 Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild 2013-2014 Concerts |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MCG JAZZ 2013-2014 CONCERTS
March 28, 2013 (PITTSBURGH)… MCG Jazz is thrilled to announce our 27th annual jazz concert season. The series begins on July 12, 2013 with three summer concerts, two at Robert Morris University’s Sewell Center in July and August and one at The Hillman Center for Performing Arts at Shadyside Academy in September. MCG Jazz’ subscription concert series kicks off September 28, 2013 and runs through May 3, 2014, showcasing over 20 headlining artists ranging in diversity from Joshua Redman to Diane Schuur toBrad Mehldau to the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra with Freddy Cole. (See complete schedule attached). The series is comprised of 17 subscription concerts and a special opening “Jazz Legends Party” on September 28, 2013 honoring 20 Pittsburgh Jazz Legends and a special concert by Ahmad Jamal.After a successful joint venture to present Pat Metheny Unity Band, Robert Morris University and MCG Jazz have partnered again for Summer 2013 to present two concerts. On July 12, Dave Koz and Friends Summer Horns Tour 2013 with special guests Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot. The second concert at the Sewell Center on the RMU campus will be Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band on August 9. “All We Are Saying” Bill Frisell Explores the Music of John Lennon featuring: Greg Leisz, Rudy Royston, Jenny Scheinman and Tony Scherr will be the first time MCG Jazz will partner with The Hillman Center for Performing Arts at Shadyside Academy. On Saturday, September 7, western Pennsylvania's newest cultural venue will live up to is mission to present programs of excellence that represent Pittsburgh's cultural traditions while celebrating global, artistic innovation when it presents Frisell. During MCG Jazz annual subscription in 2013-2014 several groups are celebrating milestones such as Gary Burton’s 70th Birthday tour with the New Gary Burton Quartet, Take 6’s 25th anniversary tour, Paul Winter Sextet’s 50th anniversary of their performance at the White House, Newport Jazz Festival Now 60, Bobby Watson & Horizon’s 30th anniversary tour and Ramsey Lewis’s Sun Goddess tour. From groups celebrating milestones to artists who are new to performing at MCG Jazz we bring you the British guitar ensemble, Acoustic Alchemy, Spanish Harlem Orchestra,Kevin Eubanks and Latin Jazz Master Chucho Valdes. MCG Jazz is excited to welcome back Bob James and David Sanborn but this year touring together for the first time. Also returning to MCG Jazz will be native son, Allan Harris in a special presentation honoring generations of male jazz vocalists with The Gentlemen Sing: Three Generations of Song. Joining Harris will be Philadelphia born Ernie Andrews and a yet to be discovered new male jazz vocalist. MCG Jazz will be conducting a nationwide search for that new, next young singer who will have the opportunity to take the stage with his forerunners. Details on the selection process and how to audition will be forthcoming this summer. And, finally, to close the concert series, MCG Jazz is honored to present Cassandra Wilsonfor her MCG Jazz debut. For the concert series, patrons have the opportunity to choose from a pre-packaged concert series, or create their own package from the available artists. Subscriptions for the MCG Jazz 2013-2014 season are on sale now. Single tickets range from $45.00-$65.00 and will go on sale in July. Please call the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild Jazz Box Office at 412-322-0800 for more information or visit www.mcgjazz.org. Photos of the artist performing on the MCG Jazz 2013-2014 concert series can be downloaded from the MCG Jazz web site athttp://mcgjazz.org/_wp/mcg- Single tickets for all three summer concerts can be purchased at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild Jazz Box Office as well. Tickets go on sale April 2, 2013 at 9:00am. MCG Jazz gratefully acknowledges the generous support of its 2013-2014 season major partners: UPMC Health Plan, BNY Mellon and ARAD. MCG Jazz Legends Party 2013 featuring Ahmad Jamal and the Pittsburgh Jazz Legends Saturday, September 28, 2013 An exclusive presentation by acclaimed Pittsburgher and NEA Jazz Master, Ahmad Jamal, is the feature of this year’s celebration. MCG Jazz will induct the new class of Pittsburgh Jazz Legends, adding them to an honor roll of artists who have made Pittsburgh their home. Dinner, drinks and special presentations and guest appearances including the 13 surviving Pittsburgh Jazz Legends and the five new awardees on stage, make this evening a not-to-be-missed unforgettable experience. The MCG Jazz Pittsburgh Jazz Legends are: Don Aliquo Sr. Charles “Chuck” Austin (d. 2012) Harold Betters Cecil Brooks II Frank Cunimondo Joe Dallas Nelson Harrison Roger Humphries James Johnson