Jazz Singer Melissa Lauren to perform Saturday, November 9th

The second concert in the Jazzworkz Concert Series will showcase Jazz singer Melissa Lauren on Saturday, November 9, 2013.

The Jazzworkz Concert Series, launched in the spring of 2012 by producer Jack Broumpton, celebrates the expanding growth and influence of jazz music in the Sudbury community. A portion of the proceeds from the Jazzworkz Concert Series will continue to support the Joan Mantle Music Trust, which provides musical instruments to students in Rainbow Schools.

Melissa Lauren is an accomplished young singer and songwriter making her mark on the Canadian music scene. With a strong influence in jazz and blues, Melissa Lauren has developed an original style of her own, melting together old school sounds with a modern flare.

Her latest album, “The Other Side”, was released in March 2012 to great reviews and is a collection of original compositions and standards. The CD is a tribute to the jazz and swing sounds that shaped the Toronto songwriter’s musical style.  Quickly making a place for itself on Canadian charts, the album offers a variety of classic sounds, mixed with modern pop sensibilities.

Melissa Lauren has performed as part of the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, Beaches International Jazz Festival, Markham Jazz Festival and Oakville International Jazz Festival as well as  Canadian Music Week. She recently hit the Canadian Festival scene this year.

The concert begins at 8 pm and takes place at St. Peter’s Church, 203 York Street in Sudbury. Admission is $10 for students and $20 for adults. Tickets are available at Black Cat on Durham Street and Hair to Live For in the Cedar Pointe Mall.

The concerts are held at St. Peter’s United Church because of its warm acoustics. “It is a wonderful atmosphere to listen to jazz in an intimate setting” said producer Jack Broumpton. “In addition to the concert series, we hope to extend our jazz outreach this season with some educational workshops so the public can get an inside look at jazz performance.”

He added: “The series also allows us to support the Joan Mantle Music Trust. As a long-time music teacher, I recognize the importance of music in our schools and our community. The series will highlight the efforts of the Joan Mantle Music Trust and the great results it has produced to support music programs in Rainbow Schools.” 

The Joan Mantle Music Trust was established in the fall of 2008 to help refresh, modernize and revitalize school music programs in the Rainbow District School Board. The Joan Mantle Music Trust allocates funds to school music programs in Rainbow District School Board, one school at a time.  This ensures that there is a tangible improvement in the condition of equipment in an entire department, allowing for students to achieve more in their musical studies together.

Joan Mantle dedicated many years to music education in Rainbow Schools. She passed away on June 9, 2009, after a courageous battle with cancer.

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Media Contacts:

Jack Broumpton, Producer, Jazzworkz Concert Series, 705-869-1651

Ralph McIntosh, Chair, Joan Mantle Music Trust, 

Rainbow District School Board, 705-674-7551, ext. 6850