CONTACT: Mary Beth Zeman, 973-720-2444 zemanm@wpunj.edu

September 27, 2005

JAZZ ROOM SERIES AT WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY TO PRESENT THE BILL MAYS TRIO ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9 AT 4 P.M.

The Bill Mays Trio

Pianist Bill Mays and his long-running trio featuring Martin Wind on bass and Matt Wilson on drums, will perform at William Paterson University in Wayne on Sunday, October 9 as part of the fall 2005 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 $15 standard and $12 for senior citizens.

Prior to the concert, the Bill Mays Trio will be the guests 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.

Mays's prolific career as a pianist, composer, and arranger spans four decades. Along with more than 100 recordings, including 17 of his own as leader/co-leader, his concert and studio credits are a who's who of modern music, including everyone from Benny Golson to Sarah Vaughan. His group members, Wind and Wilson, are also featured on his latest CD, Live at the Jazz Standard, as well as on the critically acclaimed Summer Sketches and Going Home, both of which were included on many Best of 2001 and Best of 2004 jazz CD lists. 

Now in its 28th 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.

WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY 1855-2005: CELEBRATING 150 YEARS