William Paterson University Presents Jazz on the Plaza in Conjunction with University’s Summer Jazz Room Series Jazz on the Plaza performers include: The Jazz Workshop Staff Quintet on July 18; the Alex Stein Quintet on July 19; the Duane Eubanks 4tet on July 20; Brandon McCune and Rhythm of the Moment of July 21; and Bruce Williams’ More To Go Quartet on July 22. Jazz on the Plaza will host hour-long performances each evening from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., weather permitting, on the Shea Center Plaza as a pre-show for the 23rd annual Summer Jazz Room. This free outdoor concert will have open seating. There will be a cookout on Friday; food will be available for purchase. The opening night of the series will highlight the Jazz Workshop Staff Quintet on Monday, July 18. On Tuesday, July 19, the Alex Stein Quintet will showcase their blend of bebop, hard bop, standards and originals, all with an emphasis on melody and swing. Stein is an alumnus of WP’s Jazz Performance graduate program, and longtime student of the great Barry Harris. The Duane Eubanks 4tet will perform on Wednesday, July 20. Eubanks is a member of Dave Holland’s two-time Grammy Award-winning big band and the late Mulgrew Miller’s band, Wingspan. He has showcased his trumpet skills at the Hollywood Bowl, Birdland and the Kennedy Center in addition to tours throughout Europe and Japan. Eubanks is also a recipient of the 2013 Philadelphia Education Fund EDDY Award. On Thursday, July 21, Brandon McCune and Rhythm of the Moment will headline the Shea Plaza. McCune was selected through a national audition as a 1998-‘99 U.S. Jazz Ambassador to Africa, where he traveled representing the United States performing public and private concerts, and presenting master classes and workshops. McCune has also worked with artists Abbey Lincoln, Terence Blanchard, Nneena Freelon, Betty Carter, Miki Howard and Wynton Marsalis. Bruce Williams’ More To Go Quartet will conclude the series on Friday, July 22. Williams has worked with artists Little Jimmy Scott, Frank Foster, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Stanley Cowell, Louis Smith, Cecil Brooks III, The Count Basie Orchestra and Roy Hargrove, to name a few. He has been an honored recipient of awards from DownBeat magazine and The Charlie Parker Music and More Foundation. He has performed on two Grammy-nominated recordings, and at venues in the United States, Europe, the West Indies and Japan. William Paterson’s 23rd annual Summer Jazz Room series is funded, in part, by grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. For more information, contact the Shea Center Box Office at 973-720-2371 or visit wp-presents.com. 07/11/2016 07/10/16
