Bill Evans Jazz Festival presents jazz luminaries, faculty, students
Contact: Christina Chapple
2/7/06
HAMMOND--Southeastern Louisiana University will present performances by jazz greats, Southeastern alumni, and its own faculty and student ensembles during the fifth annual Bill Evans Jazz Festival, Feb. 20-23.
“The festival is a tribute to jazz icon and Southeastern alumnus Bill Evans, and will feature the Leon Anderson Trio, faculty and student jazz ensembles, the Andy Laverne Duo, and a performance by the Navy Band of New Orleans Jazz Ensemble,” said David Evenson, head of the Department of Music and Dramatic Arts.
All festival events are free and will take place in Southeastern’s Pottle Music Building Auditorium.
"This year’s Bill Evans Jazz Festival is a bit more diverse than past efforts,” said festival organizer Richard Schwartz, Southeastern’s director of Jazz Studies. “The festival is an extraordinarily exciting time at Southeastern and anyone who enjoys good music will not want to miss this.”
Evans, who graduated from Southeastern with honors in 1950, recorded more than 70 albums, won seven Grammy Awards and earned an international following. Throughout his life, he fondly remembered his college years, calling his time at Southeastern the happiest period of his life. He returned to campus for a concert 30 years after his graduation, shortly before his death in 1980. Southeastern named Evans its first “Alumnus of the Year” in 1969.
Headliners for this year’s festival are the Andy Laverne Duo and the Leon Anderson Trio. Anderson is a 1996 graduate of Southeastern and was named the College of Arts and Sciences Alumnus of the Year in 2005. Pianist Andy Laverne, a former student of Bill Evans, will be joined by noted jazz guitarist John Abercrombie.
Anderson, director of Jazz Studies at Florida State University, will be joined by fellow FSU faculty members pianist Kevin Bales and bassist Rodney Jordan for a 7:30 p.m. concert on Feb. 21.
The Andy Laverne Duo’s Feb. 23 concert at 7:30 p.m. will be the festival’s climax. In addition to studying privately with Evans, LaVerne has studied at Julliard, Berklee, and the New England Conservatory. Guitarist John Abercrombie, who has recorded with Gil Evans, Gato Barbieri, Barry Miles, Jack DeJohnette; bassist Dave Holland and many other artists, joins him for this performance.
In addition to the festival’s concerts, the campus and community are also invited to open rehearsals by the Leon Anderson Trio on Feb. 21 at 2 p.m., the Southeastern Faculty and Guest Jazz Quartet on Feb. 22 at 5 p.m., Open Rehearsal: The Southeastern Faculty and Guest Jazz Quartet, and the Andy LaVerne Due on Feb. 23 at 4 p.m.
The festival schedule also includes:
Feb. 20, 4 p.m., Navy Band of New Orleans Jazz Ensemble. The Navy Band of New Orleans is a 20-member group dedicated to performing big band music. The band appears in public concerts and at military functions, delighting audiences throughout the Gulf Coast region.
Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., The Southeastern One O’clock and Two O’clock Big Bands. Made up of some of Southeastern's finest music students, the ensembles will perform selections composed or made famous by Duke Ellington, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bill Evans, Ray Charles, Miles Davis, and Phil Woods. Flute soloist for the evening is Southeastern music faculty member Nicole McPherson.
Feb. 21, 4 p.m., The Southeastern Faculty and Non-Music Faculty Jazz Ensemble. Southeastern professors who teach a subject other than music join in on the fun. “Students might be amazed to see and hear their math or chemistry teacher in this event,” said Schwartz. “We are also fortunate to have music faculty members including Henry Jones, Dave Carbonara, and Kevin Estoque perform in what should be a blazing evening.
Feb. 22, 4 p.m., The Southeastern Jazz Combos. This concert will feature a wide variety of jazz classics from composers such as "Fats" Waller, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock. “The audience will witness young Southeastern musicians in an improvisational setting,” Schwartz said.
Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., The Southeastern Faculty and Guests Jazz Quartet. “It has become a tradition to invite music faculty from nearby universities to come and perform at the festival,” said Schwartz. A saxophonist, Schwartz will be joined for this concert by bassist William Grimes of Louisiana State University, drummer Harrell Bosarge of University of Southern Mississippi and Southeastern guitar student Wilson Marks.
Feb. 23, 2 p.m., High School Workshop: The Andy Laverne Duo. In this special educational and interactive event for young musicians, jazz bands Mandeville, Fontainebleau, and North Shore High Schools will perform and then be rehearsed by the headlining act, the Andy LaVerne and John Abercrombie Duo.
Feb. 23, 5 p.m., High School Workshop. Southeastern faculty will hold master classes for the participating high school jazz musicians.
For additional information on the Bill Evans Jazz Festival, contact Schwartz or the Department of Music and Dramatic Arts, 985-549-2184.
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