What: "Gospel Meets Jazz: One Raelette's Journey to Jazz," an evening performance featuring vocalist Cynthia Scott and the University of North Texas Three O'Clock Lab Band.

When/Where: 5 p.m. Feb. 15 (Sunday) in Voertman Hall, located inside the UNT Music Building at 415 Avenue C in Denton.

Admission: Free

DENTON, Texas (UNT) -- The year was 1972, and R&B artist Ray Charles was on the phone with Dallas resident and jazz vocalist Cynthia Scott. He was looking for a new Raelette – the moniker given to his female backup singers – and he wanted Scott to be a part of that group. Fast forward four decades as Scott returns to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to join the University of North Texas Three O'Clock Lab Band for its Gospel Meets Jazz concert.

A nod to the connected roots of jazz and gospel, the performance takes place at 5 p.m. Feb. 15 (Sunday) in Voertman Hall, located inside the UNT Music Building at 415 Avenue C in Denton.

In addition to performing with the UNT ensemble, the one-time Raelette will talk about her experiences performing with Charles and the challenges she faced as a female musician over the course of her three-decade career, which includes performances with The Count Basie Orchestra, Harry Connick, Jr. and Cab Calloway.

Brad Leali, director of the Three O'Clock Lab Band and associate professor of jazz saxophone said that traditionally, jazz, with the exception of vocals, has been a male dominated field.

"Cynthia Scott has dealt with some of the hardships of being a woman in a field full of men," he said. "She has had to fight to be treated as an equal, rather than a trophy. Those are the hardships that women have gone through and are still going through unfortunately."

About Cynthia Scott

Throughout her three-decade career, Cynthia Scott has appeared on stage with numerous musicians and ensembles including The Count Basie Orchestra, Harry Connick, Jr., Margaret Whiting, Lionel Hampton, Wynton Marsalis and Cab Calloway. She has headlined at top music venues and festivals including Birdland, Iridium and the International Women in Jazz Festival. In addition to her performances throughout the U.S., Scott has performed at many locations abroad including Russia, Japan, Africa and France. Scott has been named a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition and served as a jazz ambassador for the U.S. State Department. An acclaimed educator and clinician, she was also chosen as the first singer in a test of acoustics at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Room.

About the UNT College of Music

The UNT College of Music is one of the largest and most respected comprehensive music schools in the country. More than 1,600 music students attend UNT each year, participating in more than 50 widely varied ensembles and pursuing specialized studies in performance, composition, music education or music scholarship. UNT faculty members and students have made appearances on the world's finest stages and have produced numerous recordings, many receiving Grammy awards and nominations. Distinguished UNT alumni can be found around the globe, in top music ensembles, opera companies, universities and schools.