Get a great house with gorgeous views, add some delicious food and drink, and showcase some rockin’, sockin’, blues-drenched soul jazz from the 1960s, and you have Jazz & Cocktails: Blues on the River, a fundraiser for the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, on Saturday, May 19.

 

The second in a series of house concerts to benefit the nonprofit big band features Matt Coker’s Hammond B-3 Organ Trio and will be at the beautiful home of Bob Lederer, former CEO and President of Carton Service, Inc. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will be provided by Bistro By The Tracks.

 

Festivities start at 6 p.m. Guests will enjoy the music on the back lawn of Lederer’s property, which fronts the Tennessee River, as well as throughout the house, which Lederer designed.

 

Barbara Crist, a member of the KJO Board and jazz enthusiast, conceived the idea for the first house concert, which was held in 2017 at the historic home of John Trotter, president of Trotter & Company.

 

“The best way to experience jazz is in person,” Crist said. “Concert venues are wonderful, but there’s something really special about being able to listen to live jazz while you relax with friends and enjoy delicious food in a comfortable home. We truly appreciate John and Bob for hosting these KJO fundraising events, and look forward to doing more at different homes in the area.”

 

Jazz & Cocktails: Blues on the River is sponsored by Bistro By The Tracks, Dr. Jeffrey and Mrs. Barbara Crist, Sheena McCall, Pippin Dental Care, Sara Rose, and Thermal Label Warehouse, LLC. Rose and McCall are co-chairs of the event.

 

Tickets are $100 and may be purchased online at http://www.knoxjazz.org/blues-on-the-river or by calling 865-675-0025. Space is limited. The deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, May 16. Thanks to the event’s sponsors, all proceeds raised benefit the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra.

 

The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and band founded in 1999 by trumpeter, arranger and composer Vance Thompson. KJO’s mission is to promote jazz music through performance and education. Since its inception, the band has appeared on jazz festivals in the United States and Europe, released four critically acclaimed CD recordings and presented scores of concerts, many featuring world-renowned guest artists. Concert dates and more information can be found at www.knoxjazz.org.