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Italian Pianist Rossano Sportiello and His Quartet, Featuring Saxophonist Harry Allen, to Open Fall 2015 Jazz at William Paterson University on October 18

Rossano Sportiello, the award-winning Italian pianist, brings his Quartet featuring saxophonist Harry Allen to William Paterson University In Wayne on Sunday, October 18, 2015, for the opening concert of the University’s fall 2015 Jazz Room series. The performance begins at 4 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus.

Prior to the concert, Sportiello will be the guest for “Sittin’ In,” an informal discussion about jazz, at 3 p.m. in Shea Center. Admission is free to all Jazz Room ticket holders. Tickets are available at the Shea Center Box Office in advance at 973.720.2371 or wp-presents.org or on the day of the performance at $15 general admission, $12 senior citizens and William Paterson community, and $8 for non-William Paterson students.  William Paterson students are admitted free with a valid I.D. There is a $3 fee for tickets purchased on the day of the show.

Sportiello began studying piano at age nine with Italian classical pianist Carlo Villa and continued until he graduated in classical piano from the Conservatory in 1996. He began performing professionally at age 16 in the Milan area. In 1992, he joined one of Europe’s historic jazz bands, “Milano Jazz Gang,” and toured with the group around Italy and Western Europe until 2000. He has performed all over the world, and in 2007, after he married American writer Lala Moore, he established himself in New York City. He performed with many of the world’s most famous jazz luminaries, including Harry Allen, Clark Terry, Barry Harris and Bucky Pizzarelli. He also has recorded four solo piano CDs, including Piano on my mind, which won the Prix du Jazz Classique de l’Academie du Jazz de France Award.

Allen, afixture on the New Jersey swing scene, can be heard on more then 30 recordings. Three of Allen’s CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan’s Swing Journal magazine; several recordings have made the top ten lists for favorite new releases in Swing Journal magazine’s reader’s poll and Jazz Journal International’s critic’s poll. His quartet with Joe Cohn won the New York Nightlife Award for Outstanding Jazz Combo Performance and was also nominated for Best Jazz Combo by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2006. He has performed and recorded worldwide with many well-known artists, including Tony Bennett and Bucky and John Pizzarelli, and he is featured on many of John Pizzarelli’s recordings. He received a bachelor of arts degree in music from Rutgers University.

Launched in 1978, William Paterson University’s Jazz Room Series is one of the largest and most prestigious college-sponsored jazz events in the country. Performers include renowned professionals who encompass the complete spectrum of jazz, as well as William Paterson’s own student ensembles. The series has won numerous grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for its innovative programming.

For more information, please call the Shea Center Box Office at 973.720.2371 or visit wp-presents.org.