INFORMATION FOR
Johnathan Blake, one of the most accomplished drummers of his generation, and a 2000 graduate of William Paterson University’s Jazz Studies Program, returns to his alma mater on Sunday, March 7 at 4 p.m. for a concert as part of the spring 2021 Jazz Room at Home series.
The Jazz Room, now in its 43rd season, is virtual for spring 2021. Recorded live in Shea Center on campus, the performance will be broadcast online. Jazz fans can enjoy world-class jazz from the comfort of their home by viewing each concert on their computer, tablet, smart TV, or phone.
Blake has built a major career since his graduation from William Paterson, touring with multiple artists, including a trio with Dave Holland and Kenny Barron, Michael Brecker, Roy Hargrove, rapper Q Tip, Tom Harrell, and more, and appearing on more than 50 albums, including the Grammy-nominated Mingus Big Band albums Tonight at Noon (2002) and I Am Three (2005).
Winner of the 2006 ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award and an experienced bandleader, Blake is a master at combining the jazz tradition with modernism. His versatility has made him one of the most in-demand drummers on today’s scene. This concert features his band, Pentad, with saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, pianist David Virelles, and bassist Dezron Douglas.
William Paterson University’s Jazz Room series 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 concert will be preceded by “Sittin’ In,” the Jazz Room’s accompanying “meet the artist” concert preview featuring interviews with jazz artists and guest speakers. This informal discussion, free to all Jazz Room ticketholders, begins at 3 p.m., one hour prior to each concert, and will be broadcast on the WP Presents! You Tube channel. Subscribe to the channel here. Submit questions in advance to: jazzroom@wpunj.edu.
Tickets are available at wp-presents.org. Ticket prices are “pay what you want” at $25, $20, $15, and $10 for the public, $8 for non-William Paterson students and the William Paterson community, and free to William Paterson students via a weekly code emailed by faculty. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For additional information, call the Shea Center for Performing Arts Box Office at 973-720-2371 or visit wp-presents.org.
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. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
