Free admission and open to the public.
Steve Wilson is one of the great alto saxophonists on the scene today—and truly one of the premiere soprano saxophone performers as well. He is the lead alto saxist in the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra and toured internationally for years with the great Chick Corea Origins group. He has collaborated with such celebrated musicians as Dave Holland, Cyrus Chestnut, Nicholas Payton, Orrin Evans, and Lewis Nash, and has long been involved at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC through Dr. Billy Taylor. Wilson’s career was closely intertwined with former WP jazz directors Mulgrew Miller and James Williams, and we are proud that he was a member of our adjunct faculty for a number of years. He is on the faculty at City College, CUNY and at the prestigious Ravinia Festival.
Each Jazz Room concert is preceded by Sittin’ In Meet-the-Artist session in Shea 101 Recital Hall one hour prior to performances. Sittin’ In is free to all ticket holders. This gives audience members the rare opportunity to meet and interact with the artist of the day in an intimate setting.
Admission: $15 General Public • $12 WP community & senior citizens • $8 Non-WP students • WP Students admitted free with ID • $5 additional charge on show day per ticket.
WP New Music Series presents Mantra Percussion in performance, featuring a preview of Matt Mcbane’s Terrain. Mantra Percussion, Inc. is a future-focused organization committed to a lasting influence on percussion music through the creation of new works by living composers and creators from across the social spectrum — establishing lasting relationships with our collaborators; by developing equitable music communities through collaboration, support, and concert presenting; by mentoring new generations of diverse artists to significantly reshape the classical music landscape; and by engaging audiences through immersive, evening-length events that convey a grander artistic vision.
Acclaimed percussion ensemble Mantra Percussion will be in residence at WP for the 2023-2024 academic year. Their residency includes performances, masterclasses, and ensemble coaching.
WP students and faculty collaborate with artificial intelligence to write an opera.
Christopher Herbert and Payton MacDonald, producers
FREE
WP Pianists present an evening of keyboard music commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the passing of William Byrd. Additional selections of the baroque and galant styles, including rarely heard compositions from the Chiquitos and Moxos Missions, round out this program of some of the earliest pieces written for keyboards.
Creative new music for mixed ensembles, based on musical scores that use pictures, text, pictograms, music notation, text, and more
The WP Wind Symphony and Chamber Winds, present a Side-by-Side concert with the Wayne Valley High School Wind Symphony. Featuring standard wind band repertoire, along with music by new and emerging composers, this will be an exciting culminating performance you won’t want to miss!
At a moment when musical streams are crossing with unprecedented frequency, it’s crucial to remember that throughout its history, New Orleans has been the point at which sounds and cultures from around the world converge, mingle, and resurface, transformed by the Crescent City’s inimitable spirit and joie de vivre. Nowhere is that idea more vividly embodied than in the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which has held the torch of New Orleans music aloft for morethan60years, all the while carrying it enthusiastically forward as a reminder that the history they were founded to preserve is a vibrantly living history. PHJB marches that tradition forward once again on So It Is. The album redefines what New Orleans music means today by tapping into a sonic continuum that stretches back to the city’s Afro-Cuban roots, through its common ancestry with the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti and the Fire Music of Pharoah Sanders and John Coltrane, and forward to cutting-edge artists with whom the PHJB have shared festival stages from Coachella to Newport, including legends like Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello and the Grateful Dead and modern giants like Beck, The Foo Fighters, My Morning Jacket, and the Black Keys.
