Newark, NJ (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) Jazz is at the heart of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's 2013-2014 season. NJPAC announced today that renowned bassist, bandleader and composer Christian McBride has joined the Arts Center as its new Jazz Advisor. With his oversight, the new season features the second annual TD
James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival in November and concerts throughout the year curated by McBride, Grammy-nominated pianist
Bill Charlap , "Newark's First Lady of Jazz" Dorthaan Kirk , and GRP Records co-founder and JAZZ ROOTS creator Larry Rosen .
"We've been curators of the State's finest classical music season for 15 years; now we aim to extend that curatorial leadership to America's classical music - jazz, " said John Schreiber , NJPAC's president and CEO. "As far as we're concerned, it's going to be a festival all year long. We want everyone to know that Newark is the place to go for the world's finest jazz artists."
The Arts Center has also forged a season-long partnership with Newark jazz radio station WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM, co-presenter of the TD
James Moody Democracy of Festival.
"We share John's vision that jazz is America's music," said Cephas Bowles , president and CEO of WBGO. "We will do everything in our power to together uplift and advance this music we love."
The TD
James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival's title sponsor is TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank.
"TD Bank is extremely proud and excited to partner with NJPAC to sponsor the second annual TD
James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival ," said Nick Miceli , Market President for TD Bank. "TD is committed to supporting music and the arts in North America, and sponsoring the Moody Festival continues our rich tradition of bringing some of the most notable festivals and performances to the stage."
TD
James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival
The TD
James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival kicks off on November 4 with a concert by tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath at Bethany Baptist Church. Now in its second year, the festival offers seven days of concerts, panel discussions and workshops around Newark, in honor of saxophonist and bebop pioneer
James Moody.
Events in the Festival include a celebration in words and music at the Newark Museum of the 50th anniversary of Newark author Amiri Baraka 's "Blues People" on November 5.
WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM hosts its annual Champions of Jazz Gala at NJPAC on November 6 honoring the Thelonius Monk
Institute . Past galas have featured performances by
Natalie Cole and
Bobby McFerrin.
On November 7, McBride will host a concert honoring Newark native
Lorraine Gordon , an NEA Jazz Master and longtime owner/manager of the legendary Village Vanguard jazz club. The concert features the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra , pianist Barry Harris , and the Anat Cohen Quartet .
"Lorraine is a rare breed - she's been taking care of the music forever," said McBride. "She seen it all, heard it all, and keeps everyone on their toes."
Other festival highlights include "Jazz Meets Samba," a celebration on November 8 of the 50th anniversary of "The Girl from Ipanema." The concert will recreate the 1963 recordings that made Brazilian bossa nova, for a time, more popular than rock 'n' roll. Featured musicians from Brazil will include
Sergio Mendes , Eliane
Elias , and Airto , who will be joined by guitarist
Lee Ritenour and saxophonist Joe Lovano .
"Bossa nova gave pop music an incredibly sophisticated feel, which took it up a notch worldwide; we want to honor that," said Bergen County's Larry Rosen, who created the concert under the banner of his nationwide JAZZ ROOTS series.
"KidzSwing," on November 9, will be a free jazz festival for kids with workshops, master classes and a jam session hosted by Melissa Walker , director of the Montclair-based jazz education nonprofit Jazz House Kids. On the same day, author Terry Teachout will host "Portrait of Duke," a panel on Duke Ellington that will include rare films and a performance of classic Ellington arrangements by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks .
"Sing, Swing, Sing!," also on November 9, features singers
Dianne Reeves ,
Al Jarreau , Jeffrey Osborne , and Cyrille Aimée with a big band led by Montclair bassist Christian McBride featuring Melissa Walker .
Aimée won the 2012
Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition , whose finals take place this year at NJPAC on November 10. Five finalists will perform for judges who include world-renowned singers
Al Jarreau and Janis Siegel . The competition is expected to attract hundreds of entries from female singers from around the world. Starting today, vocalists can submit entries online at www.njpac.org/sarahvaughan.
"I was really impressed with the level of musicianship of all the singers, and most of all, how different everyone was," said Aimée, who is from France and the Dominican Republic. Since winning the competition, she has toured and performed at jazz festivals worldwide.
