Katie Lott Schnorr and George Sawyn , Door County’s very own bona fide jazz duo, will perform at the UU Fellowship in north Ephraim at 7 pm on Saturday, February 1. The program will feature standards from the American Songbook – from Ellington to Ella – and some new tunes that audiences have not heard the duo perform before. Admission is $10 and the evening will close with a complimentary reception with the artists.

The duo shines on Schnorr’s debut album “Blue Shoes”, released last spring, playing jazz standards including the standbys “All the Things You Are” and “Scotch and Soda” as well as lesser known tunes such as “’Tis Autumn” and “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most.” Sawyn brings to the duo decades of experience as a band musician, solo performer, and composer/arranger. Katie adds her tuneful voice, playful spirit, and love of lyrics.

Schnorr studied piano as a child and classical voice as an undergraduate at Brown University. While living in Chicago in her 20’s she fell in love with jazz, spending lots of time at the Green Mill and other dives soaking up the jazz vibe of the city. She considers herself lucky that 12 years after moving to Door County she met another Chicagoan who wanted to play jazz with her. “I love everything about the music,” Schnorr explains, “the improvisation, the melodies, the playfulness of the lyrics, and the history.”

This performance is presented by the UUFDC Emerson Series, named for Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882), an essayist, lecturer, poet, and Unitarian Minister. In 2002, UUFDC member and well-known music critic, the late Erik Eriksson created the series with the goal of providing affordable, top-notch cultural programs for the northern Door community.