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Pianist Barry Harris and Saxophonist Larry McKenna Kick Off 2015 Spring Jazz Room at William Paterson University on February 8

Bary Harris

Legendary jazz musicians Barry Harris and Larry McKenna will open the spring 2015 Jazz Room series at William Paterson University in Wayne on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at 4 p.m. in the Shea Center of Performing Arts on campus.

Tickets are available in advance or on the day of the show at $15 general, $12 for William Paterson faculty, staff, alumni and senior citizens, $8 non-William Paterson students, and free for William Paterson students with valid I.D. There will be a $3 fee for tickets purchased on show day.

Jazz piano legend Barry Harris returns to the Jazz Room stage, joined by the veteran tenor saxophonist Larry McKenna in a concert of bebop and standards. Harris’s legacy comes as much from his decades of teaching as from his historic performing career, and his return to the Jazz Room stage represents a much-anticipated reconnection to William Paterson’s talented jazz students. Harris is the recipient an honorary doctorate from Northwestern University.

Saxophonist McKenna is a veteran of Woody Herman’s band and a legend in his own right. He has played for decades with Buddy DeFranco, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Clark Terry, Jon Faddis, and many more. McKenna currently teaches jazz theory, harmony, and saxophone at the Community College of Philadelphia.

Launched in 1978, the Jazz Room 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 additional information or to purchase tickets, please contact William Paterson University’s Shea Center Box Office at boxoffice@wpunj.edu, call 973.720.2371 or visit www.wp-presents.org.

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