WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY’S SPRING JAZZ ROOM IS BACK ON BASS WITH AVERY SHARPE

The Jazz Room at William Paterson University features bassist Avery Sharpe on Sunday, February 24. 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.
Accomplished on both acoustic and electric bass, Avery Sharpe has been the bassist of choice for renowned jazz great McCoy Tyner for nearly two decades. This presentation features Sharpe as the leader of his own multi-dimensional ensemble.

Sharpe has had a distinguished career as a player, composer, arranger, and group leader. In addition to his work with Tyner, he has also accompanied such legends as Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Archie Shepp, Yusef Lateef, and Wynton Marsalis.

Sharpe was born in Valdosta, Georgia and his first instrument was the piano. "I started playing when I was eight years old," he recalls. "My mother was a piano player in church and she gave lessons to everybody in the family — I'm the sixth of eight children — but it didn't stick until it got to me." He moved on to accordion and then switched to electric bass in high school.

While at the University of Massachusetts, Sharpe met the jazz bassist Reggie Workman, who encouraged him to learn the acoustic bass. His first recording as a leader was the 1988 album "Unspoken Words" on Sunnyside Records. In 1994, he recorded "Extended Family," the first compact disc of a trilogy that includes "Extended Family II: Thoughts of My Ancestors" (1995) and "Extended Family III: Family Values" (2001). All three were released on Sharpe's own label, JKNM Records.

Regardless of the setting, Sharpe always brings both exceptional musical skill and unswerving honesty to the endeavor. "You can be sincere or you can be jive about what you do," he says. "People might not be able to tell at first, but if you're really sincere it will come through."
The 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