Bria Skonberg (Cal Performances at Home)

Program: In buoyant performances that combine the energy of New Orleans swing with the dreamy vocals of radio crooners past, the charismatic young trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg recalls a time, before bebop, when jazz was our nation’s popular music. Skonberg last performed at Cal Performances in April 2019, as part of the dream team from the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour. Here, in a set recorded at the historic Louis Armstrong House in Queens, NY, she and her quintet perform selections from her latest album, Nothing Never Happens, a mix of hot jazz classics, vintage vocal tunes, original compositions, and fresh new takes on pop songs by the likes of the Beatles, Queen, and Sonny Bono. “Bria Skonberg plays trumpet like a red hot devil and sings like a dream” (The Wall Street Journal). Following the premiere, this performance will be available to view on demand for three months. (Subject to change.)