Singers Jen Chapin and Shana Morrison will perform concerts at Milwaukee’s Shank Hall, The Grand Oshkosh and Madison’s Barrymore Theatre March 3-5 to benefit the Wisconsin Parkinson Association.
Chapin, daughter of the late Harry Chapin, and Morrison, whose father is Van Morrison, have blazed their own trails in the music business. Chapin’s jazz-inflected story songs explore community and shared meaning; Morrison’s roots-inflected vocal style is more straight-ahead pop/rock than her father’s. Both have released multiple, critically-acclaimed albums of their own music (10 for Chapin, five for Morrison).
Morrison will be playing with singer/songwriter and producer Kim McLean; Chapin will perform with her husband, Grammy-nominated acoustic bassist Stephan Crump.
Shank Hall and Alternative Concert Group founder Peter Jest put together the shows to honor Steve Mandelman, who gave 17-year-old Peter his first job in the music business.
“Without Steve inviting me to his house after I called him, there would be no Alternative Concert Group or Shank Hall,” Jest says. “When Steve was afflicted with Parkinson’s, I wanted to do what I could. The sooner we find a cure, the better. Steve promoted many shows with Harry Chapin, so in his honor I wanted to present these shows, featuring Jen and a favorite of mine, Shana Morrison.”
Parkinson Disease is a neurodegenerative and chronic movement disorder affecting nearly one million people in the US and more than six million worldwide. While onset can occur at any age, 80 percent of those diagnosed are 60 or older. It is chronic and progressive but does not affect life expectancy; there is no cure. The goal of treatment is to alleviate symptoms, prevent injury and maximize quality of life.
Morrison will be playing with singer/songwriter and producer Kim McLean; Chapin will perform with her husband, Grammy-nominated acoustic bassist Stephan Crump.
