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July 7, 2005
WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY PRESENTS 12TH ANNUAL SUMMER JAZZ WEEK
—Notable jazz artists in concert from July 25 to 30
The legendary Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and multi-instrumentalist Tom “Bones” Malone will perform during William Paterson University’s twelfth annual Summer Jazz Week from July 25 to 30 in Shea Center for Performing Arts on the campus in Wayne at 7:30 p.m. Also featured during the weeklong concert series are bassist Marcus McLaurine; tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Bob Kindred; and pianist and composer Manuel Valera.
The concerts are held in conjunction with the University’s Summer Jazz Improvisation Workshop for high school and college students. All students will participate in hands-on, small group sessions with guest artists as well as morning classes, afternoon performance sessions and clinics. On Saturday, July 30, the workshop will conclude with a 1 p.m. concert featuring the workshop’s student ensembles.
Summer Jazz Week features concerts every evening at 7:30 p.m. from Monday, July 25 through Friday, July 29 in Shea Center for the Performing Arts on campus. The festival also includes a workshop for children with the Blackman Brothers at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, 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.
Summer Jazz Week, which has drawn thousands of jazz fans to the University’s campus during the past 11 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 and is recognized for its internationally known Jazz Studies Program and nationally acclaimed Jazz Room Series of concerts each fall and spring.
The festival opens on Monday, July 25 with bassist Marcus McLaurine performing with William Paterson’s summer jazz camp faculty, including David Demsey, coordinator of jazz studies and performance at William Paterson, on saxophone; Jim McNeely, a William Paterson adjunct faculty member and a member of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, on piano; and Richard DeRosa, head of jazz composition/arranging for William Paterson’s Jazz Studies Program, on drums. McLaurine has worked with renowned musicians including Count Basie, McCoy Tyner and Cleo Laine, and regularly performs as a sideman with Clark Terry, who last year donated his vast archive to the University. McLaurine is also a member of Lines of Reason, a creative and collaborative group of musicians.
On Tuesday, July 26, tenor saxophonist Bob Kindred claims the spotlight. Originally from Philadelphia, Kindred worked with organ trios led by Groove Holmes, Charles Earland and Shirley Scott. In 1992, he was the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for a concert titled, “To Ben and Johnny, With Love.” Kindred has performed throughout the United States and Europe. He also co-produces and appears in the annual performances of “Bending Towards the Light…A Jazz Nativity,” a critically acclaimed production.
The Blackman Brothers offer an entertaining and interactive look at the world of jazz in their “Jazz for Kids” program on Wednesday, July 27. The workshop is designed to introduce elementary school children to the world of jazz. That evening, multi-instrumentalist Tom “Bones” Malone will perform with the William Paterson Summer Big Band directed by Stephen Marcone, professor of music at William Paterson. Malone is a member of Paul Shaffer’s band on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and also served as musical director for the “Saturday Night Live” Band from 1981 to 1985. Malone has performed with renowned artists including Paul Simon, Pink Floyd and Diana Ross.
Manuel Valera takes the stage on Thursday, July 28. Valera, a Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, is at the forefront of contemporary jazz. At the age of 23, he recently recorded his debut album, “Forma Nueva,” and has played with musical greats including John Benitez, Nelson Gonzales and Eddie Gomez. Valera graduated from the New School University in New York with a performance degree and won second place in the 2004 Great American Jazz Competition. He is also leading a jazz/Latin project, which incorporates world rhythms and classical concepts.
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, featuring an array of top soloists, will bring Summer Jazz Week 2005 to a conclusion. Originally led by drummer Mel Lewis and trumpeter Thad Jones, the first director of the William Paterson Jazz Studies Program, this all-star group now holds a unique permanent residency at the University. The orchestra continues to delight crowds at the historic Village Vanguard nightclub in New York City, the world famous jazz venue that gave it its name. Many of the orchestra’s members are writers and arrangers as well as musicians, including pianist Jim McNeely, an adjunct professor at William Paterson, who is currently the orchestra’s composer in residence.
William Paterson’s Summer Jazz Week is funded, in part, by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, and a newly awarded grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.
For more information, contact the Shea Center Box Office at 973-720-2371.
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WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY 1855-2005: CELEBRATING 150 YEARS
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