Enjoy some of the best Latin Jazz in the region with an evening of music performed by Zona Libre. The band was founded by saxophone virtuoso Hiram Perez and features Rick Peron (trumpet), Matt Mitchell (guitar), Richard Katz (piano), Manny Brito (bass), Jose Caros Burgos (vocals and percussion), and Aaron Szabo (drums). The ensemble has been featured at the Tucson Jazz Festival and can be seen performing regularly at Desert Diamond Casino and Brother Johns. For nearly 6 years, this variety band has thrilled audiences in southern Arizona with their blend of Salsa, Latin Jazz, Cumbia, Merengue, Bachata and American pop music. Zona Libre’s dedication to being one of the most versatile bands in Arizona has made them extremely popular with audiences of all ages. 

What if Elvis rocked the 1980s? We’re living in an alternate reality where a healthy 50-year old Elvis Presley has made a triumphant comeback by the mid 80s and had lived on to perform more incredible shows worldwide. This is The King as you have never seen him before, perhaps a bit older, but still rockin’ as hard as ever!

Chance Tinder is a multi-award winning “Elvis Presley Tribute Artist” with more than 25 years in the “Elvis Entertainer Business.” He has been a part of the Elvis Presley phenomenon since the late 1980s, when he was first discovered in Southern California by none other than Bill Medley of the musical super duo “The Righteous Brothers.” Chance is also alumni of the award winning Las Vegas celebrity look-alike production shows, LEGENDS IN CONCERT, AMERICAN SUPERSTARS and SHOW STOPPERS LIVE! His secret is believing it’s not so much the voice that is most important, but it’s knowing how to become the man himself on that stage! It’s basically the attitude of Elvis Presley, shy but confident…knowing exactly what he’s doing! “Chance isn’t Rich Little or Jimmy Fallon doing a spin” on Elvis Presley. He’s Chance Tinder, the actor, recreating a character. Through all of Chance’s experiences in show business, none has given him more gratification and fulfillment than paying tribute to his childhood hero, the legendary “KING OF ROCK’N” ROLL – Elvis Presley!

Join us for a one-of-a-kind evening of original songs, collaboration, and handcrafted folk music as we celebrate 40 years of the Tucson Folk Festival at Cheers to 40 Years! This one-night-only showcase features standout sets from two Arizona favorites.

Eric Schaffer & The Other Troublemakers bring award-winning songwriting and rich four-part harmonies to life. Their latest album, Dry Lightning—produced by Peter Dalton Ronstadt—has earned acclaim for its storytelling and local roots.

Kevin Pakulis and his Band, Tucson’s own Americana powerhouse, delivers his signature blend of country, blues, and rock alongside his renowned band. No Depression Magazine hails his sound as “the best of a genre.”

Proceeds benefit the Tucson Folk Festival, one of the nation’s longest-running free music festivals, drawing 15,000+ fans annually to downtown Tucson for three days of live, original music. Come enjoy a night of handcrafted music, community spirit, and support for a beloved local tradition. Let’s toast to 40 years—and many more to come!

*These concert are a benefit to help send students from Nogales High School to a major national competition in Florida! 

The Apache Jazz Program is composed of three jazz ensembles at Nogales High School.

The 3pm performance will feature the Nogales High School Beginning Jazz Ensemble, Intermediate Jazz Ensemble, and the Apache Jazz Ensemble

In the past four years, the Apache Jazz Program has received numerous “Superior with Distinction” ratings from the ABODA Area Jazz Festival, NAU Jazz Festival, Highland/ASU Jazz Festival, and the ABODA State Jazz Festival. The Apache Jazz Ensemble has performed on the main stage at Disneyland as well as numerous other venues across the southwest. The Apache Jazz Ensemble is directed by Tony Belletti. 

This event will serve as an important fundraiser to help with future travel, including sending the Apache Jazz Ensemble to Florida to compete in the Disney World Competition. The group is coming off an exciting win at the Basically Basie Competition, and we are eager to keep building momentum and showcasing our students at the highest level.

*These concert are a benefit to help send students from Nogales High School to a major national competition in Florida! 

The Apache Jazz Program is composed of three jazz ensembles at Nogales High School.

The 7pm performance will feature the Apache Jazz Ensemble alongside the University of Arizona’s Studio Jazz Ensemble.

