Day: November 21, 2021

Balcones Heights Jazz Festival Christmas Concert

Multitalented Slim Man returns to headline the Balcones Heights Jazz Festival Christmas Concert. Photo: San Antonio Magazine

The inimitable, multitalented Slim Man will be headlining the Balcones Heights Jazz Festival Christmas concert on Friday, December 3. Local artist and jazz crooner Ken Slavin will serve as opening act at 7:30 p.m. The free concert will be held at Wonderland of the Americas Amphitheatre in Balcones Heights, Texas. (Balcones Heights Jazz Festival, 2021)

Slim Man, whose birth name is Timothy Camponeschi, is a singer, songwriter, bassist, producer, cook and teacher, and his charm and style have made him a crowd favorite. He will be performing for the 13th time for the jazz festival. He has recorded 12 CDs and was named Best Jazz Vocalist at the acclaimed Coachella Music Awards in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. JD Considine of Rolling Stone magazine described Slim Man’s style as “a near-perfect example of how jazz and soul can be combined as pop.”

Slim Man. Photo: Discogs

Jazz crooner Ken Slavin is a popular and award-winning classic vocalist based in San Antonio. He recently made his New York City debut at the famed Metropolitan Room and produced a CD of the event, which is available at all major online music stores. He is celebrating 25 years as a professional singer in 2015 and recently became a voting member of the GRAMMY Awards.

“We are thrilled to close out our final 2021 concert series on a high note featuring Ken Slavin and Slim Man onstage for a holiday rendition. Slim Man closing out 2021 and marking his 13th year with us will be the event jazz fans will not want to miss out on.” – Director Economic Development & Public Affairs at City of Balcones Heights Lorenzo Nastasi.

“Bringing yet another facet of Christmas joy to Balcones Heights Jazz Festival fans is such a part of who we are as a city, and we are looking forward to concluding the series with talent like Ken Slavin and Slim Man.” – City of Balcones Heights Mayor Suzanne de Leon.

In 2020, the Balcones Heights Jazz Festival evolved from a summer concert season to a year-long concert series, which was adopted pre-pandemic to spread concerts throughout the year. As live entertainment was halted due to COVID-19, the City of Balcones Heights featured its first ever virtual Christmas Jazz Festival in December 2020. It was produced and posted online featuring local artists MiChelle Garibay-Carey and Zarabande.

The Balcones Heights Jazz Festival has captivated jazz aficionados from across Texas since 1994 with a free, stellar lineup and a laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere. Outdoor seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Regulars, or “jazz babies,” come early to grab their favorite spots along the edge of the sparkling reflecting pool and fountains of the city’s main hub, Wonderland of the Americas.
Food trucks will be available.

When he was 5 years old, Slim Man saw a movie, “The Five Pennies,” with his dad, and when Louis Armstrong came on the big screen to play the trumpet and sing, he told his dad, “That’s what I want to do.” Slim Man studied trumpet for the next nine years and taught himself how to play piano and guitar. After studying piano, composition and harmony at Peabody Institute in his native Baltimore, Slim Man began working as a songwriter for Motown Records. His songs have been recorded by The Temptations, Angela Bofill, Carl Anderson and others. Slim Man also recorded a CD for Motown, giving birth to his signature style.

Slim Man also offers singing lessons, focusing on breathing techniques, simple performance hacks, vibrato control, and finding the appropriate range, tone and style.

He has been busy in the kitchen, too, creating recipes for his cookbooks. In 2016, he released “Slim Man Cooks,” containing 52 recipes that include plenty of Italian dishes, all with his own twist, as well as some of his own original recipes. The PDF version also includes links to dozens of videos as well as 52 charming stories—humorous tales about his family, his wild ride in the music business and his canine sidekick, Batu. Slim Man just released a sequel, “Slim Man Cooks 2,” which contains 30 new recipes, 30 stories and 30 videos.

Tickets on sale for shows at the Majestic Theatre and Charline McCombs Empire Theatre

Tickets for four new shows are now on sale, including two nights of Willie Nelson & Family. Photo: Majestic Theatre

Tickets are now on sale for four new shows at the Majestic Theatre and the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre. For full calendar and listing of events, visit the Majestic Theatre online. (Majestic Theatre, 2021)

Sebastian Maniscalco: Nobody Does This Tour – Majestic Theatre
Friday February 18 at 7p.m.

“The hottest comic in America,” as touted by The New York Times, is making a stop on the Majestic Theatre stage Friday, February 18, 2022. Currently on the road for his new Nobody Does This Tour, the man Vulture has “built a tremendous fan base the old-fashioned way: one joke at a time, one audience at the time.” With so many new experiences to draw from this last year, Maniscalco is sharing his unique comedic perspective with the masses with this brand-new show.

“I’ve been unable to share my comedy for over a year,” Maniscalco shared exclusively with Billboard earlier this year. “I’m busting at the seams to get back out on the road and share my observations about life and family on this brand-new tour!”

