Cal Performances Presents

Wednesday, October , , pm Zellerbach Hall

Wynton Marsalis Quintet © Clay Patrick McBride

Wynton Marsalis trumpet Walter Blanding, Jr. tenor saxophone Ali Jackson drums Dan Nimmer piano Carlos Henriquez bass Jennifer Sanon vocals

Th is presentation is made possible, in part, by Bank of America.

Cal Performances’ – season is sponsored by Wells Fargo.

4 CAL PERFORMANCES About the Artists

Wynton Marsalis (trumpet) has been described later, he was rewarded with the opportunity to as the most outstanding jazz musician and trum- join the Jazz Messengers to study under master peter of his generation, as one of the world’s top drummer and bandleader Art Blakey. It was in classical trumpeters, as a big band leader in the Blakey’s band that Wynton learned the relation- tradition of Duke Ellington, a brilliant compos- ship between jazz and democracy. Art Blakey er, a devoted advocate for the arts and a tireless would always say, “No America, no jazz!” It was and inspiring educator. from Blakey that Wynton acquired his concept Th e sound of Wynton Marsalis’s band is of bandleading and his practice of bringing in- inspired by the basic principles of democracy. tensity to each and every performance. In the According to Marsalis, what you hear in a great years to follow, Wynton was invited to perform jazz band is the sound of democracy. “Th e jazz with Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, Sweets band works best when participation is shaped Edison, Clark Terry, Sonny Rollins and count- by intelligent communication.” Th is intelligent, less other jazz legends. hard-swinging interplay has made Marsalis’s With this foundation, Wynton assembled bands a favorite among jazz musicians and audi- his own band and hit the road, performing over ences worldwide. Th rough jazz music, Wynton  concerts every year for  consecutive years. Marsalis represents America all over the world. His objectives were to learn how to play and to In disparate locations—from Prague to Warsaw, comprehend how best to give to his audience. Seoul to Wellington, Paris to Istanbul, Santiago During these years, his emphasis on traditional to Mexico City, Toronto to Calgary, Amarillo jazz helped to garner recognition for older gen- to Portland—you will fi nd Wynton Marsalis erations of jazz musicians and to prompt the re- sharing his vision of the union of jazz and issuance of traditional jazz recordings. Among democracy. the better known jazz musicians of today are Wynton was born in New Orleans, Louisiana many students of Marsalis’s workshops: James on October ,  to Ellis and Dolores Carter, Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Marsalis. He was the second of six sons, one of Harry Connick Jr., Nicholas Payton, Eric Reed whom is autistic. At an early age, Wynton exhib- and Eric Lewis, to name a few. ited seriousness about study, an aptitude for mu- Not content to focus solely on his musician- sic a nd a desire to contribute to A merica n culture. ship, Wynton devoted equal time to developing At age , he performed traditional New Orleans his compositional skills. Th e dance community music in the Fairview Baptist Church band led quickly embraced his penmanship, and he re- by legendary banjoist Danny Barker. At , he ceived commissions to create major composi- was invited to perform with the New Orleans tions for Garth Fagan Dance, Peter Martins at Philharmonic. During high school, Wynton was the New York City Ballet, Twyla Th arp for the a member of the New Orleans Symphony Brass American Ballet Th eatre, and for the Alvin Ailey Quintet, New Orleans Community Concert American Dance Th eater. Marsalis collaborated Band, New Orleans Youth Orchestra and the with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln New Orleans Symphony, and on weekends he Center in  to compose a string quartet, At performed in a jazz band and the Creators, a the Octoroon Balls, and again in  to create a popular local funk band. At age , Wynton response to Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale with his became the youngest musician ever to be admit- composition, A Fiddler’s Tale. ted to Tanglewood’s Berkshire Music Center. At the dawn of the new millennium, Despite his youth, he was awarded the school’s Wynton presented All Rise, an epic composition prestigious Harvey Shapiro Award for outstand- for big band, gospel choir and symphony orches- ing brass student. Wynton moved to New York tra, which was premiered in December  by City to attend Th e Juilliard School in  and the New York Philharmonic under the baton began to pick up gigs around town. Two years of Kurt Masur, along with the Morgan State

