An Evening of Holiday Magic

Celebrate the season with an An Evening of Holiday Magic, featuring Russell Hospedales, LaLa Deaton, and jazz quartet, JaLaJeRu, bringing you original arrangements of some of your most beloved Christmas classics, as well as new originals reminiscent of old. LaLa & Russell will duet you down memory lane during hour number one of this special evening, followed by the vocal jazz stylings of JaLaJeRu, a quartet made up of James Richardson (tenor), LaLa Deaton (alto), Jessica Heim (soprano) and Russell Hospedales (bass) for hour number two.

With pipes as smooth as velvet and a style reminiscent of the greats of old, jazz crooner Russell Hospedales is often referred to by his musical peers as “Buttah.” His presence, vocal prowess, and ability to mesmerize and captivate audiences everywhere he goes have garnered comparisons to Sinatra in his prime.

Russell’s musical journey began at the tender age of three, when he started singing solos in church. Throughout his childhood & adolescence, he sang in various vocal groups, honing his craft and arranging chops through his high school and college years. A strong fascination for radio jingles as well as the harmonies that accompanied them, compelled Russell to start arranging at the young age of 13, and inspired him to incorporate what he was hearing into the sacred material he was singing with various vocal groups, thus making a name for himself as both a singer and arranger in the NYC area. His arranging became known for intricate and chromatic stylings and lush, crunchy voicings which his fans and fellow singers refer to as “one-of-a-kind genius.”

After studying jazz at The Brooklyn Conservatory Of Music, Russell was invited to arrange and be a part of the group The Last Appeal, which eventually became the well-known a cappella phenomenon, Naturally 7. In the mid 90s, Russell relocated to Nashville TN and quickly made a name for himself arranging and singing with groups such as Brothers Of Nashville, 7th Element and In Rare Form. From 2002-2018, Russell sang, arranged and toured full-time with well-known gospel quartet, The King’s Heralds.

Russell’s reputation and ability to bring down the house continues to precede him and has made him a surefire draw for jazz jams, big band special guest appearances, and feature shows in some of Nashville and surrounding’s most famous jazz rooms.

Aside from Russell’s solo appearances, you will find him arranging, singing, recording and performing with Chattanooga-based gospel quartet, ARMD VASILIOS, and lauded Nashville-based jazz vocal group, JaLaJeRu.

LaLa Deaton is a Nashville Pop country and big band jazz singer-songwriter with two studio albums, an array of awards and production, songwriting and arranging credits to her name. LaLa began her solo recording career with her pop/country EP, Dare, released in 2016, followed by her industry-praised, all-original, 1940s-style, self-produced big band Christmas album, Christmassing: New Classics for the Old Soul, which she released in 2021.

In 2018, LaLa made her Grand Ole Opry debut performing with TV star and co-writer Charles Esten, (Nashville, Outer Banks, Whose Line is It Anyway) and has returned to perform on the Opry stage several times since. In 2019, she was nominated for Australia’s Golden Guitar Award for “Traditional Country Album of the Year” by artist Angus Gill, on which she had the title track, Welcome to My Heart.

LaLa's music has been featured in film and TV and her songs have been recorded and performed by more than 30 artists across multiple genres. Her music has been included in New York Times Bestselling author Mitch Albom's (Tuesdays with Morrie) Spotify playlist as well as on the website of world-renowned Law of Attraction author and speaker, Bob Proctor.

When she's not making her own music, you can find her doing session work, touring and performing at festivals across the country, as well as writing and arranging for her jazz quartet, JaLaJeRu.

“Serendipity” is truly the only way to describe the convergence of the four talented voices that create the newest, Nashville-based jazz vocal group, JaLaJeRu. But let’s be clear, James Richardson, LaLa Deaton, Jessica Heim and Russell Hospedales are far from your ordinary, everyday vocalists.

Sure, they each bring incredibly rich performance experience from their years of work in the Nashville, New York and Los Angeles music scene, from performing backup with Country and Pop music’s most recognized names, to session work, to writing and arranging hit songs, and even entertaining thousands at sea for some of the largest cruise lines in the world. Even so, their vast experiences as individual performers doesn’t come close to describing how these four voices, when blended, create the unique sound you’ll enjoy when JALAJERU takes the stage.

The JALAJERU fusion of talent and technique coupled with their writing and arranging makes their vocal stylings a rare experience for vocal jazz enthusiasts.

This show is 21 and over only. All sales are final and we unfortunately cannot offer any refunds. Additional tickets may be available at the door on the day of the show even if it is sold out online.

Please try to arrive 15 minutes prior to the show start time. If you do not arrive within 45 minutes after the show start time on your ticket your seat may be resold to other patrons at the door. If you arrive after 45 minutes from the start time of the show and your ticket has been resold, although we cannot guarantee it, we will try our best to make space for you to attend the show.

Host or Publisher Rudy's Jazz Room