Dinner and some sax: 'Power of Love' features jazz artist Nelson Rangell on Valentine's Day

Saxophonist and flautist Nelson Rangell is ready to make Valentine’s Day one to remember with a sultry jazz performance.

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, at the Crowne Plaza. R&B singer Marc Staggers and students from Bosque School also will be part of the concert.

“Nelson Rangell, he was a very popular artist back in the late 1980s-early 1990s, when he got his start,” said Rod Kyle, director of events. “He went to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. That’s where he got his degree in music. He started touring with David Sanborn, the late saxophonist, and then he went out on his own. He’s had Top 10 Billboard hits for probably over 10 to 12 years, and he’s still a popular artist in the contemporary jazz genre.”

Staggers, a European R&B and soul artist, will perform tributes to Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross. Jazz students from Bosque School will open the show.

“We had a passion project to connect this music with the young people of the area,” Kyle said. “We’ve had the Harrison Middle School rock band perform and Bosque has performed, I think, two or three times before. We have a great relationship with their music, their music teacher, Aaron Morales, over at Bosque School. We definitely want to feature these talented young people every time we can.”

Providing a platform where younger generations can be exposed to music of genres such as jazz, soul and rhythm and blues, continues the legacy of “great music,” Kyle said.

“We definitely don’t want this music to die,” Kyle said. “As we get older, we want the young people to be excited about the music like we were.”

Concertgoers can take their experience up a notch by enjoying dinner prior to the show.

A three-course Platinum VIP dinner created by chef Andrew Bustos of the Crowne Plaza is available for $100, plus fees. Guests can enjoy a beef or chicken or vegetarian dinner. VIP patrons will be seated at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The VIP ticket includes the show.

Two dance floors will allow for plenty of space to move and groove. Whether you are on a date or enjoying a fun night with friends the show welcomes everyone.

“We have a lot of couples that come and then we have a lot of singles groups,” Kyle said. “They just get a table of singles and just come out to enjoy the evening.”

The concept for the show began a few years ago.

“I started producing shows with The Oasis radio station (103.7 FM) in 2013,” Kyle said. “I had a conference meeting with the owner and the midday host, who became my associate producer, Katie Cole.”

The shows began at the Crowne Plaza and later moved to the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North. Some shows also were held at the African American Performing Arts Center at Expo New Mexico.

“We just have a passion for this music and we definitely want to keep this music alive,” Kyle said. “We wanted to keep this music alive in the hearts and minds of the people in New Mexico. We’ve had people come to our events from all over the state and El Paso and Phoenix as well. They come up from Arizona.

“We did what we call a love and romance show. I guess we’ve been doing that now for over 10 years, but this is the first time we’ve ever done it on Valentine’s Day. We decided to use the ‘Power of Love’ as the title for this show, because we want to celebrate the love of the music and the love of humanity. We just feel that music brings us together.”