Chick Corea Trio
Sunday, September 26th, 2010
7:30pm
Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences
Ellis Marsalis @ The Greenbrier Valley Theater
The good folks at the Greenbrier Valley Theater in Lewisburg are hosting Ellis Marsalis on Saturday, May 29th in celebration of their 10th Anniversary in their current location.
Tickets are $60 & $50
For details and to buy tickets go to The Greenbrier Valley Theater site
Brian Simpson
A jazzman from an early age, Brian Simpson grew up in Gurnee, Illinois, a small town north of Chicago, picking up piano at the age of 10. He went on to study at Northern Illinois University where he majored in piano and starred in the school’s big band, an ensemble that won numerous Downbeat awards and offered Brian the chance to perform all over the world.
Upon graduating he moved to Los Angeles, immersing himself in the local jazz scene. He soon found himself jamming after-hours with the likes of future stars Everette Harp, Boney James, and Norman Brown. Upon taking a temporary leave of absence from the jazz scene, Brian toured the world with pop divas Teena Marie, Sheena Easton, and Janet Jackson.
He has toured with some of the greats of recent jazz history, including George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, George Howard, Billy Cobham, and Gerald Albright.
Whether angling for funky, romantic or classic mid-tempo smooth, Brian Simpson never forgets the hook and catch of a memorable melody.
$25 admission
Buffet dinner: $20.95 (6:30 – 8:00)
Odean Pope Trio
Philadelphia based Tenor Saxophonist Odean Pope…composer, performer, educator, and arranger is not only a household name in Philadelphia but has enthralled audiences stretching from Australia to Japan where mere mention of his name inspires a certain reverence and awe among jazz aficionados.
In the 1960’s Pope was known as the post-Coltrane tenor terror after being selected by Coltrane to take his place in Jimmy Smith’s Group when he left to join Mile Davis. While playing with drummer Max Roach and the Roach Quartet, for over two decades, Pope has been credited with helping the drummer maintain a forward-leaning edge while other bop-birthed legends played it relatively safe.
Spanning his career, Pope is on the cusp of bop and free jazz, connecting the two with a singular approach that is both creative and accessible. Playing venues worldwide including New York’s famous Iridium Jazz Club and the Blue Note Pope perfected the techniques of circular breathing and multiphonics, allowing him to stretch his solo improvisations with smooth transitions form dazzling elevations to the throbbing, husky sounds for which he is so well known.
Pope has been quoted saying “I try to reflect on my life in terms of how blessed I was to be raised in Philadelphia and to have shared bandstands and concert halls and recording studios with some of the greatest musical minds this world has produced.” Pope recounts the roll call and including not only Roach and Coltrane, but trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Lee Morgan and tenor saxophonist Benny Golson too.
$25 admission
Buffet dinner: $20.95 (6:30 – 8:00)
Matias-Rocha y Nueva Trovas
What brings a Boricua, a Mexican, a Jew and a Jamaican black man together? Need you ask; the same thing that has always brought people together across nationalities, cultures, social strata’s and even religions…soulful music.
Musica del Corazon, conciencia y sentimiento…music of the heart, awareness and feeling. Matias-Rocha y Nueva Trovas is an international quartet that presents an amalgamation of styles rooted in the folkloric traditions of Latin America.
By combining original melodies and lyrical poetry inspired by the great Hispanic poets of the Americas with strong jazz melodies, they have created a style of their own, while maintaining the tradition of their influences like Mercedes Sosa, Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanes, Noel Nicola and Roy Brown.
$25 admission
Buffet dinner: $20.95 (6:30 – 8:00)