockport Art Association, 12 Main St., Rockport. A pre-concert tour of the Shalin Liu Performance Center building site begins at 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.rockportmusic.org or call 978-546-7391.