Jr. Gene Ludwig (d. 2010) Art Nance Joe Negri George “Duke” Spaulding J. Warren Watson John Wilson Special Features Dave Koz and Friends Summer Horns Tour 2013 with Special Guests Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot Friday, July 12, 2013 at Robert Morris University’s Sewell Center A celebration of the instrument that has fueled some of the world’s best‐loved songs, promises to be one of the high points of the summer concert season. Koz – hailed byThe New York Times as “a musician of unflappable rhythmic aplomb, which he happily squares against the airtight funk of his band” – will be joined by Mindi Abair, featured saxophonist on the 2011 and 2012 seasons of "American Idol” who joined Aerosmith on their 2012 Summer Tour; Gerald Albright, known for his renowned solo recordings and performances with Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, and The Temptations; and Richard Elliot, a former member of Tower of Power who has since forged a successful solo career. Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band Friday, August 9, 2013 at Robert Morris University’s Sewell Center For more than three decades as both a leader and a sideman, conguero Poncho Sanchez has stirred up a fiery stew of straight-ahead jazz, gritty soul music, and infectious melodies and rhythms from a variety of Latin American and South American sources. His influences are numerous, but among the more prominent figures that inform his music are two of the primary architects of Latin jazz – conga drummer and composer Chano Pozo and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Sanchez pays tribute to these two titans on his most recent release, Chano y Dizzy!, his 25th recording as a bandleader on Concord Picante. For the first time, Sanchez and Francisco Torres, long time band member (trombone/vocals), join forces to produce the new album. If music were about pictures, Poncho’s music would best be described as a kaleidoscopic swirl of some of the hottest colors and brightest lights to emerge from either side of the border. At any given show, on any given record, fragments of Latin jazz, swing, bebop, salsa and other infectious grooves collide and churn in a fiery swirl, with results that are no less than dazzling. “All We Are Saying” Bill Frisell Explores the Music of John Lennon Featuring Greg Leisz, Rudy Royston, Jenny Scheinman and Tony Scherr Hillman Center for the Performing Arts, Shadyside Academy Saturday, September 7, 2013 Bill Frisell assembles a trusted ensemble consisting of Greg Leisz (guitars), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Tony Scherr (bass) and Rudy Royston (drums) to present his take on the classic songs of John Lennon. The project had long been in the works—one could go as far back as the first time he heard The Beatles at the age of 13. Fast forward a few decades and Frisell was asked to put together a performance in honor of Lennon as part of a special event in Paris. The arrangements and interpretations came to fruition with this project on the release All We Are Saying... (Savoy Jazz) “This is a glorious hymn to the art of playing together, of which Lennon would surely approve." - The Independent(London) MCG Jazz 2013-2014 Subscription Series Concerts The New Gary Burton Quartet, 70th Birthday Tour Saturday, October 5, 2013 Gary Burton and the New Gary Burton Quartet showcase the new rock stars of the jazz world: the astounding wunderkind guitarist, Julian Lage; Pat Metheny’s favorite drummer, Antonio Sanchez; and up-and-coming bassist, Scott Colley. This Quartet meets “On Common Ground” to present a new project of the same name. With interesting time signatures, lyrical and buoyant new tunes and some hot arrangements of standards like “My Funny Valentine”, Gary says that this group really clicks. They’ve quickly become a hot ticket in New York and, according to Gary, “[are] proving to be one of the standout bands of my career.” MCG Jazz is so excited to see Gary Burton and band and celebrate Gary’s 70th birthday. Take 6 Friday, October 11, 2013 Take 6 celebrates their 25th anniversary with a brand new tour full of new arrangements, great storytelling and their unbeatable and unmistakable harmonies. Take 6 (Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea and Khristian Dentley), heralded by Quincy Jones as the ‘baddest vocal cats on the planet!’ is the quintessential a cappella group and model for vocal genius. Six virtuosic voices united in crystal clear harmony, against a backdrop of syncopated rhythms, innovative arrangements, and funky grooves that bubble into an intoxicating brew of gospel, jazz, R&B, and pop. Bob James, David Sanborn featuring Steve Gadd Friday, October 25, 2013 Two of the seminal figures in contemporary jazz in one hot concert! 