VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA OPENS WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY’S SPRING JAZZ ROOM

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Monday night institution at the Village Vanguard for 31 years, swings and sways on Sunday, February 10 at William Paterson University’s Jazz Room.

Concert time is 4 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on the University campus in Wayne. A 3 p.m. informal discussion with the afternoon’s performers, titled "Sittin’ In," in Shea 101 is a special feature of the series.

Originally led by drummer Mel Lewis and Thad Jones, the first director of the William Paterson Jazz Program, this stellar group has now established a unique permanent residency at the University. The jazz orchestra features many of New York City’s finest studio musicians: Jim McNeely, Dick Oatts, John Riley, Dennis Irwin, Billy Drewes, Glen Drewes, Dennis Erwin, John Riley, John Mosca, Gary Smulyan, and Ed Neumeister.

This event is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Down Beat magazine hailed, "The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra remains a hidden treasure in its own land...Let’s celebrate its longevity, its legacy and its status as a vanguard of modern big bands."Upcoming events on four subsequent Sundays include the following artists: vocalist Karrin Allyson, bassist Avery Sharpe, percussionist Lawrence Killian with the William Paterson University Latin Jazz Ensemble directed by Chico Mendoza, and saxophonist George Coleman with the William Paterson University Jazz Ensemble directed by University jazz professor David Demsey.

Each concert opens with a half-hour set by a student jazz ensemble. Admission prices are $12 standard and $9 senior citizens. For information, call the Shea Center for Performing Arts Box Office at 973.720.2371.

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2/6/02
For Further Information, contact:

Mary Beth Zeman, Director, Public Relations 973-720-2966