Join us at Jackson’s Steakhouse on Thursday, September 24, for our latest installment of “Jazz at Jackson’s.”
The featured performers for the evening are vocalist Ellen Vinson accompanied by noted pianist John Ripley. Together, they will present “Mostly Jazz” — featuring many jazz standards of songs by composers with enduring popularity, including Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Irving Berlin along with some contemporary favorites including Carole King, Burt Bacharach, Adele, Norah Jones and many others.
Ellen Vinson has loved singing jazz as long as she can remember. Although she graduated with a major in elementary education, she began college as a music major, singing jingles for radio and television in Tallahassee. Additionally, Ellen taught elementary school for over 30 years. Throughout the years Vinson has continued to sing; she is always excited to have a chance to share her interpretation of jazz classics, songs that tell a story, and never go out of style. Recently she has enjoyed performing at Jackson’s for our annual “Jazz at Jackson’s” events as well as for events benefitting nonprofit organizations such as The Pensacola Symphony Guild, Independence for the Blind, the Pensacola Museum of Art, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida.
John Ripley has performed and recorded throughout North America with music industry icons such as producer Tom Dowd, Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, Muscle Shoals producer Jimmy Johnson, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Rita Coolidge, Tito Puente, and others. He received a B.A. in music from the University of West Florida while studying classical piano, French horn, and performing with the Pensacola Symphony. Ripley has been a successful manager in the music retailing business, where he won frequent honors, including a VH1 “Save the Music” award, and traveled the country as a Baldwin piano artist and product specialist for the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Leadership roles have included NSAI (Nashville Songwriter’s Association International), Tin Pan South, Fan Fair, W.O. Smith School Advisory Council, and VH1 Save the Music. He has been a member of many professional organizations including ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), and a voting member of NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences), aka The Grammy Awards.
There will be two seatings for this event: 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. In addition to our full dinner menu, which will be available for the evening, Chef Miller has prepared a special-feature entrée: Chicago lamb chop, roasted garlic and balsamic syrup, goat cheese, and roasted green beans and creamer potatoes.
This is a limited-seating event. To reserve your table, please call Jackson’s Steakhouse, (850) 469-9898.
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