(PRWEB) July 24, 2004
PRWEB) July 24, 2004 -- The Boston Symphony Orchestra will present its annual Labor Day Weekend Tanglewood Jazz Festival to be held September 3-5 at the Orchestra's summer home in the Berkshire Mountains in Lenox, Massachusetts. Jazz greats highlighting this year's festival include Harry Connick, Jr., the Branford Marsalis Quartet, the Dave Brubeck Quartet and Symphonette, Marian McPartland, Taylor Eigsti, Eliane Elias, Eddie Palmieri and La Perfecta II, the Doug Wamble Quartet, the Miguel Zenon Quartet, and tap dancers Savion Glover and Jimmy Slyde in a special jazz tap performance.
"It's a distinct pleasure for us at Fidelity to support the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, one of the many high notes of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer session at Tanglewood," said Robert L. Reynolds, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Fidelity Investments.
"Considered by many to be the most American of art forms, jazz perfectly reflects the boundless creativity, innovation and energy of the American spirit. We're proud to be able to do our part to make this festival possible, and we hope that our ongoing commitment to the BSO and this consistently outstanding event ensures that the sound of jazz will echo across the Berkshires and beyond for years to come."
This year's festival opens Friday, September 3, at 8 pm with a performance by Brazilian born, Grammy nominated pianist, Eliane Elias, known for her distinctive musical style blending jazz and classical music. Her early career included work with Antonio Carlos JobimÂs co-writer and lyricist, Vinicius de Moraes. She is considered one of the great interpreters of Jobim's music with two albums solely dedicated to works of the composer.
Ms. Elias has recorded 16 chart-topping albums on Blue Note, RCA/Bluebird, EMI Classics, Red Seal and BMG. She has recorded with Randy Brecker and the Grammy winning Brecker Brothers, Joe Henderson, Sting, Caetano Veloso, Michael Franks, Earl Klugh and Toots Thielemans. Ms. Elias and Herbie Hancock were nominated for a Grammy in 1995 for their collaboration on "Solos and Duets." In 2001, Ms. Elias was featured in the documentary film, "Calle 54," directed by Oscar winner, Fernando Trueba, and in 2002 she recorded with opera sensation Denyce Graves.
Her new CD, "Dreamer," (Arista-Bluebird 2004) was recorded with a full orchestra and is an elegant, sensual selection of bossa nova and American standards such as "Call Me," "Tangerine," and "Baubels, Bangels and Beads." With orchestrations by Rob Mathes (who has worked with Luciano Pavarotti, Yo Yo Ma, Sting, Lou Reed and Stevie Wonder) and special guests, bossa nova guitar legend, Oscar Castro Neves, and tenor saxophonist, Michael Brecker. The recording has reached #4 on the Billboard charts, #8 on jazz radio charts and is ranked the #3 jazz album in France. It was also awarded a Gold Disc Award in Japan.
Ms. Elias will perform on piano and vocals with Marc Johnson on bass, Satoshi Takeishi on drums and Ruban de la Corte on guitar.
The stage will be on fire in the second set Friday night with Latin salsa king, Eddie Palmieri and his ten-piece ensemble, La Perfecta II, representing the high energy of contemporary Latin jazz at its best. Palmieri, a Spanish Harlem native and seven-time Grammy winner, is deeply rooted in hard core salsa and Latin jazz influenced by Thelonius Monk and McCoy Tyner as well as his friend and close colleague, the late Tito Puente.
Combining chamber string influences, salsa, mambo and driving Latin jazz, Palmieri has revived the powerful sound of the ensemble that he originally created four decades ago. Replacing the traditional trumpet section with a trombone section ("the band with the crazy roaring elephants"), Palmieri's innovative instrumentation and varied musical influences have become his trademark.
The Friday night program will be broadcast live on WGBH Radio, Boston, WBGO Radio, Newark, and 15 other public radio stations across the country.
