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By Gina Malone<\/p>\n
Fans of local music have a chance to hear their favorite singers in an \u201cintimate listening room setting\u201d at Isis Music Hall in a weekly series called Asheville Sessions. At the request of Isis owners Scott and Lillianna Woody, musical partners Peggy Ratusz and Jonathan Pearlman collaborated to create and produce the Thursday evening concert series. \u201cThe concept that excited us the most was our idea to shine a spotlight each week on a local vocalist,\u201d says Ratusz. \u201cI book the musicians\/singers and Jonathan hires the instrumentalists to back them up. After all, we have this endless pool of amazing local musicians from which to pull.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ratusz and Pearlman bring more than 17 years of music industry knowledge to the project. Pearlman, a music producer, hosted the weekly Jazz Jam for 10 years before COVID ended performances, and Ratusz, who has booked musical acts for various local venues, adds the experience of having hosted a weekly Blues Jam in downtown Asheville from 2007 through 2011.<\/p>\n
The sessions are open to an array of genres, including jazz standards, blues, Americana, classic and alt country, pop rock, folk rock, throwback R&B and soul. This month\u2019s performances include Dani Cox (April 7), Linda Mitchell (April 14), Jesse Barry (April 21) and Aaron Price (April 28). The 90-minute concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are held in the upstairs lounge, with occasional performances on the Main Stage.<\/p>\n
Native North Carolinian and Asheville resident Reggie Headen, who began his career as a featured performer at New York\u2019s well-known Broadway concert venue Town Hall, brought his jazz performance to the stage during Asheville Sessions recently and will appear again in coming months. \u201cWhat I can say about Asheville Sessions is it\u2019s an intimate look into the lives and stylings of some of Asheville\u2019s finest vocalists,\u201d he says. \u201cLike family, audiences and the musicians that provide accompaniment come around each week\u2019s featured talent to allow them the joy of being witnessed as themselves.\u201d Headen\u2019s back-up band for his January performance included Pearlman on guitar, Thomson Knoles on piano\/keys, Ben Bjorlie on drums and Connor Law on bass.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very excited about this new series at Isis Music Hall, which has been a big hit with each audience so far,\u201d says Pearlman. Along with Ratusz and Pearlman, additional spring and summer vocalists on the schedule include Ryan Barber, Melody Cooper, Jesse Dingle, Cary Fridley, Paula Hanke, Melissa Hyman, Albi Podrizki and Elaine Scott.<\/p>\n