Pianist + jazz vocalist = Great American Songbook

The “Take Two Jazz” series at White Horse Black Mountain ushers in the New Year with another unusual and inspired musical matchup. Bill Bares, who hosts the series and pairs his piano with a different guest artist each month, will be joined onstage on Jan. 4 by singer/drummer Russ Wilson, an artist best known for vintage jazz projects.

The evening will be filled with songs from the Great American Songbook and improvisational excursions.

Bares’ adventurous spirit, versatility and musical sensitivity have made the “Take Two” shows a revelation in musical collaboration across a multitude of personal styles. The concerts are recorded, and a CD collecting highlights from the show is planned for eventual release. Bares is a prolific composer who performs with a variety of other ensembles and teaches at UNC Asheville.

Wilson is a popular Asheville singer, drummer, bandleader and showbiz entrepreneur with a distinctively retro personal style. He performs with several local groups as a front man, ensemble member and special guest. He also leads his own big band, Nouveau-Passe Orchestra, which specializes in the dance music of the ’20s and ’30s. Although he’s played, performed and recorded just about every style of American popular music, jazz remains his first love.

Big band bopper

Who: Bill Bares with Russ Wilson

When: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4

Where: White Horse Black Mountain

Cost: $12 general, $6 students