Have Yourself A Jazzy Little Christmas!

About This Event

featuring The Crotty & O’Neill Sextet

Mike Crotty – saxes, flutes & trumpet, Deater O’Neill – vocals, Michael Collins – piano, Dwight Kilian – bass, Sam Russo – drums, Brett Reed – vibes

For nearly three decades, Mike Crotty and Deater O’Neill and their sextet have presented their annual Christmas show to the delight of audiences everywhere. They promise to surprise kids of all ages, as they transform musical holiday traditions into a swinging, funny, foot-stompin’ and heart-felt romp into the spirit of the season!

In 1995, Mike Crotty and Deater O’Neill first brought their trademark horn/vocal sound and Crotty’s masterful writing talents from Washington, D.C. to the Phoenix area for a New Year’s Eve concert with the Mesa Symphony Orchestra at the Chandler Center for the Performing Arts. They have subsequently performed in Arizona’s jazz venues and concert halls, for Sedona Jazz on the Rocks concerts and clinics, the Chandler Jazz Festival, the Kerr Cultural Center and as featured guest artists for ASU’s jazz week.

Career performance highlights have included the Kool Jazz Festival, the Smithsonian Institute, the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Festival, 17 years at WDC’s legendary jazz club, Blues Alley, Artists-in-Residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a musical ambassodorship representing Sister Cities International and the City of Washington, D.C. in Bangkok, Thailand and symphony pops concerts throughout the country.

Crotty served for 26 years as the composer/arranger for the United States Air Force’s premiere jazz ensemble, The Airmen of Note. During his varied career, he has written for and performed with numerous jazz masters, including Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Lewis, Billy Taylor, Randy Brecker, Ernie Watts, Jerry Bergonzi, Clark Terry, Claudio Roditi and Tom Harrell. Performances include appearances with Tony Bennett, the Temptations, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughan and many more.

TICKETS:
General Admission: $21
Students: $6 (25 & under w/ ID)
(plus processing costs)