A new style of production from pianist Jason Danielson, featuring an ongoing dialogue with a guest performer followed by a full set of music.
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Scott Smith is an Iowa legend, having performed all over the country for the last half-century with performers as notable as Sarah Vaughan, Ann Margret, & many more. Smith’s first public singing appearance was at Hoyt Sherman when he was 2 ½ years old and he hasn’t stopped performing since. He was involved with both vocal and instrumental groups throughout his school years.
He launched his professional career in 1959 at The Sands on Rush Street in Chicago. This was where he began the first of his many performances with entertainer/actress Ann Margret.
Scott eventually traveled to the West Coast where he performed with George Burns, Jack Benny and Jerry Lewis. His group was often the opening act for such names as Sarah Vaughn, Lionel Hampton, Vic Damone and Shecky Green. Later, he spent ten years on the Vegas, Reno and Tahoe circuit and touring up and down the West Coast before eventually returning to Des Moines for family reasons where he settled in at Diamond Lil’s.
He became a popular entertainer in Des Moines where he was featured with his groups at the Captain’s Cabin, Adventureland Inn, Eddie Webster’s, Rusty Scupper, Hotel Fort Des Moines and Hyatt House. In 1980, Scott left town with his group for Atlantic City where he played such venues as Bally’s Park Place, Harrah’s Marina and The Sands for five years before returning to Des Moines to stay.
Since then, Scott Smith has entertained thousands of Iowans at Adventureland, Fratello’s, The Cosmopolitan Club, Des Moines Golf and Country Club and Glen Oaks where he has performed regularly in addition to countless “casuals”. He has performed with The Des Moines Big Band and has enjoyed participating in the Annual Variety Club Telethon for many years.
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Jason Danielson has studied with Dr. Robert Washut at the University of Northern Iowa and Susie Miget in Des Moines. Jason has performed with Aretha Franklin, Claudio Roditi, Dick Oatts, The Mingus Dynasty, Paul McKee, Frank Perowsky, Pat Harbison, and the Jimmy Dorsey Big Band; he also opened for B.B. King, Jason Lindner, and The Manhattan Transfer, and has performed two solo shows with Iowa Public Television. He has been a member of the orchestra pit for the national tours of “West Side Story,” “The Producers,” “Wicked,” and “Jersey Boys” at the Des Moines Civic Center and has also played and conducted local productions of “Jingle Bell Bash,” “The Wiz,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Locally, Danielson is pianist, arranger, and musical director for Fred Gazzo, with regular gigs at festivals, weddings, and parties, performing with such artists as the Des Moines Big Band, Dave Rezek, Scott Davis, Tony Valdez, Susie Miget, Jim Oatts, Dave Camwell, and others, and has been a performer, clinician and/or judge for the Coe College, Hoover, NEIBA, and Indian Hills jazz festivals, as well as a faculty member at the Simpson College Jazz Camp.
Jason’s recording credits as a player include “Let’s Play One” and “Landmark” with the Des Moines Big Band, Scott Davis’s “Skywalk,” and “At Dusk,” “Leap of Faith,” and “West Coasting” with Northern Iowa’s Jazz Band One. As pianist, arranger, and musical director, Jason has collaborated with Fred Gazzo on “All the Way,” “The Good Life,” and “Christmas Dreams.” Jason also has an MA in History from Iowa State University and researches and writes on the music of the Civil Rights Movement; he has also given presentations for Des Moines Public Schools’ professional development workshops and the National Council for History Educators’ annual conference on the music of the Civil Rights Movement and the use of music as a primary source in the social studies classroom.
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None of us at Noce are taking your health and safety lightly. We are taking a very carefully curated approach to this new process, & I promise to keep a diligent eye on our operations as we continue down this road.
Whether it's with the diligent mask policy or the spaced out tables, it may feel incredibly different than before all of this began. The good news is that once you're in your seat with a cocktail in hand & a great band on the stage, you'll have everything you need for another great night at Noce.
Read our full reopening policy at https://nocedsm.com/reopening
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In addition to our live audience performance in Noce Jazz & Cabaret, this show will be streamed live via Facebook and Youtube beginning at 7PM on the night of the show.
Noce is gladly accepting contributions in lieu of our usual cover for shows through the following portals - https://cash.app/$nocedsm - https://paypal.me/nocedsm