FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: JB Dyas • [email protected] June 13, 2014 323.270.3904 (cell); 310.284.8200 (office) THELONIOUS MONK INSTITUTE PRESENTS NEWARK’S TOP HIGH SCHOOL MUSICIANS IN CONCERT WITH JAZZ GREAT BOBBY WATSON, JUNE 20 AT THE NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Washington, DC – The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, in conjunction with Newark Public Schools (NPS) and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), will present high school jazz combos from Arts, Barringer, East Side, and Science Park High Schools, as well as the new Brick City Jazz Orchestra (BCJO), in concert with internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist and recording artist Bobby Watson on June 20th in the Chase Room located in NJPAC. The free concert is made possible by The Prudential Foundation, which funds the Institute’s year-round jazz education programs in Newark. Watson will serve as artist-in- residence during the three days leading up to the concert. The event marks the culmination of the Institute’s 2013-2014 Jazz in the Classroom program, which provides students with free in-school and after-school music instruction plus training in improvisation, theory, composition, sight reading, and other elements essential to the development of young musicians. Thelonious Monk, Jr., Chairman of the Institute’s Board of Trustees and son of legendary jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, will be on hand to introduce the concert and talk about the program. “The concert will feature some of the very best music students in Newark,” said Monk. “Seeing and hearing these extraordinary teenagers play this music at a level that so belies their years is heartening; the future of our music is in good hands.” The Barringer Septet, under the direction of trumpeter Greg Sneed, is composed of saxophonist Edgardo Fuentes; baritone player Tamir Webb; pianist Michael Ferman; bassist Ludmilla Rosselot; and drummers/percussionists Louis Gonzalez, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Alex Rodriguez. The East Side Sextet, under the direction of saxophonist Ariel Ocasio, is composed of flutist Leticia Oliveira; guitarists Steven Dias and Gabriel Ferreira; pianist Ana DaSilva; bassist Arthur Carvalho; and drummer Lucas Oliveira. The Science Park Septet, under the direction of saxophonists Mario McMiller and Jasper Dutz, is composed of trumpeters Taheir Barnes and Nadiyah Lee; saxophonist Ashley Redwood; guitarist Irvin Guzman; pianist Luis Medina; bassist Denyson Dukievicz; and drummer Irvin Guzman. The Arts High Sextet, under the direction of flutist Lawrence Liggins and saxophonist Anthony Ware, is composed of trumpeter Carlos Juncal; trombonist Craig Jacobs; guitarist Rahsaan Pickett; pianist Galo Inga; bassist Joseph Quiles; and drummer Derek Fykes. Students at Arts High, the country’s oldest public performing arts high school, participate in the Institute’s National Performing Arts High School Jazz Program, which helps prepare talented music students in nine cities across the nation to become jazz’s next generation. “We’ve really had a great year working with the teaching artists from the Monk Institute,” said Pickett, who with band mates Inga, Quiles, and Fykes recently performed at an Institute concert at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. along with guest artist Terell Stafford. “And now we get to work with Bobby Watson. Incredible!” The concert will conclude with a performance by Watson and the Brick City Jazz Orchestra – comprising the best high school jazz musicians in the greater Newark area – under the direction of James Burton III and guest conductor Dr. JB Dyas, the Institute’s vice president for education and curriculum development. The Institute has served as consultant for the group since its inception a year ago. The performance will be held on Friday, June 20th, beginning at 7:30 PM in the Chase Room located at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (1 Center St., Newark). Free and open to the public, the concert will feature an evening of standards, jazz classics, and contemporary jazz, programmed for an audience of all ages, including the young performers’ peers. “As young people are so influenced by kids their own age, who better to expose them to this great American art form than those of their own generation?” added Monk. “And with Bobby Watson, one of the most dynamic and exciting players on the scene today performing alongside them, it’s truly an extraordinary opportunity for teachers, students, musicians, non-musicians – everybody.” Page 1 of 3 ABOUT THE ARTISTS AND EDUCATORS Bobby Watson is one of the top alto saxophonists in the world. He grew up in Kansas City, studied formally at the University of Miami, and later moved to New York where he was