Chocolate, wine, and all that jazz sweetens up the Festival of Arts this summer! On Thursday nights, indulge your senses at the “Art, Jazz, Wine and Chocolate” series.

Wine and Chocolate Pairings: Sample a wide variety of Kendall-Jackson wines expertly selected to compliment and enhance the nuanced flavor of high-end chocolates. Cost: $20 (does not include Festival of Arts admission or reserved seating)

Ty Taylor, lead singer of Blue Note Recording artists, Vintage Trouble, began singing in St. Paul’s Baptist church choir in his youth, influenced from a young age by Otis Redding and Tina Turner. He studied drama and music at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and has starred on Broadway countless times.

He has toured with Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Celine Dion, Macy Grey, Joss Stone, and Fiona Apple. Taylor was also in the Top 10 hit band, Dakota Moon on Elektra Records. As front man for Los Angeles-based Rhythm and Blues, Soul, Rock and Roll band, Vintage Trouble, he has opened for The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park, 51 shows for The Who on the Quadrophenia Tour, Lenny Kravitz, Mavis Staples, KISS, and Bon Jovi.

Other notable performances include Later…with Jools Holland, The Late Show with David Letterman, their four performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as performing as Whoopi Goldberg’s special guests on The View as their first ever house band. Most recently, Ty has collaborated with Martin Scorsese, singing four songs for his upcoming HBO series.