INFORMATION FOR
Legendary percussionist Pete Escovedo and composer and orchestra leader Maria Schneider with her longtime tenor saxophonist Rich Perry are among the jazz artists scheduled during the spring 2010 Jazz Room Series at William Paterson University. Other performers include Nancy Marano, vocalist in a special Valentine’s Day concert; the Inventions Trio featuring Bill Mays, Marvin Stamm, and Alisa Horn; and an all-star group featuring George Cables, piano, with Jeff “Tain" Watts, James Genus, and Gary Bartz, The George Cables Project is produced by Jill Newman Productions. The series, one of the most prestigious university-sponsored jazz events in the country, will run on Sundays from February 14 through March 7 with a special Friday evening finale concert on April 23, 2010 in Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus. All Sunday concerts begin at 4 p.m. in Shea Center. “Sittin’ In,” informal jazz talks with the afternoon’s artists or other special guests, 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 student ensemble composed of William Paterson jazz majors. (The Friday evening concert will not include a Sittin’ In session.) Tickets are available in advance or on the day of the performance at $15 standard; $12 senior citizens, William Paterson faculty, staff and alumni; and $8 for non-William Paterson students. William Paterson students may attend free of charge. The series opens on February 14 with vocalist Nancy Marano performing The Art of the Love Song, a special Valentine’s Day EVENT. Marano, a member of the jazz faculty at William Paterson University, is at the forefront of American popular song. She has recorded with Benny Carter, Gerry Mulligan, and Dick Hyman, among others. Her latest CD, You’re Nearer, was in Down Beat Magazine’s “List of the Best CDs of the 2000s.” and “Best CDs of 2004.”
The Inventions Trio, featuring Bill Mays, piano, Marvin Stamm, trumpet, and Alisa Horn, cello, will perform on February 21. The group brings together the talents of a gifted cellist and two renowned jazz master improvisers with classical training to perform fresh interpretations of classical and jazz themes as well as original works.
On February 28, George Cables, piano, heads an all-star group that features the influential Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums, James Genus, electric bass, and Gary Bartz, saxophone, who returns to the Jazz Room after his memorable duo performance this past fall.
Pete Escovedo, Sr. joins forces with the University’s Latin Jazz Ensemble led by Chico Mendoza on March 7. Escovedo and his brother Coke went on tour with Carlos Santana for three years beginning in 1972, performing internationally, and playing on the albums Moonflower, Oneness, and Inner Secrets. Since then, Escovedo has recorded and toured with some of the major voices of jazz, pop, and R&B, including Chick Corea, Stephen Stills, Al Jarreau, Prince, and Barry White, and his daughter Sheila Escovedo (Sheila E.).
Composer and arranger Maria Schneider will join the William Paterson Jazz Orchestra as a guest conductor for a special jazz series finale concert on Friday, April 23 at 8:00 p.m. in Shea Center. Schneider won her first Grammy for her 2004 CD, Concert in the Garden, and garnered two more Grammy nominations for her 2007 release Sky Blue. Schneider’s career has included many other honors including numerous Grammy nominations and Best Composer, Best Arranger, and Best Big Band awards from the Jazz Journalists Association and in the Down Beat Critics Poll.
Schneider will be joined by Rich Perry, her longtime tenor saxophonist, and a member of the William Paterson music faculty. Perry will be the featured soloist on two pieces for the concert. As a charter member of Schneider’s orchestra, Perry has been featured on all of her CDs. Her latest recording, Sky Blue, features the song "Rich’s Piece," a composition written for him. Perry has performed with Schneider in Europe, Asia, and throughout the U.S.
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.
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. For tickets or information, call the Shea Center Box Office at 973-720-2371 or order online at www.wplive.org.
