Saturday, September 16, 2023
8:00 pm.

Chris “Big Dog” Davis and Friends Featuring Maysa

Special Guests Phil Perry, Marqueal Jordan, Timmy Maia  


Christopher J. Davis, fondly known a "Big Dog", was born in Waterbury, Connecticut. By age sixteen, Chris recorded his first forty-five gospel where he began fusing gospel, funk, classical and jazz which he has perfected into an eclectic style all his own today.

Chris is a two-time Grammy nominated writer and producer and has 15 Billboard top #1 smooth jazz records since 2008. Chris ‘Big Dog’ Davis has received a Grammy nomination in 2014 for his work with singer/songwriter “Maysa” on her Blue Velvet Soul CD. Chris and co-producer Gerald Albright received a Grammy nomination in 2015 for their CD “Slam Dunk” In the category of “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.”

Maysa is the kind of singer who takes hold of a song and enraptures her audience in the palm of her hands, as she delivers lyrics, phrases, melodies and harmonies in a way that only she can. Blessed with an instantly identifiable honey-toned mezzo-soprano and an undeniably brilliant and magnetic stage presence, Maysa’s alluring vocals, candor,honesty, humor and purity as an artist make her a rarity in this business. Having collaborated with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Incognito, Angela Bofill, Will Downing and Jonathan Butler, Phil Perry and more...Maysa can hang with the best. It is no wonder she was the recipient of many awards for her work, including Soul Train’s first Centric Award in 2009, and her first Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance for her remake of Nancy Wilson’s “QUIET FIRE” in 2014.

Vocalist Phil Perry is a soulful singer/songwriter with decades of experience in the pop, R&B, and jazz idioms who got his start as a member of the soul vocal group the Montclairs. Born in East St. Louis, Illinois in 1952, Perry was a member of the Montclairs from 1971 to 1975 and appeared on such recordings as "Dreaming's Out of Season," "Prelude to a Heartbreak," and "Begging's Hard to Do." In the '80s, he launched a lucrative career as a freelance songwriter, producer, and studio singer, appearing on albums with such luminaries as Anita Baker, Peabo Bryson, Chaka Khan, and many others. In 1991, he launched his solo career with the release of his debut album, The Heart of the Man, on Capitol in 1991. More of his own albums followed, many featuring contributions from his wife, vocalist Lillian Tynes Perry, including 1994's Pure Pleasure, 1998's One Heart, One Love (a Top Five entry in Billboard's contemporary jazz chart), and 2000's My Book of Love. Coaxed back into the studio by Magic-producer Chris "Big Dog" Davis, Perry released 2006's Classic Love Songs on Shanachie Records. From there, he continued his fruitful relationship with the label, delivering a handful of well-received efforts including 2007's A Mighty Love, 2009's Gift of Love, and 2013's Say Yes. A Better Man debuted at number one on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart in 2015. In 2017, Perry returned with Breathless, featuring renditions of Lee Ritenour's "Is It You?," the Jackson 5's "You Never Can Say Goodbye," the 5th Dimension's "One Less Bell to Answer," and more.

Tickets:
$55 General Public
$45 Faculty/Staff *(limit 2 with valid SCSU ID)
$45 SCSU students *(limit 1 with valid SCSU hootloot ID)
*plus a $5 per ticket Handling Charge applicable online and at box office*
Seating: Reserved