Friday Night Live! – New Shades of Blue – Friday, July 19
Join us for an evening of fantastic FREE live music as New Shades of Blue return to the Milbridge Theatre Outdoor Stage! They were extremely popular at our outdoor stage last summer, and we are delighted to have this fantastic jazz quarter return this year to perform many well-known standards, favorites from the Great American Song Book, along with some of their own compositions.
The members of New Shades of Blue began playing together over 20 years ago when they met as students of the University of Maine at Augusta’s Jazz and Contemporary Music program. They continued to perform together in various groups until the band was formed in its present configuration in 2008. Since then, Shades of Blue has enjoyed an extensive playing schedule in mid-coast and Downeast, Maine, pleasing audiences with an eclectic mix of old time favorites, blues, and original compositions.
The group’s leaders are Juliane Gardner and Chris Poulin.
Juliane Gardner began singing for large audiences at the age of five, performing in musicals with Cold Comfort Productions for twelve years. She started performing in bands as a teenager and then studied jazz vocals and piano at UMA. At a very early age she began listening to and eventually emulating jazz greats such as Carmen McRae, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Lambert Hendricks, and Ross, and Thelonious Monk. Juliane is also influenced by singer/songwriters such as Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt, Patty Griffith, Jack Johnson, and James Taylor. The mixing of these two aesthetics is evidenced by her critically acclaimed albums Pack Saddle Road (2003), and You’ll Find it When You’re Not Looking (2009). Her 2007 composition “Love and Comforting” was selected for inclusion in the nationally syndicated ABC TV series, Men in Trees in the spring of 2008.
Chris Poulin began playing guitar at the age of 9. At this young age, he wore out the needle on his first record player while listening to the Beatles. Chris went on to get a Bachelor’s degree in jazz from UMA, and a Master’s degree in jazz and classical guitar. Chris has been a composer and a performer for 20 years in numerous jazz, blues, funk, and reggae groups. He has performed with jazz artists such as Kenny Burrell, Sean Jones, Bob Moses, James Weidman, and Deborah Davis. Recently, Chris headlined the Hope Jazz Festival with the Pavvo Carey Quartet. Chris’s influences include Wes Montgomery, B.B. King, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, and Bob Marley.
*All summer performances are FREE to the public. Open House starts at 5:30pm and music begins at 6:30pm (Rain date for each performance will be Sunday).
*Enjoy refreshments/snacks by donation, and bring a chair to enjoy the evening with us!
*The Milbridge Theatre Outdoor Stage is located in the heart of downtown Milbridge.
*Hosted by Gateway Milbridge & the Milbridge Theatre Project.