Dorthaan's Place
Saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera opens Dorthaan's Place , a six-month series of jazz brunches at NJPAC's restaurant, NICO Kitchen + Bar, on November 10. The series is curated by Newark's "First Lady of Jazz," Dorthaan Kirk , who has programmed concerts for Bethany Baptist Church for years and WBGO since 1979.
" I just love the musicians who come through for me time after time," said Kirk, who booked four sold-out Dorthaan's Place brunches in the last season.
On December 15, drummer Cecil Brooks III leads his band, followed by trombonist Steve Turre 's quartet on January 19. Trumpeter Jon Faddis leads a quartet on February 23, followed by vocalist Antoinette Montague on March 23, and pianist Mulgrew Miller 's trio on April 27.
Christian McBride curated series
McBride, in addition to performing twice during this year's TD
James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival , will curate two other unique events during the season. He was the artistic advisor to the inaugural Moody festival last year.
"Musically, Newark had its own thing for many years - its own feel, and its own sound," said McBride. "We're now reclaiming that, and it's great to be a part of the city's wonderful upswing."
"Jazz and Beyond," on January 25, 2014, features two genre-bending groups: the ACS Trio with pianist Geri Allen , Grammy-winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington , and Grammy-winning bassist
Esperanza Spalding , and McBride's own experimental group, the "Philadelphia Experiment," with organist Uri Caine and drummer Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson . Spalding and McBride will also perform as a duo.
On March 2, 2014, "Jazz Meets Sports" features McBride's trio and musical conversations with basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and
Bernie Williams , who in addition to winning four World Series with the New York Yankees is a Grammy-nominated guitarist. Williams will join in on the music.
" Jazz Songbook" curated by Bill Charlap
Grammy-nominated pianist Bill Charlap's series of three concerts in 2014 spotlights the songwriting of composers who are favorites of improvising musicians: Richard Rodgers, Duke Ellington and
George Gershwin. In each concert, Charlap will perform well-known songs, such as Rodgers' "My Funny Valentine" and Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss," with a different band and vocalists, in a variety of imaginative arrangements.
"Each show will be uniquely crafted to feature great musicians together and individually around each of these wonderful composers," said Charlap.
The "Rhapsody in Jazz" Gershwin concert on February 15 features Mary Stallings on vocals with Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Steve Wilson and Jimmy Greene on saxophones, Steve Davis on trombone,
Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums.
Duke Ellington is the focus of the April 5 "Echoes of Harlem" concert, with Charlap and Renee Rosnes on twin pianos, vocalist Ernie Andrews , as well as Sean Jones on trumpet,
Houston Person on tenor saxophone,
Peter Washington on bass and Lewis Nash on drums.
On May 9, "My Favorite Things" showcases Richard Rodgers, with
Sandy Stewart and Freddie Cole on vocals, Jaleel Shaw on alto saxophone, Terell Stafford on trumpet, John Allred on trombone,
Peter Washington on bass, and Willie Jones III on drums.
Jazz Cabaret
NJPAC 's jazz season will also highlight two other jazz influenced American song evenings, including singer Tony DeSare on November 2 and WBGO Jazz 88.3 host Michael Bourne 's "My
Jazzy Valentine" concert on February 8 with singers Hilary Kole ,
Christopher Gines and LaTanya Hall , which showcases jazz melodies, such as Erroll Garner's "Misty" and Thelonious Monk's "Round Mid night."
Tickets
Tickets for all other festival performances may be purchased by telephone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722), at the NJPAC Box Office at One Center Street in downtown Newark (open Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 6pm, and Sunday, noon to 5pm), or online at www.njpac.org
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey -- where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. As New Jersey's Town
Square , NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted over seven million visitors (more than one million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. Visit www.njpac.org or call 1-888-GO-NJPAC for more information.
WBGO Jazz 88.3FM/WBGO.org
Founded in 1979, Newark Public Radio, Inc. is a publicly supported cultural institution that champions jazz at WBGO 88.3 FM in Newark, New Jersey and worldwide via wbgo.org. WBGO is the recognized world leader in jazz radio and one of the most respected jazz presenters in the country, and offers award-winning news and innovative children's programs. Beyond reaching 350,000 weekly listeners (including 17,000 contributing members) on air, online and via mobile devices, WBGO presents live broadcasts from prestigious jazz venues and produces acclaimed programs for NPR heard by millions. WBGO is Jazz Week magazine's 2010 Major Market Station of the Year.
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