27 years after the release of ‘Double Vision’ (their million selling Grammy Award-winning collaboration),David Sanborn and Bob James, are collaborating again! In 2013 they will record and release their second album scheduled for release in May. Don’t miss these two influential and timeless artists share the stage in what will surely be an amazing night of jazz at its very best. Paul Winter Sextet Friday & Saturday, November 8 & 9, 2013 The Paul Winter Sextet 50th Anniversary celebrates the group’s invitation from First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to play at the White House. The Sextet’s performance in the East Room on November 19, 1962, happened to be the first-ever jazz concert in the White House. Their recently released 50th Anniversary Anthology features 12 never-released tracks, a selection of which you will hear in these awe-inspiring 2 nights. Acoustic Alchemy Thursday, November 14, 2013 For nearly 25 years, Acoustic Alchemy has pushed the limits of the acoustic guitar’s potential by embracing a spectrum of musical styles ranging from straight-ahead jazz to folk to rock to world music and beyond. In the two and a half decades since their earliest recordings – despite a tragic setback in the late 1990s and the inherent challenges of the 21st century music industry – the group has assembled and sustained a vast and loyal following that stretches well beyond their U.K. origins. Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldbert, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchison Saturday, November 23, 2013 Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz saxophonists to have emerged in the decade of the 1990s. In addition to his own projects, Redman has recorded and performed with musicians such as Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, The Dave Matthews Band, Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock, Yo Yo Ma, The Rolling Stones, and many, many more. Joshua Redman has been nominated for 2 Grammys and has garnered top honors in critics and readers polls of DownBeat, Jazz Times, The Village Voice and Rolling Stone. Diane Schuur and Friends Saturday, December 7, 2013 Grammy® Award-winning vocalist and pianist Diane Schuur inspires rave reviews across the globe as the new first lady of jazz. Known to personify the composer's intentions of the Great American Songbook, Schuur swings with heartfelt intensity. Long regarded – and sometimes criticized – as an artist who has walked a tightrope between jazz and pop, Schuur sees her latest release, Some Other Time, as an unwavering statement about her commitment to the jazz tradition and its influence on her artistic sensibilities. Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra Holiday Celebration with special guest Freddy Cole Saturday, December 14, 2013 Take a break from your busy holiday prep with The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra Annual Holiday Celebration! The PJO returns to the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild for the first time with their annual holiday celebration. Artistic Director of the Orchestra, Sean Jones, says, “We want to try to recreate the spirit of what the holiday is all about.” This very popular concert spreads Christmas cheer and old favorites receive a jazz makeover, as the skilled musicians of the PJO render a new treatment on holiday classics, and turn the holiday season into a unique celebration of wonder, bliss and merriment the whole family will enjoy. With featured vocalist Freddy Cole, who The New York Times says, "has an impeccable sense of swing...he is, overall, the most maturely expressive male jazz singer of his generation, if not the best alive.” Spanish Harlem Orchestra Friday, January 24, 2014 Since its original conception in 2000, the Grammy Award Winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra has established itself as a standard bearer of contemporary Latin music. Directed by world-renowned pianist, arranger, and producer Oscar Hernández, the thirteen-member all-star ensemble has reintroduced the classic sounds of New York City Salsa to music lovers worldwide. The Grammy Award Winning Viva la Tradicón, SHO’s fourth album, is a stunning follow-up to their 2007 Grammy nominated United We Swing. Chucho Valdés Friday, February 7, 2014 Hailed as “the dean of Latin jazz” and “one of the world’s great virtuosic pianists” by The New York Times, multi-Grammy Award winner Chucho Valdés has recorded over eighty CD’s during his illustrious career, performing with countless jazz masters, including Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis and Chick Corea. Founder of the rhythmically innovative Latin jazz band Irakere, Valdés has appeared on the distinguished stages of Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center and The Hollywood Bowl. Newport Jazz Festival: Now 60 Saturday, February 15, 2014 The Newport Jazz Festival: Now 60 tour celebrates the great history of the Newport Jazz Festival and its current role as one of the most active presenters of contemporary jazz artists in the world. During the past 10 years, the festival has made