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Vanguard Jazz Orchestra Performs as Part of Fall Jazz Room at William Paterson University on November 16

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, a 16-piece powerhouse jazz ensemble that shares a close history and mission with William Paterson University Jazz Studies Program, will perform as part of the University’s fall 2014 Jazz Room on Sunday, November 16, 2014, at 4 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus.

Prior to the concert, members of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra will be guests for “Sittin’ In,” an informal discussion about jazz, at 3 p.m. in Shea Center 101. Admission is free to all Jazz Room ticket holders. Tickets are available in advance at the Shea Center Box Office at 973.720.2371 or wp-presents.org for $15 general, $12 for senior citizens and William Paterson faculty, staff, and alumni, $8 for non-William Paterson students, and free for William Paterson students with valid I.D. There will be an additional $3 charge for tickets purchased on show day.

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra was founded by the legendary trumpeter/arranger Thad Jones who also founded the William Paterson Jazz Studies Program. Both the orchestra and the University are very involved in the performance and preservation of Thad Jones’s music via their collaboration on the Thad Jones Archive at William Paterson.  The orchestra includes three William Paterson faculty members: tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, pianist Jim McNeely, and trombonist/spokesperson John Mosca. This concert promises a good representation of Thad Jones’s genius including some rarely performed selections.

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.

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