Under the direction of Dr. Angelo Versace, the program’s flagship big band, the Studio Jazz Ensemble, has had numerous high profile performances to its credit, including two tours to China, a performance in the Yuma Village Jazz series, a performance as the invited showcase at the ABODA State Jazz Festival in Phoenix, two performances in Nogales, Mexico as part of a cultural exchange with the US State Department, and a performance in Las Cruces, New Mexico as part of the Onate Jazz Festival. Recent guest artists with the band include Terell Stafford, Joe Lovano, Joel Feahm, Elliot Mason, Gerald Clayton, Ingrid Jensen, Mike Moreno, Alex Norris, and Troy Roberts.

In the past four years, the Apache Jazz Program has received numerous “Superior with Distinction” ratings from the ABODA Area Jazz Festival, NAU Jazz Festival, Highland/ASU Jazz Festival, and the ABODA State Jazz Festival. The Apache Jazz Ensemble has performed on the main stage at Disneyland as well as numerous other venues across the southwest. The Apache Jazz Ensemble is directed by Tony Belletti. 

This event will serve as an important fundraiser to help with future travel, including sending the Apache Jazz Ensemble to Florida to compete in the Disney World Competition. The group is coming off an exciting win at the Basically Basie Competition, and we are eager to keep building momentum and showcasing our students at the highest level.

Described by many as perhaps the biggest supergroup of all time, The Traveling Wilburys were a roots rock band consisting of Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and George Harrison. This show, starring Gaslight veterans Mike Yarema, Mike Hebert, Todd Thompson, and Derek Norman, will feature Wilburys favorites along with a mix of solo hits by Petty, Dylan, Orbison, and Harrison.

This is the highly requested repeat performance of Jack’s talk on the Sonoran Desert here around Tucson, the lushest desert in the world, with special emphasis not only on its cacti and other plants, and their various strategies for living in this hot dry place; but also on the animals of our desert and Southern Arizona, including new additional material, not included in prior talks, on those animals. As usual with this subject, you will go away saying “Wow, I didn’t know that”. You will become an expert on the desert for your neighbors and winter guests.

Multi-GRAMMY ® Award Nominee David Arkenstone returns to Arizona with his enchanting holiday concert A Winter’s Eve with David Arkenstone & Friends. 

Join David Arkenstone and his band of virtuoso musicians for this lively winter celebration of beloved holiday classics “reimagined,” joyfully blending world music, Celtic, cinematic, new age, and neo-classical crossover. David’s concerts captivate audiences each year with seasonal tunes from his treasured holiday albums Celtic Christmas, Christmas Lounge, and Winterlude. Experience fan favorites of this magical season to delight and dazzle your holiday senses. Since the release of his first album Valley in the Clouds, David Arkenstone has become one of the most engaging and prolific multi-instrumentalists of our time.

With 5 GRAMMY® nominations to date, over 2 billion streams worldwide, 70+ albums, film and TV scores, game score compositions for World of Warcraft, and unforgettable NBC Sports themes such as The Kentucky Derby, US Women’s Figure Skating, and Premier League soccer, David’s music has become the soundtrack to millions of listeners’ lives across the globe.

EleMenTrio is simply Euphoric, Dynamic & Magnetic! Hailed as “a modern Three Tenors” with a metamorphosis of sound unlike any other men’s vocal group, EleMenTrio performs their unique versions of classic hits and holiday favorites including Blue Christmas, The Prayer, Hallelujah, Mary Did You Know, All I Want for Christmas is You, and much more! After triumphant performances in Vienna, Canada, and the USA, Terry Barber, Victor Valdez, and Vincent Connor share their wealth of experience in various music genres and together they create a blend of heartwarming and inspiring music. 

Terry Barber is a former member of Grammy Award winning all-male classical vocal ensemble “Chanticleer” and he has 6 Grammy nominations for his own album ”Christmas Presence.” He can be heard on recordings alongside artists like Jewel, Madonna and the London Philharmonic. His appearances include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, and Moscow’s famed Svetlanov Hall, plus over 100 cities worldwide.

