Austin's 'First Lady of Jazz' Pamela Hart to perform at Bayou Theater

Photo-PamelaHart-BayouTheater

Austin’s ‘First Lady of Jazz’ Pamela Hart will share her artistry and passion for jazz in her second performance at University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Bayou Theater Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. She will be accompanied by the Houston-based Darrell Lavine Quartet.

“I had such a good time when I was there last year, I’m so excited to be coming back,” she said.

Hart said her concerts were an expression of her desire to keep the genre alive. “I do jazz everything,” she said. “This music grabbed me from the age of five, when my mother used to sing it around the house. She loved all the greats—Charlie Parker, Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughn, John Coltrane, Johnny Mathis.  All their songs are the ones I know the most.”

She said the concert would begin with the standards. “I start out with the American songbook of jazz beginning in the 1930s and going through the 60s, and then the second half is more modern, smooth jazz,” she said. “I start with the jazz version of ‘Hello, Dolly.’”

For those who aren’t too familiar with the genre, she said she had some other selections. “I’ll be performing songs from my latest CD, ‘Happy Talk,’” she said. “There’s more for people to listen to so they can onboard with us and enjoy.”

Additional selections for the evening's show include, “Fever,” “Feeling Good,” and “Let’s Stay Together.”

For more information about the Bayou Theater’s upcoming events, or for tickets to Pamela Hart’s concert, go online.