(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- Experience your favorite bands up close and personal in SOPAC's new Jammin' in the Loft series.  Curated by Gregory Burrus Productions, this series brings talented local bands taking the local music scene by force to the next level with an intimate and energetic experience in The Loft at SOPAC. The first event in this new series takes place on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 featuring the extraordinary Lynette Sheard in her holiday cabaret, joined by Jacquie Lee on violin, Mike Lee on saxophone, and Nat Adderley, Jr. on keys. Guitarist Warren Battiste is a special guest. Showtime is 7:00pm.

"Hey All! I am heading up this new series that will bring local and very talented bands to jam together in the SOPAC Loft. We are always jamming around our towns so time to take it to from the parks and gazebo to the beautiful SOPAC Loft. You are invited to join us for an evening of classic holiday favorites illuminating the joy of season. Inaugural kickoff of this the series will be by the Lynette Sheard Experience and her special guests. Its a jam party in the loft, tributes to jammers and music lovers past and present and the cheerful jazzy spirit of the season," said Gregory Burrus.

Tickets are $20 and available for purchase online. The Loft at SOPAC is located at One SOPAC Way in South Orange, New Jersey.

Lynette Sheard – Vocalist. "We are kicking off this series with a gifted performer on the local live music scene who always comes out and jams all around town," said Burrus. "Lynette is well respected on the scene and has performed with numerous performers around our towns. Lynette Sheard is a gifted versatile vocalist with a five octave range. She is an actor, producer and director. Her performances have been acknowledged in numerous publications including the New York Times, The Record and the Chronicle. The Star Ledger and many of her fans proclaims that 'Her voice reaches deep into one’s soul and finds a soft spot.' She performs Jazz, R&B, Gospel, Soul and Pop music throughout the tri-state area and beyond."

Theater credits include principal roles in: Dream Girls, Smokey Joes Café, Ragtime, Swing, Aida, and an encore performance as Lena Younger Mama in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. She has received countless awards and recognition for her musical service work with children, the elderly and veterans. She is a founding member of the Guiding Stars, a Medical Missions group of professional performers who volunteer to entertain veterans and children. Her performances have raised thousands for Hurricane Katrina Survivors, Haitian Relief efforts, The Red Cross and numerous other local charities. Recently, as a board member for Pleasant Valley Productions. she has helped produced a number of successful events at Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center (OSPAC) in West Orange, NJ. Lynette will jamming with the awesome Nat Adderley Jr, the Jam Master and the very smooth sax man Mike Lee and the up and coming jammer, violinist Jacquie Lee.

Nat Adderley Jr. – Pianist. West Orange-based pianist-arranger-composer-producer Nat Adderley Jr. hails from an amazing legacy of music. His father is trumpeter Nat Adderley, brother and longtime bandmate to legendary jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. Despite composing two of his uncle’s recordings and performing on one of them, Nat went on a different path that at first was completely non-musical. A while after graduating from Yale University, an old friend Luther Vandross came calling and recruited Nat as his music director, pianist, arranger, composer and producer and this lasted for over 20 years. In addition to writing, produced numerous hits for Luther Vandross he also produced “The Closer I Get To You” that was a Grammy-winning duet with Beyonce.

It wasn’t until years later, that Nat’s musical path finally forked into the jazz direction of his famous uncle and father. As a Jazz man Nat has performed performed for many sold-out houses all over US and the world, from Shanghai Jazz in Madison, NJ, the Sugar Bar in New York with Valerie Simpson, Clements Place Jazz in Newark to the the Blue Note in Beijing, the Kool Kats Club in Singapore and numerous other venues. in July ’21, Nat was featured (with Paulette McWilliams) in Austria at “ Porgy and Bess” in Vienna, and at the Inntone Jazz Festival in Diersbach.

Nat also has performed as a music director for Crossroads Theatre Company as part of such productions as Sarah Sings a Love Story, Sophisticated Ladies, and Robeson.

"Nat has performed and jammed with us in the local parks and we are very happy to have Nat Adderley Jr. jamming with us on Wed Dec 20 in the SOPAC loft," added Burrus.

