“Let’s Fall in Love” – Valentine’s Day Celebration w/ Joe Hunter Trio & Doris Long Join us for a romantic & swingin' evening of Great American Songbook classics fronted by vocal sensation, Doris Long!

A first-call pianist for many local, national, and international acts, Joe Hunter has established himself as one of the cornerstones of the Cleveland & Columbus jazz circuits.
 
Going strong at 85, vocalist Doris Long formally began her singing career in 1963 when pianist, Saul Lucas, invited her to sit in with him on weekends. She has performed with the best-of-the-best over the years, including local jazz heroes “Ace” Carter (of Count Basie Orchestra fame), Buddy Friebel, Pete Selvaggio and Buddy Sullivan to name a few.
 
Join us for a very special evening at BLU Jazz+ to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the swinging sounds of the Great American Songbook featuring one of Northeast Ohio’s best jazz groups and most treasured vocalists, Doris Long.
 

About Joe Hunter

Joe Hunter has been playing piano professionally since 1978 and his versatility has garnered him work with an array of artists. He attended Cleveland State University where a 1979 exchange program in Rio De Janeiro fueled his fascination for Brazilian rhythms.He returned to Brazil in 1981 to study at the Universidade Gamma Filho. From 1987 to 1996 he served on the Conservatory of Music faculty at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, He has performed with many national artists including Conti Condoli, Tito Puente, and Scott Hamilton, and is a favorite at many JazzFest events. Joe has been with the Tri-C Jazz Sudies program for several years and is co-host of the popular Song Is You! Series produced by Tri-C JazzFest.
 

About Doris Long

Doris has been making music from the time that she could speak. As a child she taught herself to sing by listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee. Throughout her youth she dreamed of a career, but held off fulfilling her ambition until she had raised three sons. In 1963, piano player Saul Lucas invited her to sit in with him on weekends, opening the door to a singing career that continues to this day. Doris has sung with the best musicians on Cleveland’s jazz scene, including the renowned pianist “Ace” Carter after he retired from the Count Basie Orchestra. She has also performed with Hank Geer at Sammy’s, Skeets Ross, Buddy Griebel, Pete Selvaggio and Buddy Sullivan to name a few. Doris was the featured vocalist of The Musical Theater Project’s very first Song is You! concert in 2002. For the past 6 years her Friday night trio has featured two of Cleveland’s finest musicians, pianist Joe Hunter and bassist Dallas Coffey. Due to the popularity of her CD release, Doris began performing on Saturday nights as well.
 
Her debut CD release Long Overdue is a 17 song collection of Great American Songbook standards that delivers a smooth finish that lingers long after the final notes have been heard. Joining her on the CD you will find Cleveland’s most in demand jazz musicians.Joe Hunter, Dallas Coffey, Val Kent and Al Fuller do a wonderful job allowing Doris’ vocals to shine on the new release.
 
“Doris is one of the truly great jazz singers in Cleveland,” says Joe Hunter. “It so inspiring to play with a singer who possesses a relaxed, elegant swing feel in the tradition of Ella Fitzgerald, Maxine Sullivan and Peggy Lee. And, like those great singers, she understands and loves these wonderful songs.”

$20