During the last year, the comic NBC’s Nightly News dubbed, “comedy’s new superstar,” found new ways to connect with fans and flex his comedic muscles including hosting several virtual dinners with friend and chef, Dominick DiBartolomeo. Billed as “Sebastian’s Sunday Supper” the events have offered the ultimate virtual dinner party, filled with amazing food and packed with special guests including Jerry Seinfeld, Lester Holt, J.J. Watt, Christopher Lloyd and Rick Caruso.

The comedian also still managed to notched several career firsts in 2020 including a two-night run guest-hosting ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” In addition to adding late night host to his growing list of hyphenates, Maniscalco also add executive producer with the release of Sebastian Maniscalco presents Pat McGann: When’s Mom Gonna Be Home?

Me, Myself & Shirley – Charline McCombs Empire Theatre
Friday February 25 at 7p.m.
Saturday February 26 at 2p.m.
Saturday February 26 at 7p.m.

Cindy Williams will take the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre stage in a one-woman show, Me, Myself & Shirley for a limited three-show engagement February 25 – 26, 2022. Tickets start at $39.50.

The legendary star of the iconic comedy series, Laverne & Shirley will share memories of her career and hilarious backstage tales from her lifetime in entertainment. Although best known for her role as Shirley Feeney, Cindy Williams is a versatile actress and comedienne who overcame a challenging childhood to pursue her love of acting and found stardom.

During Me, Myself & Shirley, Williams will chronicle the stories, the secrets, the embarrassing moments, and the highs and lows of her life in Hollywood. Her career includes working with Academy Award-winning directors Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, George Cukor, Roger Corman and Jack Nicholson and in several films including two nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: American Graffiti and The Conversation. Her friends and co-stars include Penny Marshall, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Henry Winkler, Richard Dreyfus, Gene Hackman, Dame Maggie Smith, Gene Kelly, Andy Kaufman and Robert Duval.

Among her favorite honors are her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, her TV Land award for Fan Favorite as well as winning Best Actress at the L.A. Comedy Film Festival for the Indy film Stealing Roses. Cindy also garnered a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) nomination for best supporting actress in American Graffiti. Unfortunately, she was beat out by Ingrid Bergman. Cindy still wonders how all that happened.

Willie Nelson & Family – Majestic Theatre
Special guest: Kimberly Kelly
March 21 and 22 at 7:30p.m.

The Majestic Theatre is proud to welcome the return of Willie Nelson & Family with guest, Kimberly Kelly for two very special nights. With a seven-decade career, Willie Nelson has earned every conceivable award as a musician and amassed reputable credentials as an author, actor, and activist. He continues to thrive as a relevant and progressive musical and cultural force.

In recent years, he has delivered more than a dozen new albums, released a Top 10New York Times’ bestsellers book, again headlined Farm Aid, an event he co-founded in 1985, been honored by the Library of Congress with their Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, received his 5th degree black belt in Gong Kwon Yu Sul, headlined the annual Luck Reunion food and music festival during SXSW, launched his cannabis companies Willie’s Reserve and Willie’s Remedy, and graced the covers of Rolling Stone and AARP The Magazine. In July 2020, Willie released his album First Rose of Spring – an atmospheric soulful showcase of beautifully-written songs and poignant performances. September 2020 brought a memoir with his sister and pianist Bobbie Nelson titled, “Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of The Family Band.”

For 2021, he released a new studio album in February —That’s Life, Willie’s second album of standards and classics made famous by Frank Sinatra (his first, 2018’s My Way, earned Willie the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Solo Album). The two legends were friends, musical colleagues, and mutual admirers of each other’s work. In June 2021, a collection of his thoughts on America, family, faith and music hits shelves as a new book titled “Willie Nelson’s Letters to America.” These creative endeavors as well as new songs and performances that add to his classic catalog, find Willie Nelson rolling at an artistic peak, writing and singing and playing with the seasoned wit and wisdom that comes from the road.

Chelsea Handler: Vaccinated and Horny Tour – Majestic Theatre
Saturday May 14 at 8p.m.

Chelsea Handler is bringing her Vaccinated and Horny Tour to San Antonio for one night this spring, Saturday, May 14, 2022. Handler is a comedian, television host, best-selling author and advocate whose humor and candor have established her as one of the most celebrated voices in entertainment and pop culture. After a strong seven-year run as the host of E!’s top-rated Chelsea Lately, a tenure in which Handler was the only female late-night talk show host on-air, she launched her documentary series Chelsea Does and her talk show Chelsea on Netflix in 2016. She has penned six best-selling books, five of which have reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list, including 2019’s “Life Will Be the Death of Me.” Most recently, she released her first stand-up special in over 6 years, the critically acclaimed Chelsea Handler: Evolution on HBO Max, and launched her iHeart Radio advice podcast, Dear Chelsea. In 2021, Chelsea embarked on the Vaccinated and Horny Tour, bringing her sensational stand-up set to 40+ cities across the nation.