WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY JAZZ ROOM CONCLUDES 25th ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH ELECTRIC VIOLINIST SUSIE HANSEN IN A LATIN JAZZ CONCERT ON MARCH 9

William Paterson University’s Jazz Room closes its 25th anniversary season with electric violinist Susie Hansen and the William Paterson University Latin Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Chico Mendoza on Sunday, March 9 at 4 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus in Wayne.

Admission prices are $12 standard and $9 for senior citizens. Tickets include admission to "Sittin’ In," an informal discussion with the afternoon’s performers at 3 p.m. in Shea 101. The Jazz Room concert opens with a half-hour set by a student jazz ensemble.

Launched in 1978, the Jazz Room Series is one of the largest and most prestigious college-sponsored jazz events in the country. Performers include renowned professionals who encompass the complete spectrum of jazz, from practitioners of traditional jazz to avant-garde to bebop to swing to Afro-Latin jazz – as well as William Paterson’s own student ensembles. The series has won numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for its innovative programming.

Hansen, a Chicago native, developed her unusual style by drawing on various forms of jazz and Latin music. She combined her own interpretation of traditional Cuban "charanga," a predecessor of Salsa which features both violin and flute, along with the fire of Afro-Cuban rhythms and the harmonies of traditional jazz. Hansen performs extensively in California jazz festivals and venues throughout the United States and Cuba. "The Salsa Never Ends," Hansen’s newest CD, has received popular acclaim.
For information, call the Shea Center for Performing Arts Box Office at 973-720-2371.

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2/10/03
For Further Information, contact:

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