Saxophonist and Composer Jerry Dodgion to Perform with William Paterson University Big Band in Jazz Room Concert on November 15 Jerry Dodgion, the jazz saxophonist and composer, will perform on Sunday, November 15, 2015, at William Paterson University. The event begins at 4:00 p.m. in the University’s Shea Center for Performing Arts. Prior to the concert, Dodgion will be the guest for “Sittin’ In,” an informal discussion about jazz, at 3 p.m. in Shea Center. Admission to “Sittin’ In” is free to all Jazz Room ticket holders. Tickets for the performance 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. This concert showcases Dodgion’s saxophone and compositions, including his widely played tune Thank You and his arrangement of Marian McPartland’s Ambience. Dodgion was a member of the original Thad Jones-Mel Lewis sax section in 1966. His lengthy résumé includes a number of other historic roles, including a 1962 Soviet Union tour with Benny Goodman’s band, his gigs accompanying Billie Holliday as a member of the Vernon Alley quintet, and a featured role on one of Frank Sinatra’s few small-group recordings. He has long been a greatly in-demand sideman, whether for jazz combos, big bands or studio work. He has performed with virtually everyone on the music scene and many of the leading big bands, including Count Basie, Duke Pearson, Gerald Wilson, Quincy Jones, Oliver Nelson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Dizzy Gillespie, the American Jazz Orchestra with John Lewis, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and Ron Carter. 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. 10/26/15
