Black Jacket Symphony: King of Pop's 'Thriller' - Sept. 27

photo Danny Ware, a Michael Jackson tribute artist from Orlando, Fla., will provide the vocals for the Black Jacket Symphony's "Thriller" concert Saturday at the Tivoli Theatre.

IF YOU GO• What: Black Jacket Symphony presents Michael Jackson's "Thriller."• When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.• Where: Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St.• Admission: $25-$30, plus convenience fees.• Phone: 423-642-8497.• Website: chattanooga onstage.com.• Artist website: blackjacketsymphony.com.

'THRILLER' TRACK LIST1. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "2. "Baby Be Mine"3. "The Girl Is Mine"4. "Thriller"5. "Beat It"6. "Billie Jean"7. "Human Nature"8. "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"9. "The Lady in My Life"

"We can kind of bypass all the tabloid stuff and get straight down to the music itself. Sometimes, it overshadowed how great he was, how unbelievable a talent the guy was."- Black Jacket Symphony founder J. Willoughby on Michael Jackson's "Thriller"

A creative collaboration made by more than two dozen artists, including cameos by Vincent Price, Paul McCartney and Eddie Van Halen. Seven Top 10 singles. Eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. The best-selling album of all time.

Talk about daunting.

Even after nine months of preparing for the premiere this weekend of their rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," the creative minds at Black Jacket Symphony are feeling rightfully nervous.

"It's a band workout; it's not the easiest of records to work with," says J. Willoughby, the founder and musical director of the Birmingham, Ala.-based classic rock tribute collective.

"None of [the albums we cover] are easy - they all have their challenges - but this one is just so well-produced by Quincy Jones," he adds. "It's just so pop-perfect. It takes a lot to go in and re-create that."

Before the group could proceed with tackling the King of Pop's magnum opus, however, they had to find the right voice.

To the members of Black Jacket Symphony, an album's sound is what's important, and Jackson's vocals are the sonic sinew of "Thriller." Without that, the project was sunk at the dock, Willoughby says.

Audition after audition, however, the singers who tried out for Willoughby and his managing partner, Jason Rogoff, just lacked the range they were looking for. Then they heard Danny Ware, a Jackson impersonator living in Orlando, Fla.

"He can nail this record like nobody else," Willoughby says. "[The other singers] were good - really good - but some of them just didn't have the range for it. Danny does."

Ware will lead the ensemble in a note-for-note rendition of "Thriller" at the Tivoli Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 27. For the evening's second set, the group will perform a selection of some of Jackson's greatest hits.

Saturday's show will mark only the second time the album has been performed by Black Jacket Symphony, which previously has brought renditions of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours," The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and Led Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy" to Chattanooga.

Preparing for this run of shows has meant months of repeatedly listening to "Thriller" to ensure every nuance of the recording is re-created live. Rogoff says that process has deepened his appreciation for the creative effort that went into making the King of Pop's legendary album.

"With this record, there are so many things - so much ear candy, so many hidden layers - that you don't necessarily hear on first listen, but by 17th listen or 18th listen, you start to realize, 'Wow, this guy put all this together. He came up with it from scratch,'" he says. "We're finding it and re-creating it, but somebody, at some point, started this.

"For me, the respect I have for him and for Quincy Jones has grown tremendously."

Contact Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6205.

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