INFORMATION FOR
Virtuoso saxophonist and flutist Steve Wilson will perform as soloist with the William Paterson Jazz Orchestra on Sunday, March 8, 2026 as part of the William Paterson University Jazz Room series. The concert begins at 3:00 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus.
Wilson first gained recognition in the Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra and the Mingus Big Band. Since then, he has become widely recognized as one of the most respected jazz performers on the scene. He has been a member of ensembles led by Dave Holland, Helen Sung, and Rufus Reid; Chick Corea’s Origins Quintet; and an all-star ensemble formed to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records. Primarily an alto player, he is also recognized as one of the leading performers on the challenging soprano saxophone. This concert will feature the premiere performances of several arrangements created for Wilson by William Paterson graduate student arrangers.
His virtuosity will be paired with the WP Jazz Orchestra, an 18-member big band that performs a wide variety of music from composers from the 1930s to today. The ensemble has existed since 1965 and performs with a well-known guest soloist each semester.
The WP Jazz Orchestra will be led by Dr. Mitch Butler, who joined the University as coordinator of jazz studies in September 2025. Butler is a trombonist, composer, and arranger. He has also been a trombonist for the international award-winning jazz group JazzBonez and has performed and/or recorded with musical greats such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Curtis Fuller, Tia Fuller, Derrick Gardner, Robert Glasper, Slide Hampton, Andre Hayward, Conrad Herwig, Brad Leali, Branford Marsalis, Bob Mintzer, Melton Mustafa, Dick Oates, Kenny Rampton, Rufus Reid, Herlin Riley, Stephen Riley, Darius Rucker, Grady Tate, Billy Taylor, Gregory Tardy, Fred Wesley, and many others.
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 the Shea Recital Hall.
Tickets are $20 for the general public, $18 for WP faculty, staff, alumni, and senior citizens, and $10 for non-WP students. WP students are admitted free with ID. 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 has been a flagship of jazz education for more than 50 years and is recognized internationally for its Jazz Studies Program and nationally acclaimed Jazz Room series of concerts each fall and spring.
The 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. The program draws students from across the United States and abroad under the current direction of Grammy Award-winning pianist Bill Charlap.
Upcoming spring Jazz Room performers include guitarist John Pizzarelli who presents “Dear Mr. Bennett” on Sunday, March 29, honoring the songs and centennial of Tony Bennett. Saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera performs with the William Paterson Latin Jazz Ensemble on Sunday, May 3.
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.
