‘Beatlemania’ coming to Jazz & Beyond

Jazz & Beyond, a 17-day festival, starts Friday with a Mad Hatter Garden Party at the Governor’s Mansion.

Opening night listings include The Corky Bennett Trio for the garden party, the official opening event and one of the few requiring tickets, which starts that Friday at 5 p.m. and runs until 7:30. Cost is $35 in advance, $40 at the door. At 8 p.m. that same evening, The Comstock Cowboys country group headlines the fair at Fuji Park. Tickets for that performance are $15.

The festival even celebrates the Fab Four.

On Tuesday, Aug. 5, local musician and educator John Shipley will present a lecture about the History of the Beatles. On display will be replicas of instruments the Beatles chose to play. The instruments are provided by the sensational Beatles Flashback band, which will be performing the following evening. The lecture is from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Brewery Arts Center Ballroom, 449 W. King St. Admission is free.

Shipley, an innovative jazz and R&B pianist, conductor, arranger, songwriter, producer, and recording artist, was a founding member of the groundbreaking Jazz-Fusion group Hiroshima (Epic Records). He’s now musical director for Motown session musicians, “The Funk Brothers,” who were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year. He also teaches piano, history of rock ‘n’ roll, and songwriting at Western Nevada College. John’s lecture is presented by the Mile High Jazz Band Association and the Brewery Arts Center, with public funding through a grant from Nevada Humanities.

On Wednesday, Aug. 6, experience “Beatlemania” at the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St. Beatles Flashback, a Beatles tribute band formed in 2006 in Sonoma County, Calif., will be performing. Beatles Flashback focuses on recreating the music that is heard on the original recordings. The Beatles Flashback concert begins at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Suggested donation is $5.

Jazz & Beyond includes more than 60 performances and events throughout Carson City Aug. 1 through Aug. 17.

For details and a complete schedule of events, see JazzCarsonCity.com or call Mile High Jazz Band at 775-883-4154.