Tony winner, Savion Glover, and tap legend, Jimmy Slyde, will present a special all-jazz tap performance at 1 pm on Saturday, September 4, at the Theatre Stage.
Glover stormed across the dance world in the 1980Âs with his hard-hitting tap and improvisational choreography uniting elements from jazz, hip-hop, rap, be-bop and world music. Featured on the cover of "Dance" Magazine (May 2004) his recent performances are called "captivating, his hold on the audience through his singular performance is extreme." The late Gregory Hines, GloverÂs idol, was quoted once as saying, "There is Savion Glover and then there are the rest of us he has changed the way we perceive tap dancing."
Glover debuted on Broadway as the lead in "The Tap Dance Kid" in 1983 at age 12. In 1988, he co-starred in the film, "Tap," with Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr. and has appeared on PBS in "Dance in America: Tap!" with Hines and Tommy Tune.
He earned a Tony nomination in 1989 for his performance on Broadway in "Black & Blue" and appeared opposite Gregory Hines in "JellyÂs Last Jam" in 1992-93.
Glover won the Tony Award in 1996 for his choreography of "Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk" and has performed in venues around the world including the Moulin Rouge, Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian Institution, Carnegie Hall and the White House. He has appeared on CBS, ABC and PBS and on the big screen in the Spike Lee film, "Bamboozled." Glover is currently working on a project with Wynton Marsalis for the opening of Jazz at Lincoln Center in the Fall of 2004 and is an artist-in-residence at the Sundance Institute.
Jimmy Slyde (born Jimmy Gotbolt) is a tap master with a rich performance history. He began dancing at age 14 and joined the popular act, the Slyde Brothers (with Jimmy "Sir Slyde" Mitchell) that launched him into an international stage career in the 1930's and 1940's performing in major cities and venues around the world. His signature dance style of appearing to slide or skate across the stage resulted in an inevitable name change and he adopted the moniker Jimmy Slyde. He recently performed at Columbia University with the Sir Charles Thompson Trio in "Bebop is a Dance," (April 2004).
Pianist, Marian McPartland, known to NPR listeners for her "Piano Jazz" series, which turns 26 this year, returns to TanglewoodÂs Ozawa Hall with special guest, pianist, Taylor Eigsti, on Saturday, September 4, at 3 pm for a live taping of the program for a future "Piano Jazz" broadcast. Since 1978, Ms. McPartland has interviewed over 500 musicians and performers including Norah Jones (recorded live at last year's Tanglewood Jazz Festival), Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie, Rosemary Clooney, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Brad Mehldau, Ray Charles, Carmen McRae and even William F. Buckley. Her easy, comfortable style, charm and quick-witted humor engage her guests in fascinating and sometimes revealing conversations while seated at the piano.
Ms. McPartland's special guest will be Taylor Eigsti, (pronounced "ikes-dee") a 19 year old Californian, who has been performing on stage since the age of eight when he debuted with David Benoit. His highly accelerated music career has included appearances with Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, James Moody, Bobby Hutcherson, Kevin Mahogany, Bill Watrous, Diane Schuur, Lewis Nash, Alan Broadbent, Red Holloway, Rufus Reid and Dave Brubeck who claimed, "he's the most amazing talent I've ever come across. Remember him." Eigsti has also performed in the classical and opera genres with Sylvia McNair, Frederica von Stade, the San Jose Symphony and the Sacramento Philharmonic.
Billboard Magazine ranked Eigsti's third and latest CD, "Resonance" (Bop City Records 2003) "an A+Â a composer/player whoÂs going to have a major-league jazz career." Downbeat Magazine and the All Music Guide both awarded it four-stars, noting EigstiÂs sophisticated composing and arranging style.
A Presidential Scholar at the University of Southern California, Eigsti has an impressive teaching resume as a member of the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop and the San Jose State Jazz Workshop since 1999. He is committed to teaching and performing with younger players and is interested in other genres of music, as are many of his contemporaries such as Jane Monheit, Peter Cincotti and Jamie Cullam.
