This Friday, February 24, and Saturday, February 25, bandleader Sherrie Maricle and the all-woman DIVA Jazz Orchestra will headline the Weekend of Jazz at Beavercreek High School. On Friday night, Beavercreek Jazz Band Night, Maricle and some members of DIVA will judge the Beavercreek Jazz bands. Saturday night is the Weekend of Jazz event with Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra headlining.
Who is Sherrie Maricle, and who, or what is DIVA? Per Maricle’s public relations material, “Sherrie Maricle and DIVA perform all over the world and will begin their 30th Anniversary Tour in Beavercreek, Ohio at BHS Alumni Auditorium. This phenomenal group has graced the stage of the world’s most acclaimed music venues and festivals; Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers to the Hollywood Bowl and more. Recently, the DIVA Jazz Orchestra performed with world-renowned vocal group Manhattan Transfer in their 50th anniversary tour. Anytime Sherrie Maricle and the DIVAS take the stage, you experience the thrilling fusion of swing, R & B, doo-wop and jazz—and their concerts always sell out!”
In Maricle’s own words,“I grew up in Binghamton, New York. All the big bands were still playing in the 1970’s. I saw Buddy Rich (the American drumming legend), and that made me want to play the drums. I didn’t want to do anything since then. I pursued it aggressively through high school and college. I knew I had to move to New York to get the Jazz mecca of the world. I did that in 1985, and got a Master’s Degree and a PhD in Jazz from New York University. I freelanced Broadway shows, weddings and club dates, and in the midst of that, DIVA was formed. The focus of my life and career has been the DIVA Jazz Orchestra.”
Now, just what is the DIVA Jazz Orchestra? And how did it form? Maricle revealed, “ We were formed in 1992 by a drummer named Stanley Kay who was also the manager of the Buddy Rich Band. He heard me playing at the 75th anniversary of a theater. Kay liked the way I played. He asked me if I knew other women who played like I did. He hadn’t seen any playing in the big bands in New York City, and he wondered why. I told him “Most of the women playing in New York City wonder why, too!” So he wanted to create a new band, DIVA. We were laser focused on creating an all original experience for the players and the listeners…we would be playing original music. We were going to be a brand new, original entity. We had 40 women come to the original audition in June of 1992, we picked the original 15, and we’ve been working ever since!”
Make sure to check out Sherrie and DIVA this weekend, and support the arts at Beavercreek High School.
Event information:
Beavercreek High School Bands is pleased to announce the Saturday Feb.25th 2023 headlining performance for Weekend of Jazz: Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra.
The Weekend of Jazz is a two-day event which promotes music education for middle school, and junior and senior high school students from all over Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Jazz bands and combos from schools in this region come together in Beavercreek, Ohio to perform in exhibitions on Friday and Saturday. A panel of professional jazz musicians and music educators critique each concert and the student bands have the opportunity to attend clinics for one-on-one advice and feedback from one of the panel members. Saturday night is the culmination of this well-loved event with a concert by professional artists. It’s one of the best music education events in southwest Ohio.
All seats reserved available on the Weekend of Jazz website. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students K-12 and seniors over 65. www.weekendofjazz.org
For information about Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra
