Chris Brubeck and Triple Play to perform March 2 with Albany Symphony Orchestra

ALBANY — With the Albany Symphony Orchestra’s March 2 concert following the Snickers Marathon and the Downtown Albany Street Festival to wrap up a busy Saturday in Albany, it’s appropriate that the symphony will be joined by a group called Triple Play.

Chris Brubeck and Triple Play will join the ASO for its 7:30 p.m. concert “Bach to Brubeck” at the Albany Municipal Auditorium at 200 N. Jackson St.

Joelle Fryman, the executive director of the symphony, said the orchestra is hoping to capitalize on the influx of visitors that come to Albany for the two annual events by offering BOGO (buy one, get one free) tickets to the performance.

“We’re really hopeful runners and volunteers will come, and that some of the out-of-towners will come to see what Albany has to offer,” she said.

Triple Play is described as a group that brings “a rare level of joy, virtuosity, and American spirit to the folk, blues, jazz and classical music they perform.”

The trio includes Brubeck, the son of music legend Dave Brubeck, on electric bass, bass trombone, piano and vocals; his music partner since 1969, Peter “Madcat” Ruth, on harmonica, guitar, jaw harp, percussion and vocals, and Joel Brown on folk and classical acoustic guitar and vocals.

“They’re going to be performing some of his dad’s works and some of their own work,” Fryman said. “We might even hear a little ‘Take Five’ in there, we’ll see. But it’s going to be with the full orchestra, and we’re really excited about it.”

With Triple Play’s busy concert schedule, Fryman said ASO officials were pleased to be able to bring them to Albany for the performance.

“We feel very lucky they were able to include us in their schedule,” she said. “It’s something that’s fun, too, having a guest artist who brings a different aspect of music. The symphonic and orchestral music is wonderful, but it’s nice to have that crossover every now and then and show the relationship between the various styles and expose the community to it as well.

“We’re doing a fusion. It’s ‘Bach to Brubeck,’ so there are some more classical aspects in there as well.”

The symphony will have an encore Sunday performance at 3 p.m. March 3 at Tift County High School Performing Arts Center, 1 Blue Devil Way in Tifton. Triple Play will join the ASO for that concert as well, which is part of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s ABAC Presents! performance series.

The March 2 Albany concert offers an opportunity to catch the show early, and two chances to meet the guest musicians and members of the orchestra. It will be the debut of Grace Note, a new community outreach program that ASO officials hope will introduce the symphony to new audiences.

“We were going to premiere Grace Note with the first concert of the season, but that got moved, so this will be the premiere of the Grace Note program,” Fryman said. The symphony’s season-opening concert was set for last October, but Hurricane Michael’s impact forced the ASO to reschedule it for April 21.

Grace Note is conducted the morning of the symphony’s Saturday evening concerts. It is a dress rehearsal of the evening program. The ASO is opening the rehearsal to anyone who wants to attend, and there is no set admission cost. Symphony officials say they don’t want anyone to miss the morning rehearsal just because they can’t afford a ticket.

“From 10 until 11:15 (a.m.), we will be opening up the dress rehearsal of the show for anyone in the community who would like to come,” Fryman said. “It’s a pay-what-you-can program. It’s a dress rehearsal, so the musicians are going to be working hard, but it’s a little more relaxed setting. For someone who hasn’t been to the symphony before, it’ll be a nice introduction.”

She said the ASO is partnering with the Albany Resource Center on the new program.

“We’re really promoting not only to this community but to surrounding communities to bring in assisted-living care individuals, anyone who hasn’t been to the orchestra before,” she said. “We want the community to embrace it, and families. Bring the kids! You never know what will happen!”

Those who attend the Saturday-night concert will have two chances to hear from and meet the musicians and Conductor Claire Fox Hillard, ASO’s music director.

“We have the Know the Score talk at 6:30 (p.m.), which Chris Brubeck and the band members will be at,” Fryman said, adding it is free with concert admission. “That will be great to come to, just to speak to the guest artists one-on-one before the concert and to hear what they’re going to be doing with the orchestra.”

After the concert, the Conductor’s Circle program will be conducted at the adjacent Albany Area Arts Council at 215 N. Jackson St. That event, which includes refreshments, is included in some season ticket packages or as an add-on to the concert ticket.

“It’ll be nice because Chris and the other musicians will be there,” Fryman said. “You’ll be able to ask them questions and spend a little time talking about the concert.”

Concert-goers also will be able to buy chances on the symphony’s all-expenses-paid trip to Ireland. That trip will be raffled at the ASO’s spring fundraiser, the third annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on March 15 at Pretoria Fields Brewery, 120 Pine Ave.

Tickets for “Bach to Brubeck” are $35 for reserved seating, $25 for general admission, and $10 for student and military general admission. Conductor’s Circle tickets are $20 each. They can be purchased at the ASO’s website, albanysymphony.org, or at the door.

Tickets for the Ireland trip raffle can be purchased at the ASO website, also. They are one for $50, five for $200 and 10 for $350. Tickets for the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration are $75 for VIP and $10 for general admission in advance. General admission at the door will be $20.

Those wanting to catch the “Bach to Brubeck” encore concert in Tifton can purchase tickets at purplepass.com. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $10 for students.

Contact the Albany Symphony Orchestra at (229) 430-8933.

Contact freelance writer Jim Hendricks at [email protected]. Follow @JimEHendricks on Twitter.