INFORMATION FOR
Acclaimed saxophonists Gary Smulyan and Ralph Moore lead their Quintet in a performance on Sunday, April 5 as part of the Jazz Room Series at William Paterson University in Wayne.
The concert begins at 4 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus. “Sittin’ In,” an informal jazz talk with the afternoon’s artist, begins at 3 p.m. in the Shea 101 Recital Hall; the event is free to all Jazz Room ticketholders. The concert will open with a performance by a William Paterson student jazz ensemble.
Tickets are $15 for the general public, $12 for the William Paterson community and senior citizens, and $8 for non-William Paterson students; admission is free for William Paterson students. There will be an additional $3 charge per ticket on the day of the performance.
Gary Smulyan, a baritone saxophonist and veteran of big bands led by Woody Herman and Thad Jones-Mel Lewis, has become one of the world’s leading baritone soloists. Smulyan is also a member of Joe Lovano’s large group and has won DownBeat’s Readers Poll Baritone Saxophonist of the Year award an impressive 19 times, ranking him among the greatest saxophonists in the world. A graduate of Hofstra University, Smulyan also leads a trio with bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Kenny Washington.
Joining Smulyan is Ralph Moore, a veteran tenor saxophonist who is returning to the jazz scene after performing for Kevin Eubank’s NBC Tonight Show band for over 10 years. Moore has been recording jazz music as leader since 1985, and has experience playing with large bands led by Horace Silver, Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Haynes.
Performing alongside Smulyan and Moore will be pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist David Wong and drummer Carl Allen.
William Paterson University’s Jazz Room Series, now in its 43rd season, is the longest-running program of its kind in the United States. Launched in 1978, the Jazz Room has welcomed more than 500 jazz legends to the stage, including Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Joe Williams, Marian McPartland, Slide Hampton, Kenny Burrell, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett, Clark Terry, Michael and Randy Brecker, the Vanguard Orchestra, and more.
Concerts have encompassed the entire spectrum of jazz, from early jazz and swing to avant garde, and from intimate solo performances to big bands. The performance series provides support for the University’s internationally renowned Jazz Studies Program, founded in 1973, which draws students from across the United States and abroad under the current direction of pianist Bill Charlap.
The Jazz Room at William Paterson University has been made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
For information, call the Shea Center for Performing Arts Box Office at 973-720-2371 or visit wp-presents.org.