news by continuing to be at the forefront of discovering new talent and nurturing the incredible creative community of jazz and related music that thrives today. The title of the tour celebrates the longevity of the festival and its continued relevance. The star-studded ensemble features Anat Cohen, Karrin Allyson, Randy Brecker, Mark Whitfield accompanied by the A-list rhythm section of pianist Peter Martin, drummer Clarence Penn and bassist Larry Grenadier. The Gentlemen Sing: Three Generations of Song with Allan Harris & Ernie Andrews Friday, February 28, 2014 This brand-new curated project by Marty Ashby and MCG Jazz features Allan Harris,Ernie Andrews and a brand-new artist that will be chosen by nationwide search. MCG Jazz opens the search soon with a nationwide call for submissions from young male jazz vocalists, followed by live auditions here in Pittsburgh with Allan Harris. The project will culminate in a two-concert presentation showcasing Allan Harris, the NEA Jazz Master Ernie Andrews and a brand new jazz star! Ramsey Lewis: The Sun Goddess Tour Friday, March 14, 2014 After his classic acoustic albums in the 1960s, the change that was in the air during the 70s enticed Ramsey Lewis toward the electric realm. With this new sound, he reunited with Maurice White, who, at that time, was charting with his own band—the enigmatic and iconic, Earth, Wind & Fire. SUN GODDESS, the result of this creative summit, is an album with sleek grooves and gorgeous melodies that continues to flow with the uplifting and positive vibes of that time. “Sun Goddess” charted in the Black Singles, the Pop Singles, and the Disco singles charts and has since been certified gold. Ramsey has pulled together a new electric group that can funk it out, getting that good-time groove on with tunes from SUN GODDESS as well as new compositions composed for this tour. Kevin Eubanks Friday, March 28, 2014 With his second Mack Avenue Records release, The Messenger, acclaimed guitaristKevin Eubanks continues to explore his own unique musical vision. This vision offers the listener an opportunity to share a musical journey that truly exemplifies where Eubanks is at this stage of his illustrious career; one that, for over three decades, has seen him incorporate into his creative process a willingness to embrace the broad spectrum of his musical experience, while continuing to seek out new vistas. Bobby Watson & Horizon Featuring Victor Lewis, Terell Stafford, Edward Simon & Essiet Essiet Saturday, April 12, 2014 After an eight year hiatus, this electrifying quintet (nicknamed “The Happy Band” by fans) is back with a brand new album and tour entitled “Horizon Reassembled.” The group has evolved into an all-star ensemble. All of the members, Terell Stafford, Edward Simon, Essiet Okon Essiet, and Victor Lewis, have recorded as leaders and have led their own groups around the globe. The mutual respect for each other, the commitment to the music and the camaraderie, and most importantly, the interaction with the audiences both off and on the bandstand is truly special. Brad Mehldau Trio Friday, April 25, 2014 Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau has recorded and performed extensively since the early 1990s. Mehldau’s most consistent output over the years has taken place in the trio format. He is first and foremost an improviser, and greatly cherishes the surprise and wonder that can occur from a spontaneous musical idea that is expressed directly, in real time. Larry Grenadier (most recently at MCG Jazz with Pat Metheny) and Jeff Ballard round out the trio. Cassandra Wilson Saturday, May 3, 2014 Cassandra Wilson has been described as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack who has expanded the playing field" by incorporating blues, country and folk music into her work. She began playing piano at six, guitar by the age of twelve and was working as a vocalist by the mid-'70s, singing a wide variety of material. She signed with Blue Note Records in 1992 and released a landmark album titled Blue Light ‘Til Dawn which would pave the way for a new generation of jazz singers seeking an approach and repertoire that challenges the supremacy of the American Standard songbook. Wilson has continued interpreting in fresh and creative ways vintage blues, country and folk music up until the present day. Her awards include: two Grammys, the Django D’Or, The Edison Music Award, a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail, and the 2012 Echo Award for Jazz. She also performed one of the leading roles in Wynton Marsalis' "Blood on the Fields," the first jazz work to receive a Pulitzer Prize. |
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| Contact: Marty Ashby Executive Producer (412) 322-1773 ext. 121 mashby@mcg-btc.org |
Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services T: 845-986-1677 E-Mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com http://www.jazzpromoservices. |