Known for his luscious tones and flirtatious energy, Victor Valdez captivates audiences as an entertainer, singer-songwriter, and pianist. Born in Latin America, he began his career opening for triple Platinum artist, Luis Fonsi {Despacito} in front of crowds of 30,000. After being a finalist for the nationally televised ”Talentum” competition, Victor moved to the United States and has performed over 1000 solo shows. He’s appeared with symphonies, and on cabaret and musical theater stages from Miami’s Arsht Center to London’s Leicester Square Theatre. 

Victor Connor has been the Artistic Director of the London Summer Music Theatre Academy and the Vienna Summer Music Festivals. He “grounds” the trio with depth and warmth. His bold delivery as a singing actor has awarded him with opportunities in opera, musical theater and television. He’s the co-creator of “Mad Hatter The Musical” which debuted in London’s West End, and he’s directed over 40 operas and musicals worldwide.

Enjoy an evening of songs and stories with one of the music industry’s most prolific songwriters, Steve Dorff. Honored as a 2018 Inductee to the prestigious Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in NYC, 3 time Grammy and 6 time Emmy nominated Steve Dorff has written songs sung by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Anne Murray, George Strait, Garth Brooks and countless others, while also establishing himself as a gifted film and television composer. He’s tallied over 40 BMI awards with hits like Rogers’ “Through the Years,” Murray’s “I Just Fall in Love Again” (Billboard’s top country hit of 1979), Strait’s “I Cross My Heart,” Lee Greenwood’s “Don’t Underestimate My Love for You,” and Eddie Rabbitt’s “Every Which Way But Loose”—the title track from Clint Eastwood’s 1978 film. His songs have charted in 5 successive decades, with #1 records across 4 decades.

Songs in the Dorff catalog have been recorded by over 250 artists from all genres of music. His many TV and cable movie credits include the Emmy nominated CBS mini-series “Elvis”, the Hallmark Hall of Fame “Rose Hill”, the animated Christmas classic “Annabelle’s Wish”, “Babe Ruth”, “The Quick and The Dead”, “Moonshine Highway” and “The Defiant Ones”. Dorff’s many movie songs and scores have been featured in “Bronco Billy”, “Blast From The Past”, “Rocky IV”, “Pure Country”, “Tin Cup”, “Michael”, “Dudley Do-Right”, “Dancer, Texas”, “The Last Boy Scout”, “Curly Sue” and “Honky Tonk Man”. Perhaps Dorff’s most ambitious move to date has been a giant leap into his first love, musical theater. He currently has two projects making their way to the stage: “Josephine” (The Josephine Baker Story) and “Pure Country” (The Musical).

“Heart, humor, and, above all, authenticity are part of the audible art created by Steve Dorff. His iconic songs are born in the center of his chest, where ‘clever’ never gets in the way of ‘touching’... or ‘honest.’ From Kenny Rogers’ “Through the Years” to Eddie Rabbitt’s “Every Which Way but Loose,” Steve’s Grammy and Emmy-winning work is an American treasure. I’m proud to call him friend. Enjoy his story.”

— Paul Williams

One of the finest Country-Rock bands in Southern California, Nitro Express Band have been playing consistently across the southwest for over 20 years and have gained a reputation for their incredible sound, versatility, and being the hardest working band in the area. Nitro Express has been averaging about 200 performances a year at various casinos and theme parks (Knotts Berry Farm, Sea World, Magic Mountain), They have appeared on the Bravo TV series, ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’, and and have performed at venues with Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Clint Black, Ronnie Milsap, Bill Ray Cyrus, Wynonna Judd, Dwight Yoakam, The Derailers, Vince Gill, and many others.

Though typically billed as a Country or Country-Rock band, Nitro Express has influences ranging from Bakersfield to Liverpool, Nashville to London, Texas to Chicago, Detroit to Sweet Home Alabama, and many points in between. Classic Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, R&B, Country, Southern Rock, Surf Music, Motown, and even Reggae are some of the components that make up their unique sound. With some of Southern California’s strongest vocals, superb harmonies, virtuoso musicianship, and a strong beat, they are one of the most entertaining acts on the West Coast.

Walk in a Winter Wonderland as The Manhattan Dolls take you through all of your favorite Christmas tunes with gorgeous harmonies! So gather around that ole’ piano and get ready to sing along as you Rock Around the Christmas Tree, schmooze with Santa Baby and take a quick ride with Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. It certainly won’t be a Silent Nightwhen the Dolls are in town with special guest Gaslight Theater performer Charlie Hall!

