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October 17, 2006
WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY JAZZ ROOM CONCERT SERIES CONTINUES WITH PIANIST DEREK SMITH ON OCTOBER 22
Derek Smith, one of the world’s most recorded commercial/jazz pianists, will perform at William Paterson University’s Jazz Room Series, one of the most prestigious university-sponsored jazz events in the country, on Sunday, October 22.
The concert begins at 4 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus. “Sittin’ In,” an informal jazz talk with the afternoon’s artist, will be presented prior to the concert at 3 p.m. in Shea Center 101 and is free to all Jazz Room ticketholders. The concert begins with a performance by a William Paterson student jazz ensemble.
Smith, a prolific commercial and jazz pianist, is a native of London. He is described by critics as “fiery” and “passionate.” With 20 albums as a leader to his credit, Smith can be heard on recordings with Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy deFranco, Louis Bellson, Milt Hinton and Clark Terry. A “first-call” jazz pianist known for his versatility and elegance, Smith played with Doc Severinsen’s “Tonight Show Band” for seven years and is a frequent headliner at jazz festivals around the world.
Smith began his professional career as a teenager, and soon became a regular in the world of jazz in Great Britian, performing with Kenny Graham, John Dankworth and Kenny Baker. In the mid-1950s, Smith moved to New York City, where he became a session musician and played with studio orchestras and other recording units.
Admission prices to the Jazz Room series are $15 standard; $12 for senior citizens; and $8 for students. For information, call the Shea Center for Performing Arts Box Office at 973-720-2371. Funding for The Jazz Room at William Paterson University has been made possible, in part, by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State.
Launched in 1978, 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.
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www.wpunj.edu
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