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The
annual jazz festival at Iowa Lakes Community College
will have a new ‘vocal’ twist this year.
“We are very excited to announce Madeline Vergari,
jazz vocalist, will be a guest artist in our annual
jazz festival this year,” said Carol Ayres,
Professor of Music at Iowa Lakes.
Originally from Ohio, Vergari started in her own
band playing drums and singing at age 14. As a
result of being runner-up in the Miss Ohio pageant
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the talent competition, Madeline landed her first
professional job with Fred
Waring and the Pennsylvanians. She toured nationally
with them for three years, then moved to Los Angeles
to join the Ray Conniff Singers and toured
internationally with them. She then joined Ray
Anthony and the Bookend Revue, opening the MGM Grand
in Las Vegas.
Through the years, Vergari has sung with the Johnny
Mann Singers, the Ray Charles Singers, the Harry
James Band, the Ray Anthony Band, Les Brown, Bob
Crosby and Frank Sinatra Jr. She also sang at the
White House for President Nixon and the Inaugural
for President Reagan.
Vergari has recorded on many albums and commercials,
as well as cartoons for Hanna-Barbera. Her own CD,
entitled “This is my Lucky Day!” with Roger
Neumann’s Rather Large Band (on the Sea Breeze
label) was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Vergari sang the main title theme for the feature
film “A Private Matter” starring Sissy Spacek and
Aiden Quinn. This film is now out on video. She also
sang on Tracy Ullman Show “Tracy Takes On” on HBO.
She will perform on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. in
the Estherville gymnasium as part of the Jazz
Convocation. She will participate in the
improvisation clinic at 10 a.m. She will host a
question and answer session about professional
singing at 1 p.m. Solo vocalist and ensembles can
sign up for clinic with Vergari in the afternoon.
She will also perform with Roger Neumann, tenor sax;
Tony Gulizia, keyboards; Joey Gulizia, percussion;
and Andy Hall, bass; at the Iowa Lakes Community
College Jazz Festival concert at the Lauridsen
Theatre at the Lakes Art Center, Okoboji on Tuesday
evening Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. For reserved seating
for that performance call 712-332-7029.
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