Thursday, October 30, 2025 | 7pm | The Redmoor (3187 Linwood Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45208)
BIG BAND | CCJO MEETS STEVIE WONDER
Get ready for an unforgettable night as the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra kicks off the season with a tribute to the legendary Stevie Wonder! Experience his iconic hits like “Superstition,” “Do I Do” and “Livin’ for the City” reimagined by legendary arranger - and Cincinnati native - Matt Harris. From soulful ballads to funky grooves, this high-energy performance will have you dancing in your seat. With the addition of CCJO fan-favorite vocalist Mandy Gaines, this show is sure to be a hit. Don’t miss this celebration of a true American musical genius!
Opening Act: TBA
Music Sponsors: Brad Pickard & Vicki Young
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About the Artist: Mandy Gaines, vocals
Mandy Gaines, a talented, versatile vocalist and entertainer, with more than 35 years of professional experience, entertains and delights audiences worldwide. Her performances are generally viewed as refreshing, soulful and exciting. From 1988 to the present, she continues to improve and grow through her gifted interpretations of Jazz, Pop, R&B and Soul classics as well as writing and performing her original works.
Mandy was born in Lincoln Heights, Ohio, grew up in Evanston and Bond Hill and graduated from Walnut Hills High School, class of 1977. Mandy began singing at an early age in school and church. She holds a B.A. from the College of Wooster, Wooster Ohio, in Speech/Arts. She has continued her studies through private vocal instruction and various workshops emphasizing oral interpretation, jazz improvisation and vocal technique, theatre and broadcasting/media studies.
Throughout her career, Mandy has performed with such Jazz greats as, Wynton Marsalis, Dany Doriz, Randy Brecker, Scott Hamilton, ElDee Young, Red Holt, Rhoda Scott, Deborah Brown, Brad Leali, Leroy Jones, Bryan Lynch, Keith Loftis, Marcus Printup, Wendall Brunious, Vincent Gardner, Larry Price, Wes “warm daddy” Anderson, Michael Stanton and Victor Gaskins.
In 1988, Mandy was recruited by Coca-Cola Taiwan to become part of an original recording and performing group, MIT. With the band, she toured island-wide to promote their release, We Can Be One. She also went on to record with several Asian pop stars as well as maintained a spot as an on-air radio personality at I.C.R.T., Taiwan’s number one American-Chinese language radio station.
From 1991 to 1994, Mandy returned to her theatre roots and was hired as featured vocalist at The Oldenburg Dinner Theatre Entertainment Complex and The Star of Cincinnati. In 1995, Mandy began traveling to Europe. Upon meeting local musicians, she began performing regularly throughout Belgium and France in local clubs, concerts and festivals and continues to be invited back annually. In the fall of 1996, Mandy was selected to perform in Munich, Germany as a member of the Sister City Cultural Exchange Program and the following year, she was selected to perform the same program in Zurich, Switzerland. She was also invited to entertain for the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, to commemorate the inaugural flight and joint venture of Delta and Sabena airlines.
Once back in Cincinnati, Mandy was chosen to be the opening act for Herbie Hancock and shortly after that, she was nominated for Best R&B vocalist in Cincinnati’s annual music award show, The Cammys.
From 1998 to 2005, Mandy has performed throughout Asia and Europe in clubs, concerts and festivals. She has been a back-up vocalist for Asian artists such as Harlem Yu and Emil Chou. She has performed for British and American troops at Diego Garcia Military Base. She has been Artist in Residence at several 5-star hotels in Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
The spring of 2006 saw a return to Europe to perform at the April Jazz Festival in Helsinki, Finland and Festival International De Jazz in St. Louis de Senegal, Africa. She also had a European release of her CD, With a Song in My Heart. She was then selected as judge for Sony Jazz Music Competition in Riga, Latvia.
In spring 2007, Mandy held music workshops in France teaching on jazz and gospel music, emphasizing interpretation, improvisation, stage performance and vocal range. She also released her second CD recording, Taking a Chance. In January 2008, Mandy was selected to perform at The American Embassy, Thailand, in commemoration of Black History Month.
Mandy was featured as vocalist in the Annual Cote Ouest Big Band Music Festival in Cote, France. In December 2008, Mandy starred in the musical revue, Smokey Joe’s Cafe performed in Taipei, Taiwan. From March to July 2010, Mandy was artist in residence at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Shanghai, China. In October 2010, Mandy returned to Russia for the third time and performed her first concert tour throughout the country, including 15 concerts in nine cities. In December 2010, Mandy performed in the Musical, Anything Goes as Reno Sweeney at the National Palace Theatre in Taipei Taiwan.
Mandy counts one of her biggest accomplishments to date as being inducted into 2018 Class of the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame.
Over the past 10 years, Mandy has released six CD recordings, With a Song In My Heart, Taking A Chance, Have A Seat, It’s Just A Matter Of Time, Faith Journey and Christmas This Year all of which can be purchased/downloaded through iTunes, Amazon and CDBaby.com.
With the onset of COVID, Mandy had to stop her international touring, but now continues to perform locally in duo, trio and quartet settings. She has also performed with Cincinnati Pops and the Ohio Valley Symphony. She returned to Taiwan New Year’s Eve 2024 to perform with The Taichung National Big Band Orchestra and returned to Belgium and France in summer of 2025 for her annual festival tour.
Mandy is currently Resident Vocalist with CCJO, Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and is featured on their freshman recording project, We Are The CCJO.
For the 2025-26 season, Mandy will appear in a fall 2025 Cincinnati Landmark Production of Hairspray at the Incline Theatre in the role of MotorMouth Maybelle. Then she will appear as guest vocalist in the Cincinnati Ballet production of The Great Gatsby. In January 2026, Mandy will perform as guest vocalist for The Count Basie Tribute with the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, and in March 2026, she will perform with the Ohio Valley Orchestra in Gallipolis, Ohio.
Currently, Mandy performs locally at various venues, jazz clubs and corporate and private functions as well as travels the world performing and recording while entertaining audiences along the way! Many performance videos can be viewed on YouTube. Mandy’s Facebook page is Mandy Gaines Jazz.
