Local jazz artists to dust stars

The Stardusters Jazz Orchestra featuring Janiece Jaffe will perform Saturday at the fourth-annual show honoring legendary composer and singer Hoagy Carmichael.
The event will take place from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m at KRC Catering.

“He wasn’t born here, but he lived here and he wrote really great music that is celebrated worldwide, along the lines of Cole Porter,” singer Jaffe said.

Among Carmichael’s most noted pieces are “Stardust” and “Georgia on my Mind.”
“‘Stardust’ is probably the most popular” she said.

“The Hoagy tribute has been going on about four years, but this is our first time performing,”

Stardusters conductor and musical director Jerry Jerome said. 

He said that he felt the Stardusters were a good choice for the tribute.

“We play all over town, all over the state – we’re known,” Jerome said. “We know some of the people from Jazz from Bloomington. Some have even played with us, Monika included.”

Monika Herzig is the president of Jazz From Bloomington. According to its Web site, the group is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to the promotion and enjoyment of jazz in all its varieties” – including the Hoagy Charmichael tribute.

“I think we’re the right fit,” Jerome said, “because of the style of music we play and the amount of people this will attract.”

The evening will also call for audience participation, as the Arthur Murray Dance Studio will be having free dance lessons at 7:30 p.m. for the audience during the event.

“We are certified professional dance instructors,” dance instructor Barbara Leninger said. “We will be inviting people to come to the dance floor. If people are interested, we will bring them up and teach them how to do some swing steps.”

They will also do a dance demonstration while the band takes a break, she said. Leninger encouraged everyone to attend. She mentioned all of the effort that went into the program.

“They’ve been advertising all over with posters, and on the radio,” she said. “We’re hoping to get a few people there.”