In the second CTV Pops concert of the NAC Orchestra’s 2011-12 season, conductor Jeff Tyzik leads virtuoso singer/musician Ellis Hall and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in A Ray Charles Tribute. Mr. Hall will be featured on piano, guitar and vocals, accompanied on vocals by Sandy Simmons, Wendisue Hall, and Cristi Black. Featuring many of the hits made famous by Ray Charles – including Hit the Road Jack, Georgia On My Mind, and Unchain My Heart -- this high-energy concert takes place in Southam Hall on Thursday December 8, Friday December 9, and Saturday December 10, 2011 at 8 p.m.

This soulful night at the Pops features the music of Ray Charles (1930-2004), one of the most recognizable voices in American music. He virtually created modern soul as a fusion of gospel, rhythm and blues, and blues; he revolutionized country music with his “Modern Sounds” record series; and he was a leading light in the world of jazz. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, where he became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles “the only true genius in show business.” His career spanned decades and his awards included eight honorary doctoral degrees, seventeen Grammys, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the President’s Merit Award and numerous Playboy Jazz Awards. Ray Charles was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 1982 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, 1986. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Ray Charles number 10 on their list of ‘100 Greatest Artists of All Time’ in 2004 and number two on their November 2008 list of ‘100 Greatest Singers of All Time.’

Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ellis Hall -- a good friend and protégé of Ray Charles – is making his NAC debut with this concert. Ellis Hall seems to have been destined to pay tribute to Ray Charles. Like his mentor, Hall is blind. Both men were born in Georgia, and both became singers. Hall has the honour of being the only artist, other than Ray Charles, to be signed to Charles’s label Crossover Records. Ellis Hall is a superb singer with a five-octave range as well as a virtuoso on both piano and guitar, and he’s worked with some of the biggest names in the recording industry. He possesses a style that commands attention in its diversity and depth, and has to his credit numerous live performances and studio sessions with many top artists. On stage at Washington’s Kennedy Center in front of President Bill Clinton and Ray Charles, Ellis was introduced with the words “Though he is sightless, his vision is greater than ours.” Formerly featured as lead vocalist and keyboardist with the soul-stirring group Tower of Power, Ellis is also recognized for his hit performance on the Kenny G. multi-platinum album "Duotones" and the gold and platinum California Raisins albums. Ellis’s most recent credits include an appearance in Big Momma's House and singing the title track “Flip, Flop & Fly” in the comedy Chicken Run. His most recent album, Straight Ahead, was co-produced by Ray Charles on Crossover Records.

Grammy® Award winning conductor Jeff Tyzik is recognized as one of America's most innovative pops conductors. Principal Pops Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for over 18 years, he also serves as Principal Pops Conductor of the Oregon Symphony and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. An accomplished composer and arranger, he has written over 200 works for orchestra, some of which have been recorded by the London Symphony, Cincinnati Pops and the Royal Philharmonic.  He has also produced and composed theme music for many major television networks. 

The NAC Orchestra, under conductor Jeff Tyzik, performs A Ray Charles Tribute in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on Thursday December 8, Friday December 9, and Saturday December 10, 2011 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.45, $31.21, $42.51, $53.81, $64.57, $75.33, and $94.17 for adults and $11.73, $17.11, $22.76, $28.41, $33.79, $39.17, and $48.59 for students (upon presentation of a valid student ID card). Tickets are available at the NAC Box Office (in person) and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 1-888-991-2787; Ticketmaster may also be accessed through www.nac-cna.ca.

Subject to availability, full-time students (aged 13-29) with valid Live Rush™ membership (free registration at www.liverush.ca) may buy up to 2 tickets per performance at the discount price of $12 per ticket. Tickets are available online (www.nac-cna.ca) or at the NAC box office from 10 a.m. on the day before the performance until 6 p.m. on the day of the show or 2 hours before a matinee. Groups of 10 or more save 15% to 20% off regular ticket prices to all NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances; to reserve your seats, call 613-947-7000, ext. 634 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca.

Discover the new NACmusicbox TIMELINE: 200 orchestral works, 80 Canadian compositions,
1 interactive TIMELINE that provides a visual representation of our rare online archival collection and encourages the exploration of music connections. The NACmusicbox TIMELINE has been specifically designed to showcase the works of Canadian composers within the history of orchestral music and offers cross-curricular content with classroom-ready activities and lesson plans developed by teachers for teachers. Visit NACmusicbox.ca today.

The National Arts Centre gratefully acknowledges the financial investment by the Department of Canadian Heritage in the creation of this online presentation for the Virtual Museum of Canada.
We also thank our partner CBC Radio 2 for generously providing broadcast-quality recordings of the NAC Orchestra’s archival performances.

For additional information, visit the NAC website at www.nac-cna.ca

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Information:  
Gerald Morris
Communications Officer, NAC Music
613-947-7000, ext. 335
e-mail  gerald.morris@nac-cna.ca