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May 22, 2006
WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY PRESENTS 13TH ANNUAL SUMMER JAZZ WEEK
—Notable jazz artists in concert from July 24 to 28
The legendary Billy Taylor Trio will perform during William Paterson University’s thirteenth annual Summer Jazz Week from July 23 to 29 in Shea Center for Performing Arts on the campus in Wayne. Also featured during the weeklong concert series are The Trio, featuring guitarist Lenny Argese, accordionist Eddie Monteiro, and drummer Joe Cocuzzo; drummer Bernard Purdie with Steve Marcone and the Summer Big Band; and the John Lindberg-Kevin Norton Quartet.
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 29, 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 24 through Friday, July 28 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 26. 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 12 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 24 with a University faculty concert.
On Tuesday, July 25, The Trio, a jazz threesome composed of guitarist Lenny Argese, accordionist Eddie Monteiro and drummer Joe Cocuzzo, will perform. Argese, who has performed with the Ted Curson Quintet and the Spirit of Life ensemble, is also a producer, recording engineer and songwriter. Monteiro emphasizes a broad Brazilian repertoire and his instrument of choice is a MIDI-controlled electronic accordion capable of generating anything from a tightly muted trumpet to an entire string choir. Cocuzzo, whose career includes performances with most of the great vocalists, continues to work regularly with Michael Feinstein and Barbara Carroll.
The Blackman Brothers offer an entertaining and interactive look at the world of jazz in their “Jazz for Kids” program on Wednesday, July 26. The workshop is designed to introduce elementary school children to the world of jazz. That evening, jazz drummer Bernard Purdie will perform with the William Paterson Summer Big Band directed by Stephen Marcone, professor of music at William Paterson. Purdie’s colleagues describe the drummer's style as the "funkiest soul beat" in the business. His newest recording, "Soul To Jazz," proves that Purdie is a pioneer of the hybrid blend of jazz, soul and funky tunes.
The John Lindberg-Kevin Norton Quartet takes the stage on Thursday, July 27. Lindberg has appeared on over sixty discs and is actively composing for, performing and recording with various ensemble projects, as a solo bassist, and with the String Trio of New York. Norton has performed and recorded with a wide array of musicians from Anthony Braxton to Milt Hinton and his compositions are featured on several recordings. The Quartet will also perform at the Newark Museum at noon.
The Billy Taylor Trio will bring Summer Jazz Week 2006 to a conclusion on Friday, July 28. Honored at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center for his musical contributions, Taylor is a performer, composer, educator, author and broadcast media personality. He has played and recorded with many legendary performers, and earned a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in addition to his 16 honorary degrees. Taylor is known for his work on “CBS Sunday Morning” and National Public Radio, including hosting “Billy Taylor’s Jazz from the Kennedy Center.”
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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www.wpunj.edu
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