*** THIS IS A FREE SHOW *** Do NOT respond to anyone offering tickets for re-sale!

Are you ready for the most colossal *FREE* jazz event EVER to hit the Monadnock Region? The Compaq Big Band is beyond thrilled to announce that our appearance this year at TEAM Jaffrey’s ‘Concerts On The Common’ series is a ‘Special Edition’ in two important ways. First, we’re featuring Special Guest Anaïs Reno from New York City on vocals, in her first ever New Hampshire performance! Second, this concert has just been relocated INDOORS – rain or shine – to the fabulous Park Theatre (www.theparktheatre.org) in downtown Jaffrey, NH!

The concert is still *FREE*, still that great small town New England vibe and welcoming atmosphere, and within sight of our usual bandstand venue on the town common. Just moved inside a beautiful, air conditioned, 333-seat theater, with a state-of-the-art surround sound system ;) The concession stand will be open, and a Cash Bar will be offered (no mixed drinks).

This all goes down Wednesday July 24th - show runs 6:00pm-8:00pm. Doors Open 5:30 – General Admission Seating – No Tickets Required. However, we are expecting a rather large crowd, so we encourage you to get there EARLY for best seats. Summer casual attire.

The Park Theatre is located at 19 Main Street.

And on your way to or from the concert – or both ways – remember to stop for the best ice cream in the region (and beyond?) at nearby Kimball Farm (www.kimballfarm.com/location/jaffrey/ )!

Since Anaïs’ public Boston debut with us just two short months ago at City Winery, this rising New York City jazz star has been busy performing in her hometown, and in Saint Louis, Philadelphia (where one of her frequent jazz club venues has named an ice cream after her…), San Francisco, London, Edinburgh, Scotland, and back through London and New York on her way to … Jaffrey!

On July 24th she’ll be singing arrangements from the Great American Songbook as performed by Ella Fitzgerald with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, as well as other jazz classics as sung by Ella, Carmen McRae, Anita O’Day, Helen O’Connell, and more. A few very hip, more modern takes on timeless vocals will be sprinkled in, such as John Clayton’s powerful version of “Fever”. And, we’ll round out the evening with a few tasty instrumental arrangements from the likes of Chris Walden, Sammy Nestico, and Gordon Goodwin.

Both of Anaïs’ CDs will be available for purchase on July 24th, along with vinyl of her second album. All merchandise will be on sale before the show, during intermission, and upon exit from the music room.

Anaïs Reno began singing the Great American Songbook at the age of eight, and has been performing at legendary Birdland Jazz Club in Times Square since she was thirteen. A graduate of the acclaimed Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in NYC, she is an Ella Fitzgerald Scholar who just completed her junior year at Purchase College (SUNY Purchase) in New York, majoring in vocal jazz performance.

Among her many accolades, she won the Ben Tucker Jazz Award at the 2023 American Traditions Competition, took First Place at the 2020 Mabel Mercer Foundation competition, received the 2020 Julie Wilson Award, was awarded Second Place at the 2018 Michael Feinstein’s Great American Song Book Academy competition, and earned the 2016 Forte International Competition’s Platinum Award.

She has performed for sold out shows at storied NYC venues such as Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Django, Dizzy’s, and Feinstein's 54 Below, plus Seneca One Auditorium in Buffalo, NY for International Jazz Day, as well as singing her own compositions with the NY Philharmonic in David Geffen Hall (Lincoln Center). Anaïs has also sung at Madison Square Garden, and at the Caramoor Jazz Festival. She delivered a stunning rendition of “America The Beautiful” on national television at Citi Field for the New York Mets/Yankees game on the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

Anaïs appears regularly at iconic music venues such as Birdland, Chris’ Jazz Club in Philadelphia, and at PizzaExpress in London. Her first album, “Lovesome Thing: Anaïs Reno sings Ellington & Strayhorn”, debuted in 2021, and is a 12-song compilation of 100% Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn collaborations that rose quickly to #6 on the jazz charts. Her second album has just been released and is titled “Anaïs Reno at PizzaExpress Live - in London“ – recorded last year at the iconic club’s trendy Soho flagship location. She’s currently working on a new album project with noted jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein planned for release later in 2024.

To get a tiny sample of what you’re in for on July 24th, take a listen to a couple small-group jazz tracks from Anaïs’ first album that - we’ll be doing full big band arrangements of these on May 19th: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bxGPJ3mncM&list=OLAK5uy_kHm45Cra7FSia4UlomWi_YrbNBo2P6cMw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTf7uQMLB4Q&list=OLAK5uy_kHm45Cra7FSia4UlomWi_YrbNBo2P6cMw&index=4.

Check out www.compaqbigband.com, www.anaisreno.com, www.theparktheatre.org, and www.teamjaffrey.org. ‘Like’ the CBB, ‘Anaïs Reno’, ‘TEAM Jaffrey’, and ‘The Park Theatre’ on Facebook. Follow @anaisrenojazz on Instagram.