Mary McClendon

Mary McClendon performs live at Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge on Thursday, November 5. If you've spent any time with the jazz scene in Columbus, you've likely heard her name before. She's one of our own, and she's spent more than two decades as a featured vocalist with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, so this is home turf for her.

Her work goes well beyond the orchestra, though. She's performed with the Columbus Symphony and Ballet Met, and she's written, produced, and starred in one-woman shows that tell the stories of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nancy Wilson—three of the biggest names in jazz history, and three she's stepped into the shoes of. That gives you a good sense of where she sits: right in the middle of the great jazz songbook.

Outside of the stage, she's a voice-over talent for commercials, jingles, and corporate and industrial videos, and she leads her own trio of multi-talented musicians. She's shared the stage with plenty of national and international artists over the years, so while this is a local date, she's played at a high level for a long time. The show is just her, and the set is built around her voice.

It's a Thursday night, so it's a good mid-week outing if you're in the mood for jazz. The show starts at 6 PM at Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge, 17 Buttles Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215. Tickets are $15.