INFORMATION FOR
Mulgrew Miller, one of today’s most influential jazz pianists and the director of jazz studies at William Paterson University will kick off the opening concert of the new Jazz Room season with a duo performance featuring Terell Stafford, trumpeter, on Sunday, October 10. The concert will begin at 4 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on the campus.
Prior to the concert, the musicians 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.
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.
One of the most recorded pianists on the jazz scene, Miller has been featured on more than 400 recordings. His long career has included recordings and tours with his Trio and his larger group, Wingspan, as well as associations with such legends as Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Tony Williams, and Woody Shaw. Miller’s commitment to jazz education led him to the University’s Jazz Studies Program in 2006. Most recently, he was named 2010 Artist in Residence for the Detroit Jazz Fest.
Known for being a gifted and versatile trumpeter, Stafford has performed with groups such as Benny Golson’s Sextet, McCoy Tyner’s Sextet, the Kenny Barron Sextet, the Frank Wess Quintet, the Jimmy Heath Big Band, the Clayton Brothers Quintet, and the Jon Faddis Orchestra. He is a member of the Grammy award-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra as well as the groups “Arts and Crafts” and “Alvin Queen and the Organics.” Stafford has recorded five albums as a leader, including the critically acclaimed Taking Chances (MaxJazz 2007).
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.
