Jeri Brown and the D.D. JacksonTrio to Perform in the Jazz Room Series at William Paterson

Jeri Brown

Jeri Brown, a versatile singer, songwriter, actress and producer, will perform alongside the D.D. Jackson Trio at William Paterson University in Wayne on Sunday, October 3 as part of the fall 2004 Jazz Room Series.

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 $12 standard and $9 for senior citizens, non-William Paterson students and William Paterson faculty, staff and alumni. William Paterson students may attend free of charge.

Prior to the concert, Brown will be the guest for “Sittin In,” an informal discussion about jazz, at 3 p.m. in room 101 of Shea Center. Admission is free to all Jazz Room ticketholders.

Originally from Missouri, Brown has been singing publicly since the age of six. As a student, she studied classical voice under the direction of Frank Summerside and performed throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Brown has also earned six JUNO nominations for best jazz vocalist and best jazz album. She has written and recorded lyrics in collaboration with composers such as Henry Butler, Kenny Wheeler and Cyrus Chestnut. Brown has also performed with Ellis Marsalis, Billy Taylor and Dilly Gillespie. She holds degrees in counseling, education and English.

Jackson, Canadian-born, is a pianist and composer who is based in New York.. As a musician, he has recorded 11 CDs including “Sigame,” released in 2001. He is the recipient of a 2004 Canada Council Project Grant to arrange music from his JUNO-nominated CD “Suite for New York,” an 80-minute large-scale work for jazz/classical ensemble. The work combines his backgrounds in jazz and classical music. Nominated for six JUNO awards, Jackson won the 2000 JUNO award for best contemporary jazz album. As a composer, he premiered a jazz opera, “Quebecite,” at the 2003 Guelph Jazz Festival. He writes a column for Down Beat magazine.

Now in its 27th year of exciting performances, The Jazz Room 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 Pateron’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.

For more information, call Shea Center for Performing Arts Box Office at 973-720-2371.

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For Further Information, contact:
Mary Beth Zeman, Director, Public Relations 973-720-2966