to become a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, one of the most important groups in the history of jazz. He later formed Horizon, the quintessential contemporary hard bop quintet of the 1980s and ’90s. Known for his extraordinary ability to play swing, hard bop, and contemporary jazz, Watson has appeared at every major venue and jazz festival worldwide and has recorded more than 100 albums as a leader, sideman, or guest artist. He is also one of the most gifted and prolific composers of his generation (with more than 100 recorded compositions to his credit) and is the recipient of numerous national and international awards and citations, including being named #1 Alto Sax Player and Musician of the Year in DownBeat Magazine’s Critic’s Poll. Besides being an internationally acclaimed performer and composer, Watson is an esteemed jazz educator and enjoys working with up-and-coming young jazz artists. He serves as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and presents jazz workshops around the globe. His latest album, Check Cashing Day (Lafiya Music, 2013), was recorded in honor of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. www.bobbywatson.com New York-based trombonist James Burton III is quickly earning a reputation as one of the most sought after performers/educators in the jazz community. Mentored by jazz luminaries Jackie McLean and Curtis Fuller, Burton has performed and/or recorded alongside such eminent jazz artists as Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, Illinois Jacquet, Christian McBride, James Moody, Frank Wess, and Gerald Wilson. He also has performed with the Count Basie, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and Lionel Hampton Orchestras, as well as the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, and Roy Hargrove Big Band. Formerly the Director of Jazz Studies at Snow College, Burton currently serves as professor of jazz theory and applied jazz trombone at the Juilliard School as well as conductor of the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. He most recently accepted the position of trombonist/Associate Conductor for the Jazz at Lincoln Center All-Star Orchestra, a band providing the music for the acclaimed Broadway show After Midnight. Burton also serves as conductor of NJPAC’s Brick City Jazz Orchestra, comprising the best high school musicians in the greater Newark area. Internationally acclaimed drummer, bandleader, composer, and vocalist Thelonious Monk, Jr. had an extraordinary childhood. As the son of legendary pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, his home was the gathering place for such jazz icons as Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and numerous other artists who went on to create some of the greatest music of all time. Monk played for two years with his father’s band and was a member of Atlantic Records’ nine-piece fusion band “Natural Essence.” He later formed the R&B group “TS Monk,” as well as his own straight-ahead jazz septet, touring the world and recording several critically acclaimed albums. He celebrated his father’s 80th birthday with an all-star group recording titled Monk on Monk, followed by Crosstalk and Higher Ground, which featured the ensemble expanding into new territory incorporating fusion, funk, and vocals. In addition to being a world-class performer, Monk serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, and presents jazz education and outreach programs around the globe. www.monkzone.com/TSM1html.htm Dr. J.B. Dyas has been a leader in jazz education for the past two decades. Formerly the Executive Director of the Brubeck Institute, Dyas currently serves as Vice President for Education and Curriculum Development at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. He oversees the Institute’s education and outreach programs including Jazz in America: The National Jazz Curriculum (www.jazzinamerica.org), one of the most significant and wide-reaching jazz education initiatives in the world. Throughout his career, Dyas has performed across the country, taught students at every level, directed large and small ensembles, developed and implemented new jazz curricula, and written for national music publications. He has served on the Smithsonian Institution’s Task Force for Jazz Education in America and presented numerous jazz education events worldwide with such artists as Dave Brubeck and Herbie Hancock. Dyas received his master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Miami and PhD in Music Education from Indiana University, and is a recipient of the DownBeat Achievement Award for Jazz Education. ABOUT THE THELONIOUS MONK INSTITUTE OF JAZZ The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is a nonprofit education organization established in memory of Thelonious Monk, the legendary jazz pianist