Harry Connick, Jr. brings his 16 piece big band and additional 16 piece string orchestra to Tanglewood Saturday, September 4, at 8 pm in the Koussevitzky Music Shed as part of his national "Only You" Tour. Winner of three Grammy awards, Connick has sold over 20 million records. An accomplished film and TV acting career ("Memphis Belle," "Hope Floats," "Independence Day" and NBC's "Will and Grace") has resulted in nominations for a Tony, an Emmy, an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Cable Ace Award.
Connick's latest CD with his big band is "Only You," (Sony 2004) and features an eclectic selection of pop love songs from the 1950Âs and 1960Âs including "I Only Have Eyes For You," Goodnight My Love," "For Once in My Life," and the title song, "Only You." The CD debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart and has reached Gold record status.
Sunday, September 5, at 2 pm will kick off the full roster of the Marsalis Music label. The artists in "Marsalis Music Presents" are the Branford Marsalis Quartet, the Harry Connick, Jr. Quartet, the Doug Wamble Quartet and the Miguel Zenon Quartet.
Saxophonist, Branford Marsalis, is making jazz history, not only through performance with the Branford Marsalis Quartet, but with the recent creation of the Marsalis Music label. Committed to artist-driven recordings, rather than commercial, profit-driven projects by major labels, Marsalis Music is led by a foremost jazz musician and a man with a vision.
The September 2003 release of "Romare Bearden Revealed," features Mr. Marsalis on saxophone, Joey Calderazzo on piano, Eric Revis on bass, Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums and guest artists Doug Wamble on guitar and Wynton Marsalis on trumpet. The project was based on "The Art of Romare Bearden," a retrospective exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Art and a clear signal to the music community that Marsalis Music had a new approach to the recording industry.
Mr. Marsalis will perform with his regular quartet members Calderazzo, Revis and Watts.
Harry Connick, Jr. returned to his jazz roots in 2003 with an instrumental recording (no vocals) on Marsalis Music entitled, "Other Hours." The first in a "Connick on Piano" series planned by the label, the Harry Connick, Jr. Quartet was enthusiastically received by hard-core jazz critics. Material on the CD includes 12 original compositions for the musical, "Thou Shall Not," based on Emile ZolaÂs classic 1868 novel, "Therese Racquin," for which Connick received a Tony nomination.
Connick will perform with band members Charles "Ned" Goold on tenor saxophone, Neal Caine on bass and Arthur Latin, II on drums.
Bursting onto the scene with a debut recording that received excellent reviews from critics across the country, guitarist and vocalist, Doug Wamble, weaves blues, jazz, country and gospel into a rich, highly textured sound.
A Tennessee native and graduate of Memphis State University and Northwestern University, Wamble first embarked on a career as a recording engineer to assuage his familyÂs fears of his becoming a professional musician. An inspiring performance by guitarist, Russell Malone, with Harry Connick, Jr.'s big band altered WambleÂs course of study and he set off on a journey that would lead to a full time career as a guitarist and vocalist.
His Marsalis Music recording, "Country Libations," includes nine original songs that he cites to three major influences: delta blues, gospel and Ornette Coleman.
Wamble will perform with Roy Dunlap on piano, Jeff Hanley on bass and Peter Miles on drums.
Alto saxophonist and composer, Miguel Zenon, has become a serious force in the jazz world since his emergence on the national scene in 2001. A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Manhattan School of Music in New York, Zenon, who had planned to become an engineer, has dazzled critics and audiences with his sophisticated compositions and lyrical, rhythmic playing.
Heavily influenced by Puerto Rican folk, or jibaro, singers from his homeland, as well as West African rhythms, salsa, traditional bomba y plena and hymns he heard as a child, Zenon exemplifies the new generation of jazz musicians in his global approach to music.
Awarded a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts to compose music to be performed at the Jazz Gallery in New York, Zenon wowed critics with his "impressively organized, intellectually powerful compositions" (New York Times) with the debut of "Jibaro Journeys: Music from the Mountains of Puerto Rico."
