Friends join pianist Jeff Martin for Christmas concert at Renaissance Center Nov. 22

Release Date: 10/28/2008. Expired: 11/22/2008

Kick off the holiday season by joining Jeff Martin and some of his dear friends for two concerts of Christmas music at The Renaissance Center in Dickson on Saturday, Nov. 22.

The shows are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Performance Hall and tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 55 and over and $8 for children under 13.

Jeff Martin and Friends has become an annual tradition hosted by Martin, director of Music Technology at The Renaissance Center. But this will be the first Jeff Martin and Friends Christmas and the first time there will be two shows offered the same day.

Pianist Martin will be joined by The Renaissance Center’s Jazz Combo, members of the center’s music faculty, local gospel favorites Hosanna and possibly other friends.

The concerts also mark the release of Martin’s newest CD, Christmas Favorites, which is a collection of both sacred and secular Christmas music.

Martin is a piano and composition instructor at The Renaissance Center. He has performed in several concerts at the center and served as musical director for Renaissance Players productions of Children of Eden, Fiddler on the Roof and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as the Mind Enriching Theatre series production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He is the director of The Renaissance Center’s band programs, which includes the Community Concert Band, Community Jazz Band and Jazz Combo.

A native of Henderson, Ky., Martin has worked as a high school band director and church music director and is the owner of Brookstone Music Publishing. He is currently Praise Band director for First Baptist Church in Dickson. He obtained his Bachelor of Music Education from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., and conducted post-graduate studies at the University of Memphis and Florida State University. A songwriter, publisher and demo studio engineer, Martin has released two Gospel piano CDs and an adult contemporary CD. He resides in Burns with his wife, Christine.

In addition to Martin, Hosanna includes Justin Sullivan, Gary Fouts and Bonnie Daugherty.

Fairview native Sullivan grew up loving gospel music and at age 14 began playing guitar for the Harmonizers, a family gospel quartet. After high school he joined the Mt. Zion Singers, where Daugherty was also a member.

Years later Sullivan began to sing with the Praise Band at First Baptist Church, where he met Martin and Fouts, a Georgia native and former newspaper editor who now works at the Tennessee Technology Center in Dickson.

Joining with Daugherty, who also wanted to return to gospel singing, they formed a quartet and Sullivan’s wife Janet suggested the name Hosanna, which aptly means praise.

The Renaissance Center’s Jazz Combo includes Martin on piano, Bo May on clarinet and saxophone, Wayne Marsh on guitar, Leo Cantu and Tony Hendrix on drums and Duncan May on bass. The group was formed from the Community Jazz Band and has begun playing afternoon concerts in the rotunda of The Renaissance Center on the last Friday of each month.

The Jazz Combo also will be performing with the Community Concert Band and Community Jazz Band in their annual holiday concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at The Renaissance Center.

For more information on the Jeff Martin and Friends Christmas concerts at The Renaissance Center, call (615) 740-5600 or visit www.rcenter.org. To purchase tickets, call (615) 740-5601.

The Renaissance Center is a fine arts education and performing arts center at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just 35 miles west of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172.

Visit the Events - Concerts and Recitals page for more about musical performances.

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