INFORMATION FOR
Alto and soprano saxophonist Alexa Tarantino, who is rapidly establishing herself as one of the most respected young saxophonists on the scene today, will perform at William Paterson University in Wayne on Sunday, April 7 as part of the spring 2024 Jazz Room series. The concert begins at 3:00 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus.
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 2:00 p.m. in Shea Recital Hall 101.
The Jazz Room, William Paterson University’s long-running performance series, features a wide variety of today’s most exciting jazz musicians during the spring 2024 season. Upcoming performances include trumpeter Peter Nater with the WP Latin Jazz Ensemble on April 14; a Wingspan reunion concert on April 28; and the Martin Wind All-Star Quartet with Scott Robinson, Jim McNeely, and Matt Wilson on May 5.
Tarantino is the newest member of the award-winning super-group ARTEMIS. Originally from Hartford, she earned degrees from Eastman and Juilliard, and went on to be a member with DIVA Jazz Orchestra. She has since performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and Cecile McLorine Salvant.
Her solo albums have become best-sellers, most recently featuring drummer Ulysses Owens and pianist Christian Sands, and she was nominated as a “Rising Star” in several recent DownBeat magazine Critics Polls. Her positive energy as a leader, composer, educator, and performer will be evident in this performance.
Tickets are $15 for the general public, $12 for WP faculty, staff, alumni, and senior citizens, $8 for non-WP students, and WP students are admitted free. Tickets are an additional $5 if purchased on show day. For tickets or additional information, visit wp-presents.org, or contact the Shea Center Box Office at 973.720.2371 or boxoffice@wpunj.edu.
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 recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The program draws students from across the United States and abroad under the current direction of Grammy Award-winning 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.
