Six weeks of syncopation: Stanford Jazz Festival starts June 30: 6/01

NEWS RELEASE

6/19/01

Carma Berglund, associate director, Stanford Jazz Workshop and Festival: (650) 736-0324, cb@stanfordjazz.org
John Sanford, writer, News Service: (650) 736-2151, jsanford@stanford.edu

Six weeks of syncopation: Stanford Jazz Festival starts June 30

For one-and-a-half swinging months, the campus will come alive with jazz performances by big-name musicians and new talent.

The 2001 Stanford Jazz Festival kicks off at 8 p.m. June 30 with a concert featuring a pair of living legends: flute and saxophone player James Moody and pianist Cedar Walton. Moody, a Dizzy Gillespie Band alumnus, and Walton, who played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, will be joined by Bay Area drummer Eddie Marshall and Los Angeles bassist Tony Dumas.

The festival runs through Aug. 11. In addition to longtime musicians such as Kenny Garrett, Sam Rivers, Jimmy Cobb and Christian McBride, some rising starts will take the stage, including jazz pianist and wunderkind Taylor Eigsti, who launched his professional career at age 8 and spent his 16th birthday subbing for the distinguished pianist Marian McPartland.

The festival also will feature the world premiere of Sam Rivers's new composition for big band and the Bay Area premiere of "Miles in Conversation with Quincy Troupe," footage of an interview Davis granted Troupe at the Harlem Studio Museum in 1989.

Free noontime concerts will be held outside Tresidder Union several times a week between July 22 and Aug. 11; informal, late-evening jam sessions also will take place in the Coffee House during that three-week period.

The Stanford Jazz Workshop, which puts on the festival, will award more than $75,000 in scholarships for its jazz camp and 400 festival concert tickets to musicians ages 12 to 17.

A schedule of festival events through July 25 is listed below. For more information, contact the Stanford Jazz Workshop at (650) 736-0324 or visit the Web at www.stanfordjazz.org (a complete events schedule is posted there). Tickets range from $16 to $28 for general admission, and discounts are available for students and seniors. Call (650) 725-2787 or visit www.tickets.com for festival and sampler packages.

Saturday, June 30 EARLY BIRD CONCERT: Jazz for Kids with Jim Nadel & Friends: Campbell Recital Hall. Free. 10:30 a.m. for ages 7 and under; 11:30 a.m. for ages 8 to 12. Educational concerts for kids and their families designed as fun, interactive introductions to instruments and jazz music. Featuring Jim Nadel, Fred Berry and Harold Jones, as well as the St. Lawrence String Quartet.
Saturday, June 30 JAMES MOODY & THE CEDAR WALTON TRIO: 8 p.m., Dinkelspiel Auditorium.
Sunday, July 1 THE MUSIC OF BILLY STRAYHORN with the Stanford Jazz Workshop Orchestra: 7 p.m. pre-concert talk titled "The Music of Billy Strayhorn," with Sonny Buxton (free with concert tickets); 8 p.m. concert, Dinkelspiel Auditorium.
Friday, July 6 CLAUDIA VILLELA & RICARDO PEIXOTO: 8 p.m., Campbell Recital Hall. In her singing, the San Francisco-based vocalist Villela reflects the musical styles and traditions of Brazil. With longtime collaborator Ricardo Peixoto on guitar.
Saturday, July 7 KENNY GARRETT QUARTET: 8 p.m., Dinkelspiel Auditorium. Alto-saxophonist Garrett has performed and recorded with Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw and the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
Sunday, July 8 JON JANG SOLO PIANO: 7:30 p.m., Campbell Recital Hall. Jang is a member of the Beijing Trio (with drummer Max Roach and erhu player Jiebing Chen).
Friday, July 13 THE BOBBY MATOS GROUP WITH JOHN SANTOS: 8 p.m., Dinkelspiel Auditorium. The two percussionists will perform Afro-Cuban rhythms, traditional music and original compositions.
Saturday, July 14 TOM HARRELL QUINTET: 8 p.m., Dinkelspiel Auditorium. This is a rare West Coast performance by trumpet-player and Stanford alumnus Harrell and his New York-based quintet.
Sunday, July 15 GEOFF KEEZER SOLO PIANO: 7:30 p.m., Campbell Recital Hall. Pianist Keezer was only 17 when he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.
Friday, July 20 75 MILES: COMMEMORATING MILES DAVIS' 75TH BIRTHDAY: 7:30 p.m., "From Kind of Blue to Bitches Brew," presentation by Quincy Troupe; 8:45 p.m., screening of Miles in Conversation with Quincy Troupe. Cubberley Auditorium.
Saturday, July 21 KITTY MARGOLIS QUINTET: 8 p.m., Campbell Recital Hall. Jazz singer Margolis is a San Francisco native.
Sunday, July 22 THE JIM CULLUM JAZZ BAND: 7:30 p.m., Dinkelspiel Auditorium. The band has made 45 recordings of traditional jazz.
Monday, July 23 TAYLOR EIGSTI TRIO: 7:30 p.m., Campbell Recital Hall.
Tuesday, July 24 SHERYL BAILEY'S NIGHT OF GUITARS: 7:30 p.m., Campbell Recital Hall. Bailey is a New York-based composer and guitarist.
Wednesday, July 25 THE MUSIC OF ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM: 7:30 p.m., Campbell Recital Hall. Jobim helped launch the Bossa Nova movement and put Ipanema on the map.

-30-

By John Sanford