CAL PERFORMANCES 5 About the Artists

University Choir and the Lincoln Center Jazz Department’s signifi cant success by voting it a Orchestra (LCJO). All Rise was subsequently full constituent, equal in stature with the New recorded by conductor Esa-Peka Salonen, the York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Los Angeles Philharmonic and more than  and New York City Ballet—a historic moment voices from the Morgan State University Choir, for jazz as an art form and for Lincoln Center the Northridge Singers of California State as a cultural institution. In February , New University at Northridge and the Paul Smith York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani announced Singers. that Jazz at Lincoln Center was selected to be part Wynton’s love of the music of Bach, of the redevelopment of the New York Coliseum Beethoven, Mozart and others drove him to site at Columbus Circle. Frederick P. Rose Hall, pursue a career in classical music as well. He the new , square foot complex (opened recorded the Haydn, Hummel and Leopold in October ), has become Jazz at Lincoln Mozart trumpet concertos at the age of . His Center’s new home and contains state-of-the-art debut recording received glorious reviews and performance, recording, broadcast, rehearsal won the Grammy Award for “Best Classical and educational facilities, as well as the world’s Soloist with an Orchestra.” Marsalis went on fi rst large venue built specifi cally for jazz. to make  additional classical records, all to In fall , Wynton launched two major critical acclaim. Wynton performed with nu- broadcast events. In October PBS premiered merous leading orchestras, including the New Marsalis on Music, a series of educational tele- York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, vision shows on jazz and classical music, writ- Boston Pops, Cleveland Orchestra, St. Louis ten and hosted by Marsalis. Th at same month, Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, National Public Radio began broadcasting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and London’s fi rst of Marsalis’s -week series entitled Making Royal Philharmonic, working with such emi- the Music. Th ese entertaining and insightful ra- nent conductors as Raymond Leppard, Charles dio shows were the fi rst full exposition of jazz Dutoit, Lorin Maazel, Leonard Slatkin, Esa- music in American broadcast history. Wynton’s Pekka Salonen and Michael Tilson-Th omas. radio and television series were awarded the most Th rough his recordings, workshops and perfor- prestigious distinction in broadcast journalism, mances Wynton inspired many youngsters to the George Foster Peabody Award. pursue classical music as well. Famed classical Wynton Marsalis has won nine Grammy trumpeter Maurice André praised Wynton as Awards, earning the distinction of being the “potentially the greatest trumpeter of all time.” only artist ever to win Grammys for both jazz In , Wynton co-founded a jazz program and classical recordings (an accomplishment at Lincoln Center. Th e fi rst season consisted of he repeated in consecutive years), and he is the three concerts. Under Wynton’s leadership, the only artist ever to have won Grammys in fi ve program has developed an international agenda consecutive years. Wynton has been awarded with up to  events annually in  countries. the Grand Prix du Disque of France, the Louis Th e programming is rich and diverse and in- Armstrong Memorial Medal, the Netherlands’ cludes performances, debates, fi lm forums, Edison Award and the Algur H. Meadows dances, television and radio broadcasts and edu- Award for Excellence in the Arts. Wynton cational activities. Educational activities include has received a citation from the United States an annual High School Jazz Band Competition House of Representatives for his outstanding and Festival that reaches more than , bands contributions to the arts. Time magazine se- in the  states and Canada, a Band Director’s lected Wynton as one of America’s most promis- Academy and a hugely popular concert series for ing leaders under age  in , and in  kids, Jazz for Young People. In December , Time celebrated Marsalis as one of America’s the Lincoln Center Board awarded the Jazz  Most Infl uential People. In spring ,

6 CAL PERFORMANCES About the Artists

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan several Israeli schools and toured the country proclaimed Wynton Marsalis an international with his ensemble. During this period, Newsweek goodwill ambassador by appointing him a UN described him as “Jazz’s Ambassador to Israel.” Messenger of Peace. His fi rst recording, Tough Young Tenors, Honorary degrees have been conferred upon was acclaimed as one of the best jazz albums of Wynton by  of our nation’s leading academ- . Since then, he has performed or recorded ic institutions, including Columbia, Brown, with many artists, including Cab Calloway, Princeton and Yale universities. Elsewhere, the the Wynton Marsalis Septet, Marcus Roberts, New York Urban League awarded Wynton the Illinois Jacquet, Eric Reed and Roy Hargrove. Frederick Douglass Medallion for distinguished His latest release, Th e Olive Tree, features fellow leadership, the American Arts Council presented members of the LCJO. him with the Arts Education Award and Britain’s senior conservatoire, the Royal Academy of Ali Jackson (drums), born on April , , Music, granted him Honorary Membership, the took an early liking to the drums. At the age Academy’s highest decoration for a non-British of fi ve, he began studying the piano, which laid citizen. In France, the Ministry of Culture pre- the foundation for his melodic approach to the sented Wynton with the most prestigious deco- drums. By the time he was seven, Mr. Jackson ration awarded by the French Republic, the rank was performing with his father on the streets of Knight in the Order of Arts and Literature. of Detroit. He graduated from Cass Technical In , Wynton became the fi rst jazz mu- High School, known for producing some of the sician ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music most renowned names in jazz, including Paul for his oratorio, Blood on the Fields. In this Chambers, Donald Byrd, Barry Harris and epic work, Wynton drew upon the blues, work Geri Allen. At Cass, he performed in numer- songs, chants, call and response, spirituals, New ous ensembles and honed his natural ability. Orleans jazz, Ellingtonesque orchestral arrange- Mr. Jackson won the Clarence Eddins/Blue Bird ments, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and Greek Inn Scholarship for outstanding music achieve- chorus-style recitations. ment and was selected to be a featured soloist To date, Wynton has produced  jazz and for “Beacons in Jazz” honoring jazz legend Max  classical recordings which have sold more Roach. A graduate of the Mannes College of than seven million copies worldwide. His most Music in jazz and contemporary music at the recent recording, Live at the House of Tribes, was New School for Social Research, Mr. Jackson released by Blue Note Records in August . continues to expand his study of music. In con- junction with his formal education, he has also Walter Blanding, Jr. (tenor saxophone) was taken private lessons and instruction from mas- born on August ,  in Cleveland, Ohio to a ter teachers like Joe Chambers, Charlie Persip, musical family and began playing the saxophone Chico Hamilton and Max Roach. His style, a at age six. In , he moved with his family to powerful blend of technical mastery and show- New York City, and by age , he was perform- manship, is strongly infl uenced by his late uncle, ing regularly with his parents at the Village Gate. Oliver “Bops” Jackson, Jr., Papa Jo Jones and Mr. Blanding attended LaGuardia High School Lionel Hampton. for Music & Art and the Performing Arts and Mr. Jackson has always been outspoken in continued his studies at the New School for making sure that young people are properly Social Research. informed about jazz and its tradition. For the Mr. Blanding lived in Israel for four years, past several years, he has been part of Young where he had a major impact on the music scene, Audiences, a program that strives to educate New inviting great artists such as Louis Hayes, Eric York City youth about jazz. Mr. Jackson has per- Reed and others to perform. He also taught in formed and recorded extensively, working with

CAL PERFORMANCES 7 About the Artists some of the world’s fi nest musicians, including diverse as Steve Turre, Eddie Palmieri and Tito Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Aretha Puente, Carlos Santana and George Benson. Franklin, Marcus Roberts, Gerald Albright, He traveled with the LCJO during its -city Eric Reed, KRS-ONE, Russell Gunn, Jacky summer  tour through the United States, Terrasson, Rodney Kendrick, Buster Williams, Canada and Japan. Mr. Henriquez was also Cyrus Chestnut, Nicholas Payton, Milt Hinton featured in on the LCJO’s fall  world tour, and New York City Ballet. which took him to  cities in Europe, South America and the United States. Since then, he Dan Nimmer (piano) was born in  in has recorded, toured and performed with many Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With his prodigious artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Gonzalo technique and his innate sense of swing, his Rubalcaba, Danilo Perez and Celia Cruz. playing often recalls that of his own heroes, spe- cifi cally Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly, Erroll Jennifer Sanon (vocals) was awarded Garner and Art Tatum. As a young man, his Outstanding Vocalist at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s family inherited a piano and he started play- annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz ing by ear; soon, he began classical lessons and Band Festival and Competition in . In studied at the Milwaukee Conservatory with both  and , she was a member of the Professor Mark Davis. At the same time, he be- Gibson/Baldwin Grammy High School Jazz gan playing local gigs with renowned saxophon- Ensembles, an elite group of  student musi- ist Berkley Fudge. Upon graduation from high cians from across the country chosen to per- school, Mr. Nimmer left for Northern Illinois form in a series of concerts leading up to the University to study with famed Chicago pianist Grammy Awards. She was also named the  Willie Pickens. He dropped out after his second Grammy Foundation Honoree. Ms. Sanon, year at NIU to pursue the classic jazz educa- a Miami, Florida native, is also a member of tion—working in the clubs of Chicago nightly the Essentially Ellington All-Star Sextet. She and expanding his contacts and repertoire. Soon, graduated from New World School of the Arts he hooked up with another local musical legend in Miami, Florida in  and joined Wynton and former instructor, guitarist Fareed Haque, Marsalis and the LCJO on their summer  with whom he has been touring and recording European tour. She is currently a vocal major in every since. As well as performing at all major the jazz studies program at the New School for Chicago jazz venues and recently emerging onto Social Research. the New York scene, Mr. Nimmer has appeared at the Montreux, Vienne and North Sea jazz festivals.

Carlos Henriquez (bass) was born in  Representation in the Bronx, New York. After studying clas- Ted Kurland Associates sical guitar in junior high school, he started  Brighton Avenue playing bass at Th e Juilliard School’s Music Boston, Massachusetts  Advancement Program. At LaGuardia High tel. -- School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Mr. fax -- Henriquez performed in the LaGuardia Concert [email protected] Jazz Ensemble, which earned fi rst place in the J@LC First Annual Essentially Ellington High www.tedkurland.com School Jazz Band Competition and Festival in  and second place the following year. Mr. Henriquez has performed with artists as

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