Theatre in the Woods
605 1st Street
P.O. Box 156
Shell Lake, WI 54871
715-468-4387
CONTACT: Carolyn Burnett
354-3803
shiitake@chibardun.net
For Immediate Release: Music, Music, Music
A quartet of outstanding musicians will perform an evening of jazz at the Erika Quam Memorial Theater Saturday, November 7 at 7:30. All have performed on the Shell Lake stage over the past few years, but this will be the first time Theatre in the Woods has sponsored the four performing together.
Guitarist Joe Cruz and Vocalist Roxy Stouffer Cruz have been performing as the duo Cruz with Roxy on and off throughout the Twin Cities area for over 17 years. Inspired by a variety of musicians they explore a variety of jazz styles from swing and bop to bossa nova. Roxy, a Shell Lake native, has sung with the Dale Warland Singers, the Plymouth Music Series Chorus and various vocal jazz and big band groups in the Minnesota/Wisconsin vicinity. After working for several summers at the Shell Lake Arts Center, which inspired her love for jazz, Roxy went on to be a vocal music teacher, and later began working at The Minnesota Opera, where she is presently employed as Artistic Administrator.
A professional musician since the age of 15, and hailing from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Joe Cruz is regarded as one of the most versatile multi-stringed instrumentalists on the Twin Cities music scene today. In addition to Cruz with Roxy, Joe presently performs with the bluegrass band Pickin' up Steam which played to a full house at the Quam in September. Joe is also an accomplished woodworker and wood turner.
NPR's Jazz Profiles dubbed Randy Sabien "The past, present and future of jazz violin."His eclectic style started with classical violin lessons. From there he learned how to play along with records by the Grateful Dead, James Taylor and others. In 1989 Randy followed his heart to northern Wisconsin where he started his own record label, Fiddlehead Music. His discography is predominantly jazz with a couple of albums that cover country swing, roots blues and rock and roll from the sixties. He also plays regularly as a jazz violin, guest soloist with symphonies across the country. Hayward, Wisconsin is home to Randy and his family. If you can't get him on the phone, he's probably out trying to catch a big fish or start the Gravely. He'll get right back to you.
Shell Lake native, Steve Lewis, first attended the Indianhead Arts Center (now Shell Lake Arts Center) Ensemble & Combo Clinic the summer of 1970 as a percussion student. By 1977, Steve was on the Jazz Ensemble & Combo faculty, and taught drum set and percussion through 1988. During these years of teaching, Steve also worked professionally with a number of bands and entertainers at different locations throughout the U.S., and on several cruise ships in the Caribbean and Hawaii. During one of the summer jazz sessions, Steve met his wife, Karen. They are now proud parents of 12 year-old Samantha. Steve currently works at Deluxe Corporation in St. Paul as Executive Director of Talent Acquisition. He continues to play percussion in the Twin Cities area, and for the past 5 years, has had the pleasure of accompanying Cruz with Roxy in performances and recordings.
Theatre in the Woods is thrilled to present these remarkable artists to the north woods community. Reservations should be made early to guarantee seating. Admission is $14. The Erika Quam Theater is located at 605 1st. Street. Reservations by phone at 468-4387 or on line at titw.org.
