Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society announced the lineup for the 2013-14 concert series that includes two past JazzFest performers. All shows will be at Sioux Falls Orpheum Theatre.

Kicking the series off October 12, 2013 is a JazzFest 2012 performer and a favorite of Sioux Falls audiences: The Sena Ehrhardt Band! SEB has followed up their fantastic debut with an amazing sophomore release on Blind Pig Records called All In . Sena was born into the Blues with a stage presence rare in someone her age, but in talking to her guitar player/father Ed, he recalls her walking around the house singing Etta James songs when she was six and writing letters to B.B. King at five. In short, Sena was MEANT to do this. The amazing band is rounded out by the addition of second guitarist Cole Allen, who just released his own solo album and is a great compliment to Ed's incredible guitar work. And they're all backed by a funky, ferocious rhythm section of Steve 'Dancin' Hansen on bass and Tim Hasler on drums. It won't be long until we'll be asking this band to come back to headline JazzFest. This is a MUST see in a great venue.

The series continues November 22, 2013 with LaVerne Butler, who is a superb but underexposed New York City jazz singer whose main influences include Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughan. Butler is originally from Shreveport, LA, where she grew up listening to jazz and R&B extensively with a lot of encouragement from her father, saxophonist Scott Butler. After leaving Shreveport, she moved to New Orleans, where she studied music at the University of New Orleans and become a fixture in the city's Dixieland and bebop venues. Butler worked with such distinguished locals as Alvin Batiste, Ellis Marsalis, Henry Butler (no relation), and James Black before deciding to move to the New York area in 1984. Butler studied with Jon Hendricks after arriving in New York and later earned her living as an English teacher while tackling the Manhattan club world.

After the holiday season, the series continues January 24, 2014 with a band that has been at JazzFest twice, in 2005 and 2010: Dotsero. Dotsero lives up to its "something unique" definition, bringing style, energy, charisma, humor and most importantly spontaneity to each live performance. "When people come to hear Dotsero play, they are not just interested in hearing the music, they want to see the music through performance and feel something as well. Our goal is for our shows to be a total sensory experience," says Stephen Watts, the band's sax player. "The best thing is that anything can happen at one of our performances." Virtually all Dotsero recordings have enjoyed notable national charting success. Jubilee CD hitting #1 for 5 consecutive weeks and #3 for an entire year early in their career. Dotsero's other releases have all charted top 10 to top 20 with their latest studio album being named Best of 2004 Critics Choice JAZZIZ Magazine.

Another very exciting show comes March 7, 2014 with the Soul of John Black. It is the nom de musique of John Bigham, whose impressive resume includes a stint as percussionist with the Miles Davis band, eight years of guitar and keyboard work with the pioneering rock-funk-ska band Fishbone, and touring and session work with Dr. Dré, Eminem, Nikka Costa, Bruce Hornsby and Everlast, just to name a few. The arrangements on the recording Black John blend blues, folk, funk, rock, country, classic soul, Gospel and world music, but Bigham doesn't spend a lot of time planning out his line of attack. "I have my own style, but I have no preconceived notions about what a song's going to sound like. I get it down by feel and instinct, just doing what comes naturally.

The series concludes April 4, 2014 with Mark O'Connor and the Augustana College Orchestra.  “The Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues partnerships with Augustana College go back to 2001, when we began holding our scholarship concerts and All City Jazz Ensemble concerts on campus. When we were approached to visit about a concert with the Augustana Orchestra, the only musician who came to mind was the amazing fiddle/violinist Mark O’Connor. No one can blend the styles of classical, blues and jazz into such a find thread as O’Connor. This performance will be one to remember for years to come!” said Joyce. Dr. Christopher Stanichar, who is in his fifth year as Associate Professor and Director Orchestras at Augustana College, is excited about this opportunity. "It is a rare and wonderful treat for our Augustana Orchestra students to have the opportunity to make music with one of the foremost violinists on the American scene today. I am deeply honored and excited to work with Mark O'Connor, and to share this experience with young people and the music making with the greater community. This is one of the most exciting opportunities I have experienced at Augustana College!"

Subscriber prices for the series:
Individual A: $196
Individual B: $158
Couple A: $392
Couple B: $316
Corporate $1,000 (4 seats)

Renewing subscribers can do their renewal online or by renewal form. People wanting to become subscribers can call 605-367-6000 or stop into the Washington Pavilion Box office.

Single ticket purchases will be available on September 13, 2013.

More From KKRC-FM / 97.3 KKRC