Janiece Jaffe/Monika Herzig: Nature Songs & All That Jazz

(Monica Herzig)

Janiece Jaffe/Monika Herzig & Friends and ArtsWeek Presents:
Nature Songs & All That Jazz

-Sunday, February 21, 2010, 2pm, Monroe County Public Library Auditorium, Free -

Bloomington's Elementary Schools host a wealth of poets who love and believe in Nature. More than 200 children responded to a call-out for submissions of poems about the environment. Their themes range from the seasons to animals to recycling and enjoying nature's beauty. The expressions are haunting, funny, and call us to action. On Sunday, February 21 starting at 2pm in the Monroe County Library Auditorium, some of the poems will come alive through readings and in songs composed by Bloomington's jazz musicians Janiece Jaffe and Monika Herzig with words by the young authors. Performing with them will be Tom Clark (saxes), Peter Kienle (bass), Dan Deckard (drums), Curtis Cantwell Jackson (voice), and readings by favorite storyteller Arbutus Cunningham. All of the poems will be available to read. The program is supported by a grant from Arts Week and free to the public. Everyone is invited to meet the authors during a reception following the concert.

About the artists:
Janiece Jaffe, vocalist and vocal coach has nine CDs to her credit and has performed in premier jazz clubs and festivals nationally and internationally. She has sung with Bobby McFerrin, Buster Williams, Slide Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Bennie Maupin, Dominic Spera, and many other Hoosier musicians. Currently she sings with more than 7 different bands including the Stardusters Jazz Orchestra, Women in Jazz and duos with Curtis Cantwell Jackson. She offers singing workshops and 'Sounding Light' concerts. More info at www.janiecejaffe.com New website coming!

Monika Herzig, pianist, is an Owl Studios Recording Artist and her extensive touring schedule includes stops from Alabama to Japan. Her groups have opened for acts such as Sting, Tower of Power, and Yes, and her music has been featured in USA Today. She is also a faculty member of the IU Arts Administration Program and current president of Jazz from Bloomington. More info at www.monikaherzig.com.

About ArtsWeek 2010:
ArtsWeek, an Indiana University-Bloomington community winter arts festival, is hosting its 26th annual celebration from February 18 – 28, 2010. ArtsWeek brings the city's many arts organizations together with performers and artists from the Bloomington campus for new events, enhanced performances, and presentations of new works. The theme for ArtsWeek 2010, "Art and the Environment" interprets a broad range of art, including global climate and physical surroundings, as well as environments of sound, interior design and architecture.

For more information on ArtsWeek 2010, go to www.artsweek.indiana.edu