Admission: Gold Circle $57, Orchestra/Front Loge $53, Rear Loge $47
Colin Hay first came to international fame with seminal ’80s hitmakers Men At Work. While the band would reach the heights of stardom—they took home a GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist and sold more than 30 million records worldwide on the strength of #1 singles like “Who Can It Be Now?” and “Down Under”—by 1985, they’d called it quits and gone their separate ways. Hay released his solo debut the following year and, over the course of the next three-and-a-half decades, went on to record twelve more critically acclaimed studio albums that would help establish him as one of his generation’s most hardworking and reliable craftsmen. Rolling Stone praised his “witty, hooky pop” tunes, while NPR’s World Café lauded his “distinctive voice.”.Hay’s performances are likewise buoyant and full of life, drawing on vintage pop charm, pub rock muscle, and folk sincerity to forge a sound that’s at once playful and profound, clever and compassionate, whimsical and earnest. Over the course of his remarkable solo career, Hay developed a reputation as a gifted raconteur with serious comedy chops, and his frequent appearances at LA’s Largo club helped garner him a legion of fans in the entertainment world. Among them was actor/director Zach Braff, who called Hay’s mix of heartfelt songwriting and hilarious storytelling “one of the most amazing things I had ever seen.” Braff would go on to feature Hay’s music prominently in the GRAMMY-winning soundtrack for Garden State and invite him to appear as himself on the hit series Scrubs, which helped introduce his music to a whole new generation of listeners.On top of his rigorous schedule as a solo artist, Hay has also managed to tour the world several times over with Ringo Starr & His All–Star Band, release an audiobook of Aesop’s Fables, star in the award-winning documentary Waiting For My Real Life, and even provide the voice for Fergus Flamingo in Disney’s The Wild.His latest project born out of the pandemic, Now And The Evermore, was released in 2022. This extraordinary solo album faces down struggle, lose, and mortality with grit and wit. Who knows what happens when we die? Perhaps our consciousness lingers on long after we leave our bodies. Perhaps the curtains simply close and the show ends for good. Regardless, Now And The Evermore reminds us that we’re all alive right here, right now. For Colin Hay, that’s plenty to smile about.Admission: Gold Circle $85, Orchestra/Front Loge $65, Rear Loge $50
The internationally acclaimed pianist, composer and humanitarian, Keiko Matsui, has worked with everyone from Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Bob James, and Hugh Masekela. There is a reason why the stunning, soft-spoken, and petite powerhouse with such a commanding presence at the piano has amassed a devout following through the years. “When I tour around the world and witness how my music cuts through our differences and connects everyone, it makes me feel euphoric!” exclaims Keiko. Keiko harnesses this joy on her anticipated new and 30th recording Euphoria(Shanachie Entertainment). She enlists an all-star contingency of special guests including vocalist, and daughter of Donny Hathaway, Lalah Hathaway, trumpeter Randy Brecker, guitarist Mike Stern, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, vibist Joel Ross, harmonica player Grégoire Maret and pianist/arranger John Beasley. Keiko is also joined by her touring band, bassist Rico Belled, guitarist JP Mourao and drummer Jimmy Branly, who she credits for making the rigors of touring bearable. Euphoria promises to be a watershed moment for Keiko as she has poured her heart and soul into this project and the result is an utterly inspiring and epic statement. Keiko declares, “At the core of this album is beauty, strength, energy, love, and hope. These are all the things in life that we need to move forward on a new path. This music is dedicated to a new era.”
She recalls, “I unconsciously receive inspiration from the things around me, like people I meet while traveling, events happening in the world, the news or the movies,” explains the pianist. A master storyteller, Keiko Matsui crafts passionate, emotive, and timeless anthems colored with rich harmonies and global rhythms. From tender love songs to reggae-tinged and soul-stirring tracks to stunning melodies and cascading piano, Keiko Matsui’s draws from many influences and appeals to fans from all backgrounds.
Her music was prominently featured in Say It, Fight It, Cure It, a Lifetime special profiling several courageous women battling breast cancer. Her 1998 album release Full Moon And The Shrine was accompanied by the acclaimed PBS-TV special Keiko Matsui: Light Above The Trees.Keiko Matsui’s CD Deep Blue (2001) topped Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz charts for three consecutive weeks. She is the first Japanese artist to achieve this honor.
Keiko who masters the delicate balance between career and motherhood (she has two daughters) feels an urgency to leave the world a better place for future generations. “I want to make a positive impact for children in this generation and the future. Keiko succeeds in conjuring a harmonious affair on Euphoria. As a humanitarian, Keiko strongly supports causes that resonate with her. She dedicates her music to show gratitude and give back. In 2004 the title track of Keiko’s Wildflower was used to support the United Nations World Food Programme’s efforts in Africa. Keiko has also collaborated with Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches (A3M) in numerous charity concerts. In addition, proceeds from her 2001 mini-CD, A Gift of Life, went to The National Donor Program and Marrow Foundation in support of A3M.
The highly sought-after pianist continues to solidify her place as one of the most significant and thrilling pianists in contemporary jazz. Keiko concludes, “During the past few years, I have witnessed the loss of life and seen people's sadness and it has been really painful, but it has helped to remind me of the precious gift of time and the importance of gratitude for what I have now,” confides Keiko.” “Euphoria is my gift to my fans around the world.”
Admission: Gold Circle $60, Orchestra/Front Loge $53, Rear Loge $47
A Golden Oldies Extravaganza featuring Bobby Wilson, The Duprees, The Vogues, The Drifters, Dennis Tufano of the Buckinghams, Bob Miranda and The Happenings, The 1910 Fruit Gum Company, and The Chiclettes
Hosted by Vinnie Medugno of Music Radio 77 WABC
Come see your favorite acts as they perform their greatest hits backed by the famous Coda Band.
Tickets: Orchestra $79, Loge $69
Emerging Superstar and Latin Grammy Award nominee Daniela Darcourt comes to Wayne, NJ for her Shea Center Debut.Reserved Seating: Gold Circle $99 . Rear Orchestra $89 . Front Loge $89. Rear Loge $79Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended. There is an additional $5 charge PER TICKET if purchased at the box office on the evening of the show.
This performance is being sold to full capacity. Please take your personal comfort level into consideration prior to purchasing tickets.
William Paterson University
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, New Jersey 07470
973-720-2000
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