San Bernardino, CA — The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra is proud to present its fourth annual jazz performance featuring The Josh Nelson Ensemble on Saturday, September 20 at 3 p.m. at the historic San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium.
In 2021, Maestro Anthony Parnther created the Symphony’s ensemble concert series to ensure residents of the Inland Empire could experience high quality jazz and chamber performances close to home. The Symphony’s award-winning Resident Conductor Raphaela Lacerda, who was recently featured on the cover of Inland Empire Magazine’s annual Women’s Issue, will host the event.
Shared Maestra Lacerda, “After the incredible response to last year’s concert honoring Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker, we’re thrilled to welcome the Josh Nelson Ensemble back for another unforgettable performance. This year’s show, Jazz on Film, is one our audiences simply can’t miss.”
From the first “talkie” in the late 1920s to today’s modern films, jazz has been integral to the cinematic genre. This long and often fruitful relationship between jazz and the cinema, with many of the best jazz soundtracks now recognized as classic albums in their own right, provides the backdrop for a memorable afternoon. The concert will feature both classic jazz pieces and lesser known gems including “Moon River”, The Summer Knows,” “What are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life?”, Theme from “Chinatown,” “Stella by Starlight,” and more.
Concluded Maestra Lacerda, “Our up-close jazz series has quickly become a highlight each season, and we’re delighted to bring it again to the stunning San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium.”
Meet the Ensemble
Previous Symphony attendees will remember Josh Nelson’s piano virtuosity, and the skills of the players he carefully selects for each Symphony audience. This year, his musical colleagues include vocalist Kenton Chen, Karl McComas-Reichl on bass and cello, and Dan Schnelle on drums.
Josh Nelson has performed and recorded with some of the most respected names in jazz and beyond, including Natalie Cole, Ivan Lins, Anthony Wilson, George Mraz, Jeff Hamilton, Walter Smith III, Dayna Stephens, Eddie Daniels, Gaby Moreno, and Michael Buble. He has performed around the world and contributed to numerous recordings, films and television shows. His first two albums, Anticipation (2004) and Let it Go (2007, Native Language Music), garnered international critical acclaim. Josh’s third album, I Hear a Rhapsody (2009), featured his original compositions, interpretations of standards, and the re-imagining of some popular repertoire. Discoveries (2011), introduced a pairing of classic science fiction film footage with new compositions for a brass and wind ensemble. A trio of live albums followed, The Discovery Project Live in Japan (2020) Live at blue whale | Volume 1 (2021), and LA Stories: Live at Sam First (2023). Over the years Nelson earned many awards, scholarships, and accolades including the Louis Armstrong Award and the John Philip Sousa Award. He continues to tour and arrange for artists Kenny Washington, Lorca Hart, Sinne Eeg, Gaby Moreno, Alicia Olatuja, Tom Scott, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Rufus Wainwright, and Christian Howes. His most recent album, West Coast Echoes, dropped June 6.
Kenton Chen is an actor, writer, and singer based in Los Angeles. He studied jazz at USC Thornton’s School of Music where he began his career with award-winning a cappella group The SoCal VoCals. After college, he gained national attention with The Backbeats on NBC’s The Sing-Off, and open for Ben Folds on his national tour. Since then he has established himself as a sought-after session and background singer. On camera, he as appeared in over a dozen national commercials. He will release his debut album later this year.
Karl McComas-Reichl is a bassist, cellist, film composer, and artist. His arrangement and performance credits include Baskets: Season 4, The Shrink Next Door, Three Busy Debras, ONI: Thunder Gods Tale, Grace & Frankie, and NY State Lottery. In addition to his work with Josh Nelson, he has performed with Jane Manheit, Ingrid Jensen, Mark Turner, John C. Reilly, Larry Goldings, Ben Monder, Matt Wilson, Joshua White, May Otto, Tony Tixier, Anthong Wilson, and many others.
Dan Schnelle is one of the most in-demand drummers in the Los Angeles area. Years spent collaborating with some of the best jazz musicians have earned him a reputation as a hard-working, professional, and creative team player committed to musical excellence. Notable collaborators in the studio and on tour have included Billy Childs, John Daversa, David Benoit, Jeff Parker, Karrin Allyson, David Binney, Laurence Hobgood, Larry Goldings, Alan Ferber, Joshua White, Sara Gazarek, Tim Lefebvre, Phillip Dizack, Jeff Babko, Dayna Stephens, Tigran Hamasyan, Walter Smith III, Anthony Wilson, Ben Wendel, James Torme, and many others. He recorded an album, Shine Through, with Josh Nelson and others in 2022.
Tickets and Location Details
Tickets for the September 20 jazz ensemble concert are available at $20-$100 per seat and may be purchased online by clicking one of the links in this email, by visiting www.sanbernardinosymphony.org, or by phone at (909) 381-5388 Monday through Friday. Seats for students and active military are available for $15.
San Bernardino Valley College is located at 701 S. Mt. Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino. The auditorium is at the north end of campus facing Mt. Vernon. Free parking is available adjacent to the Auditorium on concert day.
