19-Piece Compaq Big Band w/ Special Guest Vocalist Anaïs Reno at City Winery

The 19-piece Compaq Big Band has played for some awesome Christmas show audiences at Boston’s prestigious City Winery, and we wanted our first ‘warm weather gig’ there to be another memorable night of jazz. It will be that! On Sunday May 19th we are not just privileged to return, but thrilled to feature jazz vocalist Anaïs Reno out front as our very special guest – her first public performance in Boston!

A rising star in her hometown of New York City - and far beyond - Anaïs will 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, Callum Au, and Gordon Goodwin.

The show runs 7:30pm-9:30pm. Reserved Seating only, with tickets $32 - $38 per person, depending on section selected https://citywinery.com/boston/events/compaq-big-band-va6qs9?from=https://citywinery.com/boston/events. Walk-ins welcomed as space permits. Doors open 5:30pm.

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Both of Anaïs’ CDs will be available for purchase on May 19th, and we’re beyond excited to also offer a City Winery Artist Wine with custom-designed label for the event. Unsigned merchandise will be on sale before the show, during intermission, and upon exit from the music room.

The perfect exclamation point to the evening will be a separately ticketed, post-show Meet & Greet with Anaïs and some of the band, where both signed CDs and bottles of the Artist Wine will be available for purchase. Admission $25 - see ticketing link above. A complimentary glass of City Bubbles is included (21 and over).

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 in 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 May 19th, 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.

The Compaq Big Band is one of the longest continuously operating large-format jazz ensembles in New England. Formed in 1975, the group has performed for hundreds of clients across the region and beyond, impressing crowds at swing dances, gala celebrations, nonprofit fundraisers, music festivals, summer concerts, and legendary Boston area music venues. It features the power of 14 horns, a cookin’ rhythm section, accomplished instrumental soloists, a rotation of outstanding regional vocalists, one of the most exciting ‘books’ in New England, and an unrivaled passion for technical production.

Among the band’s many accomplishments are a 10-day/7-gig tour of the United Kingdom, producing and warming up for sold out shows of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, and several concerts featuring international high jazz trumpet virtuoso Wayne Bergeron. Their two commercial CDs – “Bandwidth” and “Hard Drive” - are played on New England Jazz National Public Radio, BBC2 in the United Kingdom, and Swedish public radio jazz programs.

Check out www.compaqbigband.com and www.anaisreno.com, and ‘Like’ the CBB, ‘Anaïs Reno’, ‘City Winery Boston’ on Facebook. Follow @anaisrenojazz on Instragram.

If you don’t know CW, you should - explore citywinery.com/boston and ‘City Winery Boston’ on Facebook. Terrific sight lines, phenomenal sound system, chill atmosphere, and a great selection of sustenance & libation - all brought to you by the coolest, nicest staff and management in Boston.

They are located at 80 Beverly Street in the heart of Downtown Boston, close to familiar landmarks such as the Haymarket, the North End, TD Garden, and Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market. And, there are both Orange and Green Line ‘T’ station entrances one block away. See the FAQs page on the City Winery web site for parking info.

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