American jazz vibraphonist and marimba player Steve Nelson will be joined by the William Paterson Jazz Orchestra directed by David Demsey for the final concert of the Spring 2020 Jazz Room Series at William Paterson University in Wayne on Sunday, April 26.
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.
Nelson is a versatile jazz performer and veteran of Dave Holland’s acclaimed Quintet and longtime collaborator with the late Mulgrew Miller as a member of his Wingspan group. Nelson has been recording music since 1987 and has performed with Kenny Barron, David “Fathead” Newman, Johnny Griffin and Jackie McLean.
The 18-piece WP Jazz Orchestra will be directed by David Demsey and will feature master’s student arrangements of Nelson’s compositions that are written especially for this concert. Nelson will also perform his own interpretations of jazz classics and standards.
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.
William Paterson University
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, New Jersey 07470
973-720-2000
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