Susie Thorne and her jazz band “friends” will kick off the eighth season of the “Music as Medicine” series with a free noon concert in the Durham Outpatient Center on Thursday, Oct. 18.
Thorne — a Hastings native — is the daughter of a classically trained vocalist and a professional trumpet player who performed with jazz greats Lionel Hampton and Gerry Mulligan.
Thorne herself studied piano performance at the University of Colorado at Denver and vocal studies at Academy of Vocal Arts.
She went on to perform for a loyal following in Japan and Hong Kong where she continued her jazz studies with American jazz artists on tour. These days, Thorn prefers singing, leaving the piano to the instrumentalists. She has produced two CD’s.
She said being exposed to a wide variety of music helped her develop her own sound, which is known for distinctive phrasing, timing and intonation.
When asked who she sounds like, Thorne said, “Me!”
Her love of music will shine through as she takes her audience on an entertaining tour through the standards with a few surprises mixed in.
Thorne’s performance is sponsored by the UNMC Chancellor’s Office.
Most “Music as Medicine” concerts will be held on the third Thursday of each month. The exceptions are December’s concert — which will be on the second Thursday (Dec. 13) — and June’s concert — which will be held on the first Thursday (June 5). The concerts will run through June.
Patients, staff, students and family members are invited to bring lunch and enjoy the fabulous music.
Here is a schedule of performers for this year’s concert series:
- Oct. 18 — Susie Thorne and Friends
- Nov. 15 — Omaha Chamber Music Society
- Dec. 13 — Omaha High School Choir
- Jan. 17 — Omaha Chamber Music Society
- Feb. 21 — Burt St. Boys (and girls), family of jazz musicians
- March 20 — Omaha Chamber Music Society
- April 17 — Heidi Joy
- May 15 — Omaha Chamber Music Society
- June 5 — Bel Canto Choir