ZenonÂs resume includes extensive work with the David Sanchez Quartet, pianist, Danilo Perez, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the San Francisco Modern Jazz Collective led by Joshua Redman. His new CD on Marsalis Music, "Ceremonial" (2004) is representative of the commitment by the label to support and showcase a contemporary, highly talented, improvising musician with a unique sound. "Ceremonial" includes seven originals and the traditional hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness."
Jazz giant and Tanglewood favorite, Dave Brubeck, closes the festival Sunday, September 5, at 8 pm, at Ozawa Hall with his legendary Quartet and a special performance of the Quartet augmented by a 23 piece string symphonette. As an innovator of the original "West Coast" jazz style, Dave BrubeckÂs illustrious career is a chapter from contemporary American cultural history.
From his early years as a jazz pianist in clubs and on college campuses to performing in every major concert hall and performance center in the world, Brubeck, who was born and raised in California, consistently delivers what is considered to be the highest standard in American jazz music.
With literally hundreds of recordings under his belt, BrubeckÂs latest is a personal memoir of his Army career at the end of World War II. "Private Brubeck Remembers" (Telarc, May 2004) is a solo piano recital of memorable classics such as "Where or When," "DonÂt Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)," and "Last Time I Saw Paris." A second CD in the set includes an interview with Walter Cronkite discussing BrubeckÂs experience of leading a band on the frontlines.
A new five CD box entitled, "For All Time," (Sony, March 2004) features recordings made by the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet (with Paul Desmond, Eugene Wright and Joe Morello) between 1959 and 1965, and showcases the extraordinary talent of a true American icon.
Brubeck will perform with quartet members Michael Moore on bass, Bobby Militello on reeds, and Randy Jones on drums.
Tickets for the Tanglewood Jazz Festival are on sale and are available by calling SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200 or online at the Boston Symphony Orchestra website, http://www.bso.org, powered by EMC Corporation. Tickets are also available at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Ticketmaster website, http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster in Boston at 617-931-2000; in New York City at 212-307-7171; in western Massachusetts at 413-733-2500; and in all other areas at 800-347-0808. Tickets are also available in person at the Tanglewood Box office in Lenox, Massachusetts. Box office hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday from 12 noon to 6 pm.
Tanglewood Jazz Festival is sponsored by Fidelity Investments, JazzTimes Magazine and Borders Books.
2004 Tanglewood Jazz Festival
TICKET PRICES
Friday, September 3, 8 pm, Seiji Ozawa Hall
Eliane Elias
Eddie Palmieri and La Perfecta II
$44, $36, $29; lawn tickets $16
Saturday, September 4, 1 pm, Theatre Stage
Savion Glover & Jimmy Slyde
$45
Saturday, September 4, 3 pm, Seiji Ozawa Hall
Marian McPartland and Guest Taylor Eigsti
Live taping for NPRÂs "Piano Jazz"
$44, $36, $29; lawn tickets $16
Saturday, September 4, 8 pm, Koussevitzky Music Shed
Harry Connick, Jr.
"Only You" Tour
$80, $60, $40; lawn tickets $20
Sunday, September 5, 2 pm, Seiji Ozawa Hall
Marsalis Music Presents:
Branford Marsalis Quartet
Harry Connick, Jr. Quartet (no vocals)
Doug Wamble Quartet
Miguel Zenon Quartet
$65, $55, $42; lawn tickets $20
Sunday, September 5, 8 pm, Seiji Ozawa Hall
Dave Brubeck Quartet and Symphonette
$65, $55, $42; lawn tickets $20
For additional information, press kits and photos on the performing artists, contact:
Dawn Singh
Dawn Singh Publicity
857-544-0739
dawn@dawnsinghpublicity.com
http://www.dawnsinghpublicity.com
Sean Kerrigan
Boston Symphony Orchestra Press Office 413-637-5286
skerrigan@bso.org
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