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| 2006 Tanglewood Jazz Festival Jazz greats highlighting this year’s festival include Wynton Marsalis, the Dave Brubeck Quartet & Symphonette, the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, Marian McPartland, The Big Three Palladium Orchestra and more special guests to be announced. Opening the festival Friday, September 1 at Ozawa Hall will be The Big Three Palladium Orchestra featuring the hot Latin big band music of Cuban orchestra leaders Machito and Tito Rodriguez and led by the maestros’ sons, Machito, Jr., and Tito Rodriguez, Jr. In the 1950’s America fell in love with the mambo and the best place to hear the electrifying music was at the Palladium Ballroom in New York City. Packed crowds came to see the now legendary musical battles that took place between the giants of the genre--Machito, Tito Rodriguez, and Tito Puente, otherwise known as “The Big Three.” The new Big Three Palladium Orchestra--more than 20 musicians and two vocalists--debuted at the Verizon Festival in New York in 2001 and immediately received acclaim from reviewers and audiences. The Chicago Tribune said, “The Big Three Palladium Orchestra may rank as the most brilliant large Latin jazz ensemble this side of Havana.” Their CD, “Live at the Blue Note, NYC, ” was released in 2004 on Rumba Jams Records. Saturday, September 2 will feature the very popular annual visit to Ozawa Hall of pianist, Marian McPartland, known to NPR listeners for her “Piano Jazz” series which turns 28 this year. Marian’s special guest will be announced later this season. Last year’s guest was the exciting jazz vocalist, Madeleine Peyroux. The program is taped live for a future broadcast on NPR. The legendary Wynton Marsalis will take the stage at the Shed Saturday, September 2. Marsalis has been described as the most famous jazz musician of his time and one of he world’s top classical trumpeters, big band leaders, composers, and devoted advocate for the arts. As Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Marsalis was instrumental in the creation of Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, New York’s most prestigious jazz club in Columbus Circle. A member of the highly talented Marsalis family in New Orleans, Wynton, his father, Ellis, and brothers Branford, Jason, and Delfeayo are known as “the first family of jazz.” At age 17, Wynton became the youngest musician ever to be admitted to Tanglewood’s Berkshire Music Center. Despite his youth, he was awarded the school’s prestigious Harvey Shapiro Award for outstanding brass student. Wynton Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awards and the distinction of being the only artist ever to win Grammy Awards for both jazz and classical records and the only artist ever to have won Grammys in five consecutive years. His latest CD, “Live at the House of Tribes, ” was released on Blue Note Records in August, 2005. Sunday, September 3 the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band will bring down the house at Ozawa Hall. Directed by trombonