National Jazz Radio's Anne and Mark Burnell I’m Hip: The Music of Blossom Dearie and Dave Frishberg Sept 11

National jazz radio favorites Anne Burnell & Mark Burnell, along with special guest and cabaret favorite Carla Gordon and acclaimed musician Scott Mason on bass, will perform I’m Hip: The Music of Blossom Dearie and Dave Frishberg on Thursday, September 11, 8:00pm at the Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland, Chicago. Tickets are $30 general admission, VIP Table for 2 - $70 | VIP Table for 4 - $140 and can be purchased at EpiphanyChi.com/Tickets/.

Legendary jazz pianists, singers, and songwriters Blossom Dearie and Dave Frishberg were great friends. The pair played and sang their hits such as "Peel Me a Grape" and "My Attorney Bernie" for the first time together at Michael's Pub in New York, which had 2 grand pianos. The New York Times said, "the blend of their voices is colored by subtle nuances." They are considered “a musicians’ musician.” Between the two the worked with some of the all-time greatest songwriters, musicians and vocalists including Johnny Mercer, Johnny Mandel, Carmen McRae and Miles Davis. However, they achieved greater mainstream exposure through their individual work on the TV show Schoolhouse Rock. Frishberg was Grammy nominated 4 times for "Best Jazz Vocals" and Blossom was Grammy nominated for "Best Recording for Children,” for her work on Multiplication Rock.

Perhaps there is no one better to celebrate the satire, wit, and clever music of Dave and Blossom than acclaimed jazz duo Anne Burnell and Mark Burnell along with cabaret favorite Carla Gordon, who bring this music to life. Mark Burnell worked with Dave Frishberg and is greatly influenced by his musicianship. Anne Burnell’s velvety vocals lend the perfect quality to the material, while Carla Gordon’s vocal sound resembles Blossom Dearie’s, but with added richness and depth.

Singer-songwriter Anne Burnell has been praised as “a singer of glorious gifts” by the Chicago Tribune and a “fluid, silken voice navigates the various scales with remarkable agility and delightful phrasing” by Chicago Jazz Magazine. While her multi-talented, singer-arranger-pianist husband Mark Burnell was called “silky smooth and highly polished,” by the Chicago Tribune. Mark has been recognized and lauded for his musical creativity and versatility with Chicago Jazz Magazine saying, “he uses his skill and instincts as a jazz improviser to adapt to any situation, even one that contains no jazz at all.” Mark was recently awarded Music Director of the Year 2025 by the Chicago Cabaret Professionals.

Named “Chicago’s Top Ten” for two consecutive years by New York’s Cabaret Hotline, Anne and Mark have delighted audiences in Bern, Zurich, Paris, Freiburg, Geneva, Jamaica, Panama, and Amsterdam. Their tour have taken them to New York’s Don’ Tell Mama’s, St. Louis’ Blue Strawberry, Wisconsin’s Plymouth Jazz and Blues Crawl, the Sarasota Jazz Festival, The Reserve Retreat and Jazz at Two in Sarasota. But it’s in Chicago where they have made their huge musical imprint, performing at some of the Windy City’s top spots including Davenport’s, Skokie Theatre, Park West, Drury Lane Water Tower Theatre, Tortoise Supper Club, WDCB Jazz at the Logan, Le Piano and Signature Room. They have also performed the National Anthem for the Chicago Cubs, White Sox, Chicago Fire, Arlington Park, and Special Olympics. Their recent recordings also earned them national play on over 100 reporting jazz stations across America that landed them on several jazz charts.

Joining the Burnell’s as special guest is the nationally acclaimed singer/songwriter, director, producer, and parodist extraordinaire Carla Gordon. Cabaret is her love and her passion, receiving the Gold Coast Award, Chicago Cabaret Professional’s highest honor. Noted critic Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune states Carla is a “major player in Chicago Cabaret.” In 2024 she won the American Songwriter Association “Songsgiving Contest” lyrics award for her touching tribute song to the military “Thanks to Those Who Serve.” Cabaret Scenes Magazine named her “a honey voiced wisecracker,” and she has performed her original songs across the country in venues including The Palace in Ft. Lauderdale, the Metropolitan Room in NYC, to the Park West in Chicago. Her songs have been featured on WFMT’s Midnight Special. She is currently president of the Chicago Cabaret Professionals and on the boards of Arts Judaica and the American Songbook Association. Visit CarlaGordonCabaret for more information.

Visit BurnellMusic.com for further information. Their recordings are available at Amazon.com, and on all streaming outlets including Spotify, iTunes Pandora, Apple Music and YouTube.