Mike Lee – Saxophone. "When it comes to jammin, Mike Lee on sax is considered a master jammer. From running jams as far back as Cecile’s Jazz Club, Hat City and Giant of Jazz loft, Springfield Gazebo and numerous other locations around South Orange. Mike has done it all. We are extremely happy to have Mike Lee join us in the loft," said Burrus.

Mike Lee, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, has made a name for himself in the vibrant jazz scene of New York City and Northern New Jersey. With a rich and diverse musical background, he has performed with esteemed jazz ensembles such as The Jimmy Heath Orchestra, The Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, and The Roy Hargrove Big Band. His talent extends far beyond the local scene, as he has toured up and down the East Coast, as well as internationally in Italy, France, California, and Beijing, China. In addition to his performing career, Lee is a respected Professor of Jazz Saxophone at The John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. Mike’s dedication to teaching is evident in the success of his private students, who have won national awards and gained admission to prestigious institutions like The Juilliard School, Berklee College of Music, and more.

Jacquelyn Lee – Violin. Jacqueline had been playing Violin for 11 years and received the Jazz Soloist Downbeat Student Music Award for an Outstanding Performance. 16 year old violinist, Jacqueline Lee, while young in years, she is not young in experience. Jacquie has been a member of Jazz House Kids program and has a family of professional musicians surrounding her. All are successful on the Greater New York, New Jersey and beyond live music scene. Jacqueline has performed at the Jazz Standard, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at NYC Lincoln Center, Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies, Clements Place Jazz and many other venues. Recently violinist Jacqueline Lee and her band opened for two preeminent contemporary jazz stars, Marion Meadows and Alex Bugnon.

"Picking up family history at a young age, Jacquie has already led the local student jams at the wonderful Ruthies Pizza Restaurant in Montclair, performed in the jam in the Springfield Ave, Maplewood Gazebo and many other venues around our towns. We are very excited to have Jacquie jammin with us in the loft," said Burrus.

Special Guest: Warren Battiste – Guitar. New Orleans native son Warren Battiste is another one of those unsung heroes in the annals of jazz who deserve more recognition for their contributing efforts to the cause of American music. Warren Battiste was born in New Orleans in 1925 and was taught to play the guitar by his father who was a banjo player at the historic Preservation Hall music venue in the French Quarter. He was the first guitarist to play with Fats Domino on a regular basis and went on to play with Illinois Jacquet in New York. In New Orleans, Warren has performed and jammed at numerous jazz clubs on Bourbon Street, Preservation Hall, Snug Harbor, the Matador and many others. Warren also appeared in the film Shy People starring Jill Clayburgh and Barbara Hershey. Warren has performed with fellow guitarist George Benson, organist Jimmy McGriff, and accompanied classic vocal groups such as The Platters and The Ink Spots to name a few. He is also a survivor of Hurricane Katrina who spent two days on an Interstate overpass with no food or water before being rescued.

"In 2000, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Taught Music at Weequahic High School, Essex County College, and Newark Art Center in Newark, New Jersey. At 98 years young, this Newark resident has played across numerous decades and is still actively playing and performing and will be joining us in the loft at SOPAC," said Burrus.

"These bands are serious about performing, are making huge waves on the local scene and continually selling out local venues," added Burrus. "Bringing them to the loft is the next step in aiding these bands to making even bigger waves on their musical journey."

South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is located at One SOPAC Way in South Orange, New Jersey. SOPAC offers audiences exhilarating and diverse arts entertainment in its intimate venue, serving as the cultural heartbeat of the greater South Orange/Maplewood region and contributing to the economic and social vibrancy of its highly diverse community.

SOPAC is an accessible cultural destination that presents world-class artists in an intimate and welcoming environment. The Jennifer & Tony Leitner Performance Hall is a 439-seat mainstage theatre with superb acoustics, sight lines and seating. Audiences remark that performances in this space are like having their favorite artists right in their own living room. Artists acknowledge that the atmosphere encourages conversations with audiences. The Loft at SOPAC is a 2,185 square-foot multi-purpose space used for performances, rehearsals, classes and special events.