Brady Seals, cousin to Jimmy Seals (Seals and Crofts) and Lua Crofts, daughter of Darrell “Dash” Crofts, will dazzle you with this heartfelt performance. Experience the music of 70‘s rock duo Seals & Crofts in a whole new way. Hear hits like “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl,” and “We May Never Pass This Way (Again),” artfully re-imagined with a reverent nod to the past. For Brady and Lua, musical magic is all in the family. Together they are Seals & Crofts 2.

Singer/songwriter/artist Brady Seals has a pedigree for success. You could say that music is “in his blood”. Over the course of his career, Brady has sold over 11 million albums and is probably best known for his tenure in the 1990‘s as keyboardist and co- lead singer in the Grammy nominated group Little Texas (Warner Brothers). Seals co- wrote three consecutive #1 songs for the band (“What Might Have Been,” “God Blessed Texas,” and “My Love”) winning him ASCAP’s Triple Play award. Seals pursued a solo career, collaborating with the legendary Rodney Crowell to co-produce his Warner Brothers album, The Truth. It features a duet with Wynonna Judd, “Another You, Another Me”.

Talented and soulful vocalist Lua Crofts comes from 70’s era rock royalty and grew up in Los Angeles California right smack dab in the middle of the 70’s and 80’s music industry. Deciding to follow in her father’s footsteps, her first experience as a session singer was as the tender age of 7 years old when she accompanied both her mother and father on a song that would be featured on a popular children’s album. She would go on to become an in-demand session singer throughout the 90’s and early 2000’s in the Los Angeles area, singing background vocals on many popular R&B albums for artists. She currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and children, continues to do studio session work and sings/tours with the popular Nashville Gospel Choir, Eric Dozier and Friends. 

When Brady Seals recounts the story of their partnership, “I asked Lua to sing on a project I was working on at the time called The Seals Family Album. When she sang on my rendition of “Summer Breeze” it was magical. We both knew immediately we needed to explore working together more. I paused the project I was working on and started focusing on Seals & Crofts 2. Lua and I feel honored to tour together and to carry the torch and remind everyone just how special the Seals & Crofts catalog really is.”

Joe Bourne and his special guest, Harpist Christine Vivona, accompanied by Sly Slypetsky on Piano and Tuba, Scott Black on Bass and Fred Hayes on Drums will bring to you a variety of Jazz, Blues and Pop as well as a healthy taste of classical and secular Holiday Music. Hear a special rendition of Little Drummer Boy, Christmas in Dixie, Ode to Joy, a Hanukkah Medley, Prelude in C, Hallelujah, along with music from Carol King, Lou Rawls, George Straight, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and of course Nat King Cole and many more exciting Pop and Holiday arrangements to help guide you into the Holiday spirit. Voted Best Local Entertainer by Tucson Lifestyle magazine readers. Joe’s mission statement is: “To lift the spirits of those who I have the privilege of entertaining and to have an abundance of fun while doing so.”

Liven up the holidays with this favorite holiday tradition! In the Christmas Mood: A Holiday Music Spectacular features timeless treasures and soon-to-be-classics, guaranteed to make the season merry and bright. Starring Katherine Byrnes, Nick Gallardo, Janée Page, and Chach Snook, it’s an evening of non-stop singing, dancing, comedy, and holiday magic!

A Chicago native, Paul McDermand’s career spans the entirety of the entertainment landscape, from movie soundtracks to the biggest and best of Broadway. In constant demand as a percussion specialist, he has shared the stage with the brightest names in music, including Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, The Temptations and The Moody Blues. Backed by his “Island Time Band,” Paul’s numerous national tours have introduced the steel drums of Trinidad to delighted audiences of all ages, and his many recordings are embraced the world over for their exotic essence and serene beauty. 

Encompassing both instrumental and vocal arrangements, Paul and his ensemble offer a wide ranging program of breezy calypsos, pulsating latin rhythms and the most bewitching melodies in all of popular music. When home in Scottsdale, Paul is a featured soloist with the Barleens Dinner Show and the entertainment director at Tommy Bahama’s Kierland Commons location. Enjoy this broadly popular program with a tropical bent, courtesy of the steel drums of Trinidad and accompanying musicians. Be sure to listen for the Andrew Lloyd Webber medley!