HOLLY NEAR with Tammy Hall and Jan Martinelli

Holly Near has been singing for our lives for over 45 years. Having grown up singing folk, pop, jazz and musical theater she is not a traditional folk singer and much to everyone’s surprise, she does NOT play the guitar.  Her lyrics can be tender, humorous and inspirational as well as biting and challenging – and all the while she keeps it personal. Gifted with a powerful voice and a love for entertaining, Ms. Near puts on a great show reflecting on the world in which we live, the complexities of love and integrity.

Tammy Hall is a remarkable force on keyboards. Her ability to cover a broad rage of style brings beautiful texture to the material allowing Holly to move seamlessly through folk, jazz, and theatrical interpretations of the music. When not working with Holly, she is an instructor and mentor with many non-profit arts organizations making music and theatre accessible to under-funded inner city children. Ms. Hall has traveled extensively working with Harlem Gospel Singers, The Montclair Women’s Big Band, Regina Carter, Linda Tillery, Alive, Melba More, Darlene Love, and more.

Jan Martinelli has played bass with Holly since the early nineties, both on recordings and on tour. She is fiercely rhythmic as well as having a lyrical quality well suited to Holly’s repertoire. Jan is part of Wild Mango, a women’s Latin band that moves from merengue to bolero to samba to funk with rich undertones of Middle Eastern spice. When not recording or touring, she sits in with a jazz big band. Ms. Martinelli also works as Holly’s musical assistant, managing the charts and teaching the arrangements to artists who move in and out of Holly touring schedule.
 

Artist website: http://www.hollynear.com/

General Admission is $25 (advance purchase) or $30 (at-the-door).