POP Presents : Battle of the Big Bands

The Center for Arts at the Armory is a non-profit organization that resides in a historic Armory building, serving Somerville and the Greater Boston community and beyond as an accessible and inclusive venue for the arts, cultural and community events, exhibitions, markets, classes and more.The mission of Arts at the Armory is to provide an inclusive and accessible venue that creates opportunities for artists and cultural workers, brings diverse audiences together, enriches and transforms lives, and promotes the creative economy. In addition to the many events that CAA hosts that are produced independently of CAA, CAA has five signature programs: The Spotlight Series, The Performance Opportunity Program (POP), The Somerville Winter Farmers Market, The ROOTED Armory Cafe Event Series, and ROOTED Armory Cafe Visual Arts Exhibitions. CAA curates and produces performances in the Armory Performance Hall featuring local and touring artists as part of our Spotlight Series.

Arts at the Armory

Join us for a jazzy evening of big band music as Henry Godfrey Jazz Orchestra and Kira Daglio Fine Big Band play back to back!

The Center for Arts at the Armory Performance Hall

A lively evening featuring two jazz big bands playing back to back, performing original music and arrangements written by members of the bands. Both bands are led by fiery ASCAP award-winning composers, based in your backyard of the Somerville-Boston area.

The Henry Godfrey Jazz Orchestra is a Somerville based big band, led by drummer composer Henry Godfrey. The HGJO will be performing music from sophomore release Attitude &amp; Gratitude (2022), which received rave reviews and includes the award-winning track "We'll Get There." Reviewer Raul da Gama proclaims "Godfrey's brand of hyper-Romanticism holds nothing back... an orchestral recording to remember." Also, you'll hear Godfrey's arrangements of tunes written by rising star guitarist Pritesh Walia, a member of the HGJO who will be performing with the band, as well as a world premiere of a new piece by Godfrey.

Under Kira's direction, the KDF Big Band (formerly the Young Lions Jazz Orchestra) is a 16-piece jazz ensemble comprised of some of the best young emerging artists in the Northeast. The original project stemmed from her student-led big band at Columbia University— upon graduating, Kira began to pursue ways of engaging her peers professionally and performing in venues across the city. She established the Young Lions Jazz Orchestra as a means to develop her unique musical voice; the group balances convention and novelty by placing an emphasis on original compositions and arrangements. Kira has now established this second edition ensemble to bring her music back to audiences in the Boston area and beyond. The KDF Big Band offers a fresh and exciting approach to the big band style. Their repertoire draws heavily from the swing tradition and Kira's Latina heritage, as well as a wide selection of influences— from Ellington to D’Angelo to Jorge Drexler and beyond.D﻿OORS: 6:30 PMSHOW: 7:00 PMT﻿ickets $25

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POP Presents : Battle of the Big Bands

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POP Presents : Battle of the Big Bands

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