JOE WILDER TO PERFORM IN THE JAZZ ROOM SERIES AT WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY

Joe Wilder, a renowned trumpeter whose music is known for its beautiful tone and in the first performance of the spring 2004 season.

The concert will be held on February 8 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, Wilder 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.

After studying music in his hometown of Colwyn, Pennsylvania, Wilder joined the trumpet section of the Les Hite band in 1941 and the following year performed with Lionel Hampton. These experiences provided Wilder with the opportunity to play with jazz leaders Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmie Lunceford, Lucky Millinder and Sam Donahue.

Wilder has had a successful career as a staff musician in U.S. radio and television studios. He was a member of ABC-TV’s music staff for sixteen years. Wilder also toured the Soviet Union with Benny Goodman and played with the New York Philharmonic. In 1985, he appeared on Benny Carter’s album “A Gentleman and His Music.”

Now in its 26th 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 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.

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

For Further Information, contact:

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

1/7/03