[photo credit: asadena Senior Center]
The Great American Swing Band closes the Pasadena Senior Center’s free Summer Concert Series from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7, a Labor Day finale at the center’s home at 85 E. Holly St. in Pasadena.
Bandleader Jodi Gladstone fronts the 14-piece group with vocalist Linda Vogel, playing danceable favorites of the big band era and beyond. Gladstone, a trumpeter based in North Hollywood, holds a master’s degree in music performance and music education and has served as music director for youth jazz bands and orchestras across Los Angeles. The band’s repertoire runs past swing into jazz, rhythm and blues, Dixieland, Latin and rock and roll. The group is a familiar act at the center, which has booked it repeatedly over the past two years.
The concert ends a four-week run the center built around the nation’s 250th anniversary, working through American popular styles a week at a time. Pam Kay’s Tap Chicks with Franny McCartney opened Aug. 18, followed by the Silverados on Aug. 25 and U.S. 99 on Sept. 1, each on a Tuesday evening. Monday’s holiday concert is the only one falling outside that pattern.
The Cynthia P. Rosedale Fund for Seniors, the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts and Los Angeles County Arts and Culture sponsor the series. The Pasadena Senior Center is a donor-supported organization, and its stated mission is improving the lives of older adults through service, social interaction, fitness programs, education and volunteering.
Need to know: The Great American Swing Band performs Monday, Sept. 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena. Admission is free for members and non-members. Reservations are recommended, walk-ins are welcome and the center encourages dancing. For more, call (626) 795-4331 or visit pasadenaseniorcenter.org.
