Cool and Swinging’ – a celebration of Jazz and Swing with Five by Design and Richie Cole

Nov 2, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 464-7074

SPOKANE— Popular singing group Five by Design will return to the Spokane Symphony with an all-new show entitled Cool and Swingin’ at Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. This celebration of the great American tradition of Jazz and Swing will be conducted by Morihiko Nakahara and feature legendary jazz sax performer Richie Cole. 

As if that wasn’t enough, there will be a special after-party that will keep the evening swinging in the lobby of the theater after the concert. Six Foot Swing’s Heather Villa and Friends will play their brand of swing-jazz jump-blues for rug cutters and listeners alike. The bar will stay open and feature drinks created especially for the party. Club Maestro members are invited to use their cards to purchase $15 tickets for this concert through the Box Office.

Five By Design’s latest project, “Cool and Swingin’” features alto sax legend, Richie Cole.  Set in the format of a radio broadcast, the production touches upon Cole's 40 year career in music from his early days touring with Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton and Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show Band.  According to All About Jazz, Richie Cole is the "last of a breed… a fast and competitive musical gunslinger." The collaboration runs the gamut from Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show Theme, to hits such as Night and Day, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and Flying Home. Five By Design also provides listeners with a peek inside the Rogue and Jar, the Washington D.C. club where Cole was inspired to pen the classic Harold's House of Jazz and New York Afternoon. With Five By Design's trademark vocal harmonies and Richie Cole's "take no prisoners" approach, this show is sure to please.

Five By Design’s harmonies have withstood the test of time in a career that spans more than twenty years. As the creative talent behind Radio Days, Club Swing, Stay Tuned, Cool and Swingin’ with Richie Cole, and The Ultra Lounge Show, their productions showcase the group’s penchant for storytelling and the comedic. Whether backed by symphony orchestra or big band, Five By Design embraces the unforgettable melodies, lush harmonies, and swinging rhythms that evoke the names of Miller, Mancini and Mercer. Five By Design includes Lorie Carpenter-Niska, Catherine Scott, Kurt Niska, Michael Swedberg and Terrence Niska. Four of the five have been singing together since 1986, including brothers Terrence and Kurt Niska, Kurt’s wife Lorie Carpenter-Niska and childhood collaborator, Michael Swedberg. National media exposure includes National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition–Sunday” and “Swingin’ Down the Lane” along with a feature story in Symphony magazine.

Richie Cole is recognized worldwide for the sweet sounds of his alto saxophone and the creativity behind his Alto Madness Orchestra, which was developed by Cole in the early 1990s. Richie started playing alto saxophone when he was 10 years old in his home town of Trenton, New Jersey. Influenced by Sonny Rollins and Charlie Parker, Cole’s obvious talent and dedication won him a full scholarship to the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston. In 1969, he joined the Buddy Rich Big Band. And after stints with the Lionel Hampton Big Band and the Doc Severinsen Big Band, Cole formed his own quintet and toured worldwide, doing a great deal to popularize bebop and his own “Alto Madness” style. Cole has performed and recorded with the great vocalese artist Eddie Jefferson, the Manhattan Transfer, Bobby Enriquez, Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Tom Waits, Boots Randolph, and Nancy Wilson, to just name a few. Cole has recorded over 50 albums and CDs, including his top hit album “Hollywood Madness” (1979 Muse Records) and his tribute album to Leonard Bernstein, “Richie Cole Plays West Side Story” (1997 Music Masters Jazz). A prolific composer, Cole also finds time to arrange for full big bands, symphony orchestras and frequent performances at jazz festivals worldwide. Moreover, he enjoys sharing his love of music with younger generations and is active recording, touring and presenting university master classes.

Ticket prices begin at $25 and are available in advance with personalized service at the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office, located at Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague, or by calling 509-624-1200. Tickets may be purchased online at www.spokanesymphony.org. Tickets are also available at all TicketsWest outlets or by calling 1-800-325-SEAT. The cover charge for the after-party is included in the ticket price.