Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Kimmel Center Celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month With Series of Jazz Offerings in April

MARCH 22, 2012


Wynton Marsalis Kicks Off Jazz Appreciation Month at the Kimmel Center, April 3

As Part of City-Wide Jazz Philadelphia’s Jazz Appreciation Month

DownBeat Magazine Recognizes Kimmel Center as One of World’s Top Jazz Venues

Philadelphia is buzzing with excitement over the arrival of Jazz Philadelphia’s Jazz Appreciation Month.  As part of the month long city-wide celebration, the Kimmel Center will provide a series of FREE and ticketed jazz events within its multiple venues.  The month-long jazz festivities at the Kimmel Center also celebrate DownBeat Magazine’s recent recognition of the Kimmel Center as one of the world’s greatest 212 jazz venues (February 2012).

 

Program highlights for Jazz Appreciation Month at the Kimmel Center vary from the venerable Wynton Marsalis performing a lecture and concert program with select members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center ensemble (April 3); to Philly Jazz: A View Through the Lens, a photo exhibit that celebrates local photographer’s inspiring photography capturing the spirit of Jazz in Philadelphia (April 1 to 30); to Panamanian Jazz pianist Danilo Pérez and Friends celebrating Philly native pianist McCoy Tyner, as part of the Jazz Up Close series (April 14); to the annual FREE Jazz appreciation concert performed by select students of the Kimmel Center’s Creative Music Program (April 21).

 

“We are thrilled to be a part of Jazz Philadelphia’s Jazz Appreciation Month,” said Kimmel Center President and CEO Anne Ewers, “Philadelphia is a major contributor to the legacy of jazz. There is so much to experience in our multiple venues—from nationally renowned jazz figures such as Wynton Marsalis to smaller jazz ensembles who continue to draw inspiration from the many Philadelphia jazz legends.”

 

Now celebrating its 10th Anniversary season, the Kimmel Center is also honored to receive DownBeat Magazine’s recognition as one of the top jazz venues in the world. The Kimmel Center is one of eight Philadelphia-area venues to be named to the list, which takes a comprehensive look at where great jazz and improvised music is being played globally – from terrific, intimate rooms to the most sophisticated concert halls.

 

Over its 10-year history, the Kimmel Center has housed generations of jazz greats including: previous season opening performances by jazz luminaries saxophonist Sonny Rollins and vocalist Nancy Wilson; “Take Five” jazz master Dave Brubeck, legendary pianist Herbie Hancock, and the Wayne Shorter Quartet; Philly natives saxophonist Bobby Watson, pianist McCoy Tyner, and Denise King performing a tribute to Billie Holiday; the Fred Hersch Trio performing a tribute to Miles Davis; and, a bevy of hot, young talent including recent Grammy award winning cellist Esperanza Spalding, vocalist Lizz Wright, and “one of jazz’s best young drummers” (New York Times) Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band, to name a few.

 

Below is the complete list of April Jazz offerings at the Kimmel Center, part of Jazz Philadelphia’s Jazz Appreciation Month:

 

Free at the Kimmel

Philly Jazz: A View Through the Lens

April 1 – 30, 2012

Commonwealth Plaza

 

To celebrate National Jazz Appreciation Month, the Kimmel Center and Jazz Bridge, an organization dedicated to helping local jazz musicians in crisis, are mounting Philadelphia's first ever all-jazz photography exhibition. Philly Jazz: A View through the Lens will be shown throughout the month of April in a beautiful glass room on the main plaza of the Kimmel Center, and features the work of photographers Anthony Dean, L. David Hinton, Ben Johnson, and Howard Pitkow, and videographer Jason Fifield—who have been shooting the local jazz scene for years. The exhibition includes dynamic images of Philadelphia jazz artists caught in the act of improvisation, grief, mentorship, and mutual admiration. The images and film are extraordinary, providing a unique opportunity for fans and the general audience to understand the local jazz community in all of its complexity and joy.

 

Wynton Marsalis: The Ballad of the American Arts

Tuesday, April 3, 7:30 p.m.

Verizon Hall

 

Jazz master Wynton Marsalis honors America's premier indigenous art form with a moving lecture that examines the role of the arts in creating an American cultural identity, and a live performance that includes members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Marsalis has been described as the most outstanding jazz musician and trumpeter of his generation. He currently serves as Artistic Director for Jazz at Lincoln Center and Music Director for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

 

Free at the Kimmel

The Swinging Foxes

Saturday, April 14, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Live from the Plaza Stage

The Swinging Foxes draw inspiration from the romantic Hollywood musicals of the 1930’s and 1940’s, the Swing era of jazz and the soulful dance music of early 1950’s rhythm and blues. Vocalist Amber Rae and veteran guitarist Andy Buraz lead the four-member ensemble with the nostalgic essence of vocal-driven music, styled after artists such as Anita O’Day, Billie Holiday, and Ruth Brown. The Foxes have performed numerous times at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, as well as a variety of music and arts festivals in the greater Philadelphia area.

 

Kimmel Center Presents

Jazz Up Close Celebrates McCoy Tyner

Featuring Danilo Pérez & Friends

Saturday, April 14, 7:30 p.m.

Perelman Theater

 

The hit Jazz Up Close series, which this year features Philadelphia legends, concludes its 2011-2012 lineup with a final performance by series Artistic Advisor and Grammy Award-winner Danilo Pérez and Friends. Pérez will be joined by drummer Brian Blade, bassist John Patitucci, and sax player Kenny Garrett for a celebration of McCoy Tyner’s transcendental piano technique and contribution to the world of jazz.

 

Free at the Kimmel

Creative Music Program’s Annual Jazz Appreciation Concert

Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble

Saturday, April 21, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Commonwealth Plaza Stage

 

Led by Program Director Anthony Kidd, the Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble presents a free celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month. Under the Creative Music Program, the group is the first regional ensemble of students in grades 6-10 specializing in the classic American art form of jazz.

 

Free at the Kimmel

Joe Truglio Trio

Saturday, April 21, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Live from the Plaza Stage

 

Since graduating from the University of the Arts in 2005, Joe Truglio has established himself as a drummer, composer, and bandleader. In 2010 he recorded his first studio album, Past Life, with the aid of a grant from the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Compoesrs Forum. He can also be heard on American Idol finalist Elliot Yamin’s 2009 album, Fight For Love. Influenced by jazz as well as Latin, rock, funk, and classical styles, Truglio performs with the aim of spreading the joy of music to people around the world.

 

Meet the Master Series with

Steve Coleman and the Five Elements

Saturday, April 21, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Merck Arts Education Center

 

The Kimmel Center Education Department’s Creative Music Program (CMP) new Meet the Master series exposes the next generation of jazz musicians to world renown artists visiting for a monthly workshop that hones students’ skills in big band and smaller ensemble performances.  Chicago native alto saxophonist and composer, Steve Coleman, has been widely hailed as the Coltrane of our time. This event is FREE and open to the public.

 

Sittin’ In Jam Session

Orrin Evans & Captain Black Big Band with DJ Phsh

Wednesday, April 25, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Live from the Plaza Stage

 

As performer, composer, bandleader, teacher, producer and arranger, Philadelphia native Orrin Evans has been recognized as one of the most distinctive and inventive pianist of his generation. His 2011 album Freedom is an interpretive exploration of the music of his Philadelphia friends and mentors. Orrin's Captain Black Big Band, who released a self-titled record in 2011, performs frequently throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. DJ Phsh, one of Philadelphia’s foremost disc-jockeys and Central High School alum, joins the jam with a fresh style and impressively eclectic set.

 

Free at the Kimmel

The Kelvin Grant Quintet

Saturday, April 28, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Live from the Plaza Stage

 

Join The Kelvin Grant Quintet for their latest program: Blues, Ballads, and Bossas -- a journey through some of the most influential styles within the jazz idiom. With unique arrangements of jazz standards from greats such as Thelonious Monk, Mark Murphy, Claudio Roditi, and original compositions from the KGQ band members, Blues, Ballads, and Bossas promises to be a show with something for everybody. The Kelvin Grant Quintet is comprised of Temple University students dedicated to the advancement of jazz music. Kelvin Grant (trombone and voice), Elijah Thomas (flute and tenor sax), Nicole Saphos (bass), Marcus Grant (drums), and Ryan McNeely (guitar) can be found playing all forms of jazz regularly around the Philadelphia area.

 

Teen Summer Arts Camp Auditions

Registration Deadline: Friday, April 27

*Audition times vary

Kimmel Center Education Department

 

Young musicians, ages 13 to 18, may audition to participate in the annual Teen Summer Arts Jazz Camp, a series of intensive two week summer sessions that hone musicians’ skills in jazz, organ, choral, and chamber music. The Teen Summer Arts Camp concludes with a Student Showcase recital, where parents and friends are invited to experience their growth in the program with a special performance in Perelman Theater. Students are exposed to quality instructors of renown backgrounds and special teaching artists. Applicants must submit an online application form at https://www.kimmelcenter.org/secure/education/summercamp.php, with non-refundable $25 fee, and 200-word essay describing their artistic talent and performance experiences by Friday, April 27. Audition times vary according to camp focus. Visit www.kimmelcenter.org/education/maec.php for more info.

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Tickets for Wynton Marsalis:  Ballad of the American Arts (April 3) and Danilo Pérez and Friends Celebrate McCoy Tyner (April 14) can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office located on Broad and Spruce streets, Philadelphia, Pa. (open daily from 10am to 6pm, later on performance evenings).

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About Jazz Appreciation Month: Jazz Appreciation Month is a project of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History and this year marks the 11th anniversary of the national celebration. The goal of Jazz Appreciation Month is to further stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz by studying the genre, attending concerts, listening to jazz on radio and recordings, reading books on the topic and supporting institutional jazz programs. The Philadelphia Jazz Coalition -- a group of musicians, presenters, club owners, media and music schools in the jazz community -- has been established to spearhead the City's celebration efforts by collaborating to promote and support Philadelphia’s rich jazz tradition and assets.

 

About Kimmel Center, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization, owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio and the Merck Arts Education Center. Kimmel Center, Inc. also manages the Academy of Music, owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, and the University of the Arts Merriam Theater. Kimmel Center, Inc.’s mission is to operate a world class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience which includes providing arts in education, community outreach and a rich diversity of programming. The 2011/2012 season is sponsored by Citi. For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org.

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