Love You Madly: An Ellington and Strayhorn Valentine with Maud Hixson

A lovefest celebrating jazz royalty, the enduring partnership of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Featuring songs from the well-known In A Mellow Tone to the lesser-known Lotus Blossom.

Maud Hixson: Vocals

Rick Carlson: Piano

Hailed as “gently virtuosic” (All About Jazz), Maud Hixson is a devoted exponent of great songs, ranging from the classic Great American Songbook to the often unsung or forgotten compositions awaiting rediscovery. Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Maud made her Guthrie Theater debut in the Noel Coward revue Coward’s Women, also appearing in Park Square Theater’s The Soul of Gershwin. She teamed with Sir Richard Rodney Bennett in 2012 for the long-running Midtown Jazz at Midday concert series at Saint Peter’s and debuted her show Skyscraper Wits in London and New York in 2015. She has made three appearances at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall for the New York Cabaret Convention, presented by the Mabel Mercer Foundation. Maud received a Next Step Grant from the McKnight Foundation in 2015 and is the recipient of four Artist Initiative grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, one of which supported the research for her album comprised of compositions by Broadway composer Michael (Mickey) Leonard. Her newest recording is devoted to the music of her mentor, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, which earned a 2024 Bistro Award.

Host or Publisher Crooners Supper Club