WILLIMANTIC — Cindy Blackman Santana will bring her trio to Eastern Connecticut State University on Friday, October 23, for a concert benefiting two local food-assistance programs, according to the university’s October 20 announcement.
The performance starts at 7 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Fine Arts Instructional Center. Eastern lists tickets at $50 in advance and $60 at the door. Its ticketing page identifies the venue at 83 Windham Street in Willimantic and provides the online purchase link.
Eastern says all ticket-sale proceeds will go to Shawn’s Cupboard, the university’s campus food pantry, and Covenant Soup Kitchen, which serves the wider Willimantic community. The announcement does not give a fundraising target or specify how proceeds will be divided, so no dollar benefit or allocation is being projected here.
Blackman Santana’s work spans jazz and rock. In its artist background, Eastern highlights her touring and recording work with Lenny Kravitz, her role as a touring drummer with Santana, and her own band, Another Lifetime. The university also lists collaborations with musicians including Pharoah Sanders and Joe Henderson.
The concert has support from Shaboo Productions and the Lester E. Foster and Phyllis M. Foster Foundation. Eastern identifies executive producer David Foster as a co-owner of the former Shaboo Inn and connects the event with the venue’s 55th birthday. That history is part of the organizer’s account, not an independently reported attendance or fundraising claim.
Tickets are offered through Eastern’s Fine Arts Instructional Center ticketing site. Its posted box-office policy says in-person ticket purchases are cashless, accepting debit or credit cards, and that sales are final. Readers should check that page for availability and any changes before attending; Eastern’s announcement does not list an end time.
The original organizer flyer accompanying this feature includes a photograph of Blackman Santana performing and confirms the October 23 date, 7 p.m. start, ticket prices, venue and beneficiaries. Its photographer and designer are not identified on the flyer. It is promotional artwork, not a photograph of the upcoming concert.