WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY TO PRESENT NINTH ANNUAL "JAZZ IT UP!" FESTIVAL
--Festival features notable jazz artists in concert from July 22 to 27

Jazz artists representing a wide variety of musical styles will perform during William Paterson University’s ninth annual "Jazz It Up!" festival from July 22 to 27. Performers include Rich DeRosa and Friends, the Dick Katz Quartet, trumpeter Claudio Roditi, the Greg Tardy Quartet, legendary drummer Grady Tate as vocalist, and a special performance for children by the Blackman Brothers.

The series features concerts every evening at 7:30 p.m. from Monday, July 22 through Friday, July 26 in Shea Center on campus. The festival also includes a workshop for children with the Blackman Brothers on Wednesday, July 24, and the final concert featuring students from the University’s Summer Jazz Improvisation Workshop at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 27. A $10 pass for the entire week may be purchased prior to Monday evening’s concert or single tickets may be purchased for $3.

"Jazz It Up!," which has drawn thousands of jazz fans to the University’s campus during the past eight summers, is designed to make jazz more accessible to the community. William Paterson has been a flagship of jazz education for more than 25 years through its internationally known Jazz Studies Program, and its nationally acclaimed Jazz Room Series of concerts each fall and spring.

The festival opens on Monday, July 22 with Rich DeRosa and Friends. DeRosa, a drummer and the head of jazz composition/arranging for William Paterson University’s Jazz Studies Program, headlines a quartet that includes David Demsey, coordinator of the University’s Jazz Studies Program, on woodwinds, Jim McNeeley on piano and Steve LaSpina on bass.

On Tuesday, July 23, the Dick Katz Quartet claims the spotlight featuring Dick Katz on piano with Steve Wilson on woodwinds, John Weber on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums.

The Blackman Brothers offer an entertaining and interactive look at the world of jazz in their "Journey into Jazz" program at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 24. The workshop is designed to introduce elementary school children to the world of jazz. That evening, trumpeter Claudio Roditi teams up with members of the William Paterson Summer Big Band directed by Stephen Marcone, professor of music at William Paterson University.

Saxophonist Greg Tardy takes the stage on Thursday, July 25 with his quartet featuring Joel Weiskopf on piano, Sean Conly on bass and Jaimao Brown on drums.

Grady Tate, known for his percussion talents, will turn to the microphone as vocalist on Friday, July 26 with his high-powered performance which will include Frank Wess and the Bruce Barth Trio.

The festival is being held in conjunction with the University’s Summer Jazz Improvisation Workshop for high school and college students, which includes seven intense days of morning classes, afternoon performance sessions and clinics with jazz artists. On Saturday, July 27, the workshop will conclude with a concert featuring the workshop’s student ensembles

"Jazz It Up!" is funded, in part, by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State.
For more information, contact the Shea Center Box Office at 973-720-2371.
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