The PETE ELLMAN BIG BAND SUMMER SERIES with Special Guest Paul Marinaro

The Venue is pleased to present The PETE ELLMAN BIG BAND SUMMER SERIES July 16 at 8pm. Doors open at 7pm.

Premium Reserved Seats: $25

General Admission $20

Vocalist Paul Marinaro, dubbed as having “one of the most beautiful vocal instruments in the business today” by Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune, is a modern classic. With Chicago as his home base, Paul has become one of the most in-demand and respected male vocalists and has “taken his place among the top five male jazz singers active today.” (Scott Yanow, LA Jazz Scene)

Paul demonstrates a mastery of and an infectious passion for the material he chooses, allowing him to successfully command audiences with his fresh interpretations. At home, he is currently enjoying sold-out engagements in Chicago’s world-famous venues, including Joe and Wayne Segal’s Jazz Showcase, The Green Mill, Andy’s Jazz Club, and at Winter’s Jazz Club where he is currently in residence. He has been a featured performer at The Chicago Jazz Festival in 2014 and again in 2017 for an audience of 10,000 on the stage at the massive Pritzger Pavilion, where his performance with jazz legend Sheila Jordan earned rave reviews and was named “Best of 2017” (Chicago Tribune). He has earned “Best Performance of the Year” in the Chicago Tribune in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018; and “Best of Chicago 2015” in NewCity Magazine.

In 2013, Paul celebrated his widely acclaimed debut album Without a Song, a carefully crafted concept album stemming from and inspired by his father’s unfulfilled dream to have been a professional singer. For this album, Paul incorporated the beginnings of his love affair with music, when at the age of five, he found his father’s homemade 78rpm acetate discs in the attic, heard him singing “That Old Black Magic”, and was mesmerized. This scratchy recording of his father’s voice was Paul’s first musical inspiration…and it was restored and used to open his debut album 66 years later. Without a Song has gone on to receive widespread acclaim and national airplay, was named among the “Best of 2013” in the Chicago Tribune and has been prominently featured on NYC DJ Jonathan Schwartz’s “The Jonathan Channel”. Now in its third pressing, the album was re-issued in late 2015 as a deluxe, limited-edition, audiophile 2 LP Vinyl set. The album and its story went on to inspire acclaimed choreographer, Ron De Jesus, who premiered his original dance suite “Without a Song: Mic Check 1, 2” in April 2014, with Paul and his quartet performing the music live. Released in October, 2015, his first live album, One Night in Chicago, has also been critically acclaimed, being called “…a shining example of male jazz vocal at the top of its game.” (Midwest Record).

Since 2016, Paul has grown in national visibility and acclaim. He has enjoyed many highly regarded debuts across the US and Canada, including regular appearances at Toronto’s Jazz Bistro, and most notably at the world-famous Birdland Jazz Club in NYC, where Paul performed to sold out and enthusiastic crowds. In Chicago, at the stunning Auditorium Theatre, Paul appeared in an all-star celebration of Cole Porter in 2016, and of Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne in 2017, and an upcoming Stephen Sondheim program in 2019.

Paul is also a featured vocalist with The Chicago Jazz Orchestra, appearing in many festivals and concerts, including a recreation of the live album “Sinatra at the Sands” at the historic Studebaker Theater in May 2018 for which he received rave reviews, again earning the “Best of the Year” distinction in the Chicago Tribune.

For his July 2018 birthday concert, Paul returned to Birdland Jazz Club featuring special guest Sheila Jordan. The duo immediately demonstrated an uncanny and effortless rapport with one another and have several concerts scheduled together in 2019. Paul has also been chosen to be the sole vocalist in “The Oscar Peterson Story” at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Feb 2019 and will also be actively touring throughout 2019 for various Nat King Cole Centennial concerts, including appearances in Barbados and Copenhagen.

When he is not performing live, he will be busy in the studio recording his next album.

The Pete Ellman Big Band (PEBB) was formed in 2009 after Pete retired from the Illinois Air National Guard after 20 years of service. Since then, the band has played regularly in the Chicagoland Western suburbs at locations such as Mullen’s in Lisle and Fitzgerald’s in Oak Park. They regularly invite student jazz ensembles to join them and will provide guest clinicians. This is a way to get these budding musicians into a real world environment playing the music they love in addition to an auditorium in front of parents or classmates.

Additionally, the PEBB has hosted numerous fundraisers at their events to help raise money (and food / toys) for local non-profits such as Loaves & Fishes, Toys for Tots, Kids Matter, Kidz Cabaret, Youth Symphony of DuPage, Naperville Educational Foundation, Gil Ellman Memorial Fund, and more! To Pete, it is all about giving back to the community to help kids, in general, and also to give kids an opportunity to participate in the arts.

Pete has worked full time at Ellman’s Music Center since 1985, having worked in nearly every position in the company, from repairman to outside sales representative to purchasing agent to janitor. With that kind of overall experience, he has a uniquely complete vision on how to run the business.

Pete continues to play professionally and has performed with nationally known artists such as Wayne Newton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aretha Franklin, Bob Newhart, Chicago Sinfonietta, and many more. Being a trumpet player, Pete’s favorite artist to date has been world renowned trumpeter Wayne Bergeron.

Pete attended DePaul University and majored in Music Performance. Peter attends many industry specific and financial seminars including NASMD, NAPBIRT, and NAMM. He sits on the board of the Naperville Municipal Band.