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A TRIBUTE TO RUFUS REID WITH SPECIAL GUESTS AT JAZZ ROOM SERIES OPENER William Paterson University's Jazz Room Series kicks off its 22nd season on Sunday, October 3 with a musical tribute to Rufus Reid, who has served for 20 years as professor and director of the university's jazz studies program as well as advisor to the Jazz Room Series. Joining the celebration are bassists Ray Drummond, John Pattitucci, Scott Colley, Earl May, and drummer Akira Tana as well as James Williams, pianist and newly appointed William Paterson jazz studies director. The concert will begin at 4 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on the campus in Wayne. Tickets are available in advance or on the day of the performance at $9 standard and $6 for senior citizens, non-William Paterson students and William Paterson faculty, staff and alumni. William Paterson students may attend free of charge. A widely-respected jazz educator and professional bassist, Reid is being honored for his years of leadership at William Paterson as he retires from teaching to pursue his full-time performance career. He was awarded the 1998 Jazz Educator Achievement Award by Downbeat Magazine, and in January 1997 the International Association of Jazz Educators presented Reid with the Humanitarian Award. Reid is the author of "The Evolving Bassist," an industry standard on the bass method, and has conducted numerous jazz clinics and workshops worldwide. He also serves as director of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Jazz for Teens. As a successful performer, Reid has toured and recorded with many top jazz artists, including Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, Dizzy Gillespie, Phil Woods, J. J. Johnson, and Kenny Burrell. To date, Reid has made over 250 recordings, including three recordings under his own name for Sunnyside Records and six with TanaReid, the quintet he coleads with drummer Akira Tana. In 1997, Reid and bassist Michael Moore recorded the critically acclaimed "Double Bass Delights" and their live performance together in "Bass Day '97 New York" has been released on video. William Paterson's Jazz Room Series is one of the largest and most prestigious university-sponsored jazz events in the country. The series has been awarded numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and also won a Citation of Excellence from the Council for its cultural contribution to the state. The fall program will run from October 3 through November 7, 1999. For additional information, please call William
Paterson's Shea Center Box Office at 973-720-2371.
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