by Susan Stone

SUFFOLK
The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra is a group probably not known in our part of Virginia, but I have a feeling after their performance at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts on Friday, Nov. 30, they will leave with a large fan base. Jeremy Davis and Clay Johnson and their 11-piece orchestra present a high energy performance with the flair and sophistication one associates with legendary performers like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme and others.

Featuring hits from the Great American songbook along with a touch of Motown, Ray Charles and others, their music appeals to all audiences. Their Suffolk Center performance will include some Christmas favorites and, in honor of Veterans Day earlier in the month, there will be a moving salute to the military.

In addition to being consummate performers, Jeremy and Clay feel an obligation to use their talents to help others. Several years ago, they had the opportunity to take the orchestra to India, and found an opportunity to work with orphans and outcasts.

As they explain on their website, “We simply couldn’t go back to doing business as usual; we knew we had a higher purpose for being on this planet. We still love to perform with our fiery hot Southern Big Band all over the place, but now we make time to use our gifts to help others in big ways.

“Since our first mission trip together, we have raised support to take The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra on similar service-centered, socially oriented trips to Nova Scotia (2015) and Poland (2016.) In each place we partnered with locally established service organizations, like schools, hospitals, and religious centers, to provide connecting points with their neighbors and assist in each group’s work of affecting positive changes in their communities.

Basically, we performed wherever (night clubs, nursing homes, colleges, synagogues, shopping malls or just in the streets) and served however (teaching, painting, scraping, loading, shoveling) to help whomever.”

The show begins at 7 p.m.

For tickets, call the box office at 923-2900.

SUSAN STONE is the development coordinator for the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. Contact her at 923-0003, ext. 102, or susan.stone@suffolkcenter.org