Columbia, SC – The Columbia Museum of Art presents the first concert in its 2015-2016 season of CMA Jazz on Main presented by Family Medicine Centers of South Carolina with a very special performance of Frank Sinatra classics and other Rat Pack tunes. Noel Freidline, artistic director of the series, returns with his band for another exciting season. Joining the Noel Freidline Trio for the series premier is vocalist and trumpeter Joe Gransden, and together they will perform favorites from Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, and more. “We are thrilled to be kicking off our third season of CMA Jazz on Main,” says Freidline. “I can’t think of a more perfect artist to get things going than Joe Gransden.  Joe is an amazing musician, and a great entertainer.  Rarely do you find such a perfect combination of artistry and entertainment in one individual.”
 
Gransden has been described by renowned actor and director Clint Eastwood as “a young man with an old soul and classic voice.” The New York native has become a top jazz performer in the Southeast, and the CMA is proud to host him and music from his new album Joe Gransden: Songs of Sinatra and Friends. “In Joe Gransden one finds an amazing depth and breadth,” continues Freidline. “I really can’t heap the superlatives high enough.  He is an amazing trumpeter and vocalist, he is charming and charismatic performer … truly an artist that knows how to entertain.”  
 
Based out of Charlotte, N.C., Noel Freidline and his band have opened for many jazz legends, from Dave Brubeck to Rosemary Clooney. His repertoire brings out the best of every subgenre of the jazz world, including the swing, show tunes, and everything from soulful and edgy reinterpretations of Patti Page to Africanized arrangements of Simon & Garfunkel. The Noel Freidline Trio’s sound is characterized by sophisticated arrangements that always retain a playful element of spontaneity.
 
Freidline brings the same diversity and energy of his band’s own talents to the direction of the ever-growing CMA Jazz on Main programming, and this is shaping up to be the best season yet. “There are several factors responsible for the success of CMA Jazz on Main, but none greater than the amazing audiences in Columbia, Freidline concludes. “The audience size has grown for each concert and the enthusiasm and energy has grown with it.  Columbia and the CMA has been a wonderful place to launch a sophisticated series such as this.  I am very grateful to be part of it.”
 
Upcoming concerts in the 2015-2016 season:

Trombonist Ron Westray – Friday, November 20, 2015
Vocalist Maria Howell – Friday, January 22, 2016
Saxophonist Nelson Rangell – Friday, March 25, 2016

 
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.Concert at 7:30 p.m. Cash Bar. CMA Galleries will be open until 7:00 p.m.
Season Tickets: $160/ $120 for members
Individual Seats: $35 / $28 for members / $5 students
Premier Table Seating:
$300 6 guests & 2 bottles of wine
$200 4 guests & 1 bottle of wine
 
Freidline is available for interviews. For more information about Freidline, visit noelfreidline.com
 
To learn more about Joe Grandsden, visit www.joegransden.com
 
Tickets and program information can be found at columbiamuseum.org.