Celebrate the rich legacy of American music with the Tar River Swing Band as they take you on a Journey Through America’s Songbook. From the spirited sounds of Dixieland and the golden age of Swing to the soulful rhythms of Blues and Jazz, this concert honors the timeless styles that define our nation’s musical voice.
One of the most distinctive musical events ever presented in Rocky Mount!
Formed in 1999, the Tar River Swing Band will mark twenty-seven years of performance in eastern and central North Carolina by welcoming six professional musicians who regularly appear at the North Carolina Jazz Festival in Wilmington, a festival founded in 1980 and long recognized as one of the premier traditional jazz gatherings in the South.
About Our Special Guests
Rossano Sportiello, featured at the festival, is an internationally respected pianist from Vigevano, Italy, trained at the Italian conservatory and widely admired for stride piano, swing, and bebop performances throughout Europe and the United States. His presence will bring both virtuosity and stylistic authenticity to the program.
Chuck Redd, another festival artist, is an accomplished performer on drums and vibraphone who has appeared internationally, worked with major jazz figures, and taught at the University of Maryland School of Music; his artistry will add both rhythmic drive and color, especially alongside Tar River’s own outstanding percussionist, Jon Wacker, a retired music professor at East Carolina University.
Adrian Cunningham, the Sydney-born multi-instrumentalist who now lives in New York City, has performed at major festivals and clubs around the world and is known for his work on reeds, clarinet, flute, and vocals. His breadth and showmanship would make him a natural fit for a festive traditional jazz program.
Bruce Harris, an outstanding trumpeter who serves as Program Director at the Louis Armstrong House Museum and Center in Queens, New York, will be a guest artist as well. The Armstrong Center, opened in 2023 across from Armstrong’s historic home, houses the vast Louis Armstrong Archive and serves as a major performance and educational center dedicated to preserving and advancing Armstrong’s legacy. Harris, a Bronx native who studied under Jon Faddis at SUNY Purchase and earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in jazz performance there, combines institutional leadership with a flourishing performance career. His involvement would connect the Rocky Mount concert to one of the most important living centers of traditional American jazz heritage.
Lucy Yeghiazaryan is an especially compelling guest vocalist. She is an Armenian American singer who has become a leading voice in straight-ahead jazz. She has performed widely in major venues and has earned recognition for combining emotional richness, jazz phrasing, and deep interpretive power. Her artistry will bring a strong vocal dimension to the concert, and her presence will carry added symbolic value in Rocky Mount, the birthplace of Thelonious Monk. Her connection to the larger jazz world, together with Rocky Mount’s own historic link to Monk, will help frame the evening not simply as a concert but as a celebration of the city’s place in the story of American jazz.
Trombonist Charlie Halloran of New Orleans will likewise be an excellent fit. Halloran is known as one of the most active and versatile musicians on the New Orleans scene, deeply grounded in traditional jazz performance. His command of the idiom, together with the authentic New Orleans character he brings to every appearance, would strengthen the traditional jazz concept being envisioned for the program.
Important local and regional support help make this undertaking possible. Sandy Evans, longtime leader of the North Carolina Jazz Festival, provided contact information for the musicians and will assist in promoting attendance from the Wilmington area. Winkie Earp, a Johnston County resident and major supporter of the NC Jazz Festival, has also provided support for the May 12th concert. She is known for her enthusiasm for jazz that spreads beyond Smithfield, Clayton, and Raleigh to Wilmington each year and now to Rocky Mount. Such support will help broaden the audience base well beyond Rocky Mount area itself.
By bringing to Rocky Mount several leading artists associated with the North Carolina Jazz Festival and pairing them with the Tar River Swing Band, this concert will celebrate twenty-seven years of local musical commitment while also honoring the broader legacy of traditional American music. In the birthplace of Thelonious Monk, such a collaboration will become more than a concert. It will become a cultural event of genuine distinction, linking Rocky Mount to Wilmington, New Orleans, New York, and the wider history of jazz itself. Through thoughtful planning, strong local partnerships, and outstanding guest artists , the evening of May 12, 2026, will be unlike anything the Tar River Swing Band has ever done before.
Come early and enjoy a lively pre-concert reception with hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and entertainment by members of the swing band (VIP ticket required). Don’t miss this extraordinary night of jazz excellence and musical camaraderie—sure to be one of our season’s highlights!
May 12, 2026
7:30 PM
General Admission
Standard Ticket: $30
VIP Pass (includes pre-concert reception): $60
