St. Petersburg Jazz Festival #4 Kevin Mahogany & the Helios Jazz Orchestra

Kevin Mahogany & Helios Jazz Orchestra - February 28
7:30 PM at the SPC Music Center

“The standout jazz vocalist of his generation.” - Newsweek

Backed by the 18-piece Helios Jazz Orchestra, directed by David Manson, the big band backs world-renowned jazz vocalist Kevin Mahogany.

With eleven recordings Kevin Mahogany has been the standard setter for jazz vocalists for three decades. His sudden prominence in the mid-'90s was a relief to many who felt that male jazz singers under the age of 60 were non-existent. His swinging style is reminiscent, but not derivative of Joe Williams. In the early '90s, Mahogany dedicated himself to jazz and, after two fine albums for Enja, he signed with Warner Bros. for LPs including 1997's Another Time Another Place and 1998's My Romance. In addition, he has recorded as a guest on dates by Elvan Jones and arranger Frank Mantooth. In fall 2000, Portrait of Kevin Mahogany was released. After a short hiatus, Kevin returned to the scene in 2002 with Telarc records and released "Pride and Joy" , a tribute to the music of the great Motown era. In the autumn of 2003, Mahogany, along with Kurt Elling, Jon Hendricks and Mark Murphy toured extensively as The Four Brothers. A year of worldwide touring in 2004, Mahogany brought his big band program to South Africa, Russia, the Caribbean, as well as selected US venues including Kennedy Center. The release of Kevin Mahogany Big Band, on Mahogany Jazz with Warner Brothers - WEA distribution in 2005 would find Mahogany #3 on the charts and the #1 male vocalist on jazz radio. Billboard declared, “Kevin Mahogany is unquestionably one of today’s most exciting and musically adept jazz vocalists."