9th annual Manchester Jazz Fest coming on December 7

The 9th annual Manchester Jazz Fest will be held on Saturday, December 7 at 6:30 p.m. at historic Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Turnpike, Connecticut's oldest operating theater dating back to 1867. The quaint venue seats fewer than 300 people, making the evening an especially unique, cozy and intimate indoor winter jazz fest experience. General admission tickets are $40; VIP tickets are $80.

The evening's lineup includes the Benny Benack III Quartet, Matt DeChamplain Quintet, Andrew Wilcox Trio and the University of Connecticut Student Jazz Combo. Many of the artists have close ties to Connecticut. For example, pianist Matt DeChamplain grew up in Wethersfield, attended the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and graduated from the Hartt School of Music. Trumpeter Haneef Nelson went to the Hartt School of Music and has lived in Hartford for 20 years. Bassist Matt Dwonszyk attended the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and studied at the Hartt School of Music. Pianist Andrew Wilcox is one of Hartford's rising young musicians. Pianist and percussionist Luques Curtis was born in Hartford and studied at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts.

Emceeing the Manchester Jazz Fest will be Lorna Diane Blackwell, a long-time Hartford resident with 30 years of radio broadcasting experience including serving as host of Mix Bag of Jazz on WRTC at Trinity College and host of Jazz Night Flight on Jazz Beats Radio.

Dr. Ken Wichman, founder, is a native and lifetime resident of Manchester. After graduating from the Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago, he practiced podiatry until 2014. He is now semi-retired focusing on home-bound patients. Wichman has a love of music and the community.

Alex Nakhimovsky, co-founder and Musical Director, is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music. Heavily influenced by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, Nakhimovsky enjoys a versatile career as a performer, recording artist, producer, composer and educator. He has toured the United States, Russia, Japan and Israel, performing with many jazz legends.

Tickets and sponsorships are available. For details, please visit www.ManchesterCTJazzFest.com.