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September 5, 2006
WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES THE 29th SEASON OF THE JAZZ ROOM CONCERT SERIES BEGINNING ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Trumpeter Wallace Roney and his Quintet will open the fall 2006 season of The Jazz Room at William Paterson University in Wayne on September 24. The series continues with Tim Newman and his Sextet; Miguel Zenón; the David Liebman Big Band; Derek Smith; and Kevin Mahogany with the William Paterson University Jazz Orchestra. The Sunday afternoon fall series, one of the most prestigious university-sponsored jazz events in the country, will run from September 24 through October 29.
Concerts begin at 4 p.m. on Sundays in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus. “Sittin’ In,” informal jazz talks with the afternoon’s artists, will be presented prior to the concerts. The talks begin at 3 p.m. in Shea Center 101 and are free to all Jazz Room ticketholders. Each concert begins with a performance by a William Paterson student jazz ensemble.
The series opens on September 24 with trumpeter Wallace Roney and his Quintet. Roney, also a composer, has earned three Grammy Awards, as well as numerous nominations. Mentored by Miles Davis, Roney has performed with such names as Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Walter Davis Jr., Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Jay McShann, David Murray and McCoy Tyner; and was a featured soloist with Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Curtis Fuller, Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Dizzy Gillespie, to name a few.
Composer and bass trombonist Tim Newman and his Sextet will perform on October 1. Newman was recently appointed to a full-time faculty position in William Paterson’s jazz studies program. His first CD as a leader, “Altered Ego,” was released in 1999. He also recorded “Jazz Conception,” which is a widely used book/CD set of jazz etudes. He is featured on the Slide Hampton recording, “Spirit of the Horn.” He has recorded, toured and performed with Toshiko Akiyoshi’s Jazz Orchestra for more than ten years. Newman appears regularly with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.
Alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón takes the Shea stage on October 8. In addition to touring and recording as a leader, Zenón is an in-demand sideman who has performed and/or recorded with a diverse array of artists including the David Sanchez Sextet, Danilo Perez, Charlie Haden and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. His first CD, “Looking Forward,” was selected by both the New York Times and TomaJazz Magazine as one of the top ten jazz CDs of 2002.
The David Liebman Big Band performs on October 15. Dubbed by Down Beat magazine as “…one of the most important saxophonists in contemporary music…,” Liebman is featured on nearly 300 recordings, including 100 as a leader or co-leader. Liebman’s artistic output ranges from straight-ahead classic jazz to chamber music; from fusion to avant-garde. He received a Grammy nomination for best solo performance in 1998 and was inducted into the Jazz Educator’s Hall of Fame in 2000.
On October 22, pianist Derek Smith will perform. A prolific commercial and jazz pianist, the London native 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.
Jazz vocalist Kevin Mahogany is joined by the William Paterson University Jazz Orchestra on October 29. The Kansas City-born baritone and scat-singing virtuoso has eleven CDs as a leader on the Warner Brothers and Telarc labels. Last year Mahogany debuted his own record label, Mahogany Jazz, with his release, “Kevin Mahogany Big Band.” The next Mahogany Jazz project scheduled is "To Johnny Hartman," a tribute to the incredible vocalist of the 1940-70s.
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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