The Dick Lowenthal Big Band and vocalist Lisanne Lyons celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ella Fitzgerald, one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time. It will include music of many of the jazz icons with whom she collaborated, such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong. Other selections to be performed come from the Great American Songbooks of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, and other legendary composers. Last year, Dick produced and conducted a sold-out performance entitled “Jazz Takes a Holiday," while Lisanne recently performed a Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan to a capacity house, both concerts at the Arts Garage.

Dick Lowenthal is a conductor, contractor, trumpet player, and producer of jazz performers throughout the United States and Europe. He is known for researching and conducting musical tributes of many diverse styles, from Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich and Stan Kenton to Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and various vocalists. He has played with Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Nancy Wilson, Rosemary Clooney, Clark Terry, Bill Watrous, and Gerry Mulligan. He is also the conductor of special engagements of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, appearing in the Philipines, Poland, Japan, South America, several Presidential functions, and the Tony Awards. Dick Lowenthal is also a nationally known Jazz Educator and Clinician, having been a Yamaha Artist and Vice-President of the National Association of Jazz Educators.

Lisanne Lyons’ career began immediately following high school as the featured vocalist for three Air Force bands. She is the founder of the jazz vocal program at Florida International University. To date, Lyons has been awarded several DownBeat awards for jazz vocal soloist, jazz vocal choir director and jazz arranger along with being named the Gamma Mu Chapter of Delta Omicron “Music Professor of the Year.”