Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play to perform Thursday in Thomasville

THOMASVILLE — Music lovers can take an epic journey through the landscape of American music with Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play. The ensemble opens Thomasville Entertainment Foundation’s 80th concert season at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Thomasville Center for the Arts.

Triple Play, an acoustic blues/jazz/folk trio with vocals, performs Delta blues, New Orleans jams, Tin Pan Alley standards and original tunes, featuring the talents of Chris Brubeck on bass, trombone and piano; guitarist Joel Brown; and harmonica virtuoso Peter “Madcat” Ruth.

Brubeck first distinguished himself as an innovative jazz/rock performer and composer. During the 1970s, he toured and recorded with his father, Dave Brubeck.

Chris Brubeck plays bass, trombone, piano, guitar and sings. He has earned international acclaim as a composer, performer and leader of his own groups. On stage, his irrepressible enthusiasm is matched by his fluid command of jazz, blues, folk, funk, pop and classical musical styles.

He also performs on bass and trombone with The Dave Brubeck Quartet, working with artists including Dawn Upshaw, Bill Crofut, Willie Nelson, Bela Fleck, Bobby Womack and Patti Labelle. His compositions have been performed by orchestras around the world, including orchestras of Boston, Pittsburgh, and Washington, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ruth has established an international reputation through his exhilarating virtuosity on the harmonica. He is equally at home playing blues, folk music, jazz, country, or rock and roll. Performance Magazine refers to him as “a harmonica virtuoso who is rapidly approaching legend status.”

He has such an enjoyable time playing music that audiences delight in his performances. His enthusiasm is unpretentious and contagious. Ruth’s harmonica can be heard on more than 90 albums.

Brown’s eclectic career has taken him to England to record with the London Symphony, to Carnegie Hall with soprano Dawn Upshaw, and recital performances with Frederica von Stade. He has appeared at New York’s Alice Tully Hall with the Chamber Music Society of The Lincoln Center, the Chamber Music Festival at Saratoga, Music in the Mountains in British Columbia and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In addition to touring and recording with Triple Play, Brown has appeared as a concerto soloist with many orchestras across the U.S. He is the featured guitarist on a recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, “Bach to Brubeck,” on Koch International Classics with Bill Crofut and Brubeck. Guitar Review said of this performance, “Brown’s robust tone and lyrical phrasing balances beautifully with the orchestra, delivering a performance that is exquisite and memorable.” His most recent CD, “Christmas Cedar and Spruce,” has received rave reviews.

Tickets for Triple Play are $38 for adults and $15 for students. Tickets can be purchased online at tefconcerts.com or by phone at (229) 226-7404.

The Thomasville Entertainment Foundation is a volunteer-led, non-profit organization celebrating its 80th season. For more information about upcoming concerts, the Family Series, educational programs or supporting the Thomasville Entertainment Foundation, call (229) 226-7404, visit www.tefconcerts.com go to or TEF’s Facebook page.