Lee Engele presents ‘Jazz With An Attitude’

She is well-known throughout the Twin Cities music and theater companies; this week jazz vocalist Lee Engele comes to Hastings. She will perform from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5, at the Alexis Bailly Winery, as part of its Jazz in the Vineyard series.

As a jazz vocalist Engele has performed solo and with a number of big bands at major Twin Cities restaurants and clubs such as The Dakota, Artists’ Quarter, Hell’s Kitchen, and in New York at the Metropolitan Room and the Tony Lounge. She has also performed at many jazz festivals including Grand Marais, Jazz on the Prairie and the Twin Cities Jazz Festival every year since 2005.

She also enjoys developing and producing concerts and cabaret, and has recently appeared at Bloomington Center for the Arts, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Old Log Theater and Burnsville Performing Arts Center. In 2008 she was a fellow of the prestigious Yale Cabaret Conference. In 2010 she recorded and released her second EP, “In the Key of ‘L,” with several former members of the renowned Twin Cities Hot Club. The CD has enjoyed regular radio play both locally and at a number of jazz stations around the country, and has received great reviews by local and national reviewers, including LA Jazz Scene Magazine, and by Minnesota’s own Leigh Kammen, former host of The Jazz Image on MPR. In the fall of 2011 she teamed up once again with these great musicians to record A Hot Christmas.

Engele has also worked as a disc jockey for the past 27 years, and has performed in radio, voice-overs, theater, and performs with a number of local big bands including the Moonlight Serenaders. She holds a master's degree in organizational leadershipand is the current president of the Twin Cities Jazz Society.

The Jazz in the Vineyard series are held Sunday afternoons in July and August at the Alexis Bailly Winery. The concerts, sponsored by Jazz 88, KBEM 88.5 FM, are held rain or shine.

The winery will offer a variety of picnic needs for purchase. All its wines will be available for tasting and purchase.

The remainder of the schedule is as follows:

Aug. 12: Jon J Pemberton’s resume includes performing with the Skatet, Shangoya, Paul Renz Quintet, George Avaloz and Jim Marentic. He brings his trumpet along with the musical ears of his “Tones” to play the great Jazz standards.

Aug. 19: Pavel Jany, Trio Bossa Nova. Formed by members of larger ensemble Ticket To Brasil, Trio Bossa Nova offers everything that the term bossa nova itself promises. Lidia Berman is on vocals and percussion, Pavel Jany is on guitar, and Andrew Foreman is on bass.

Aug. 26: Gondwana returns to play the finale of the Sunday Jazz in the Vineyard series for 2012.

The Alexis Bailly Winery is located at 18200 Kirby Ave. Take Highway 61 south from

Tags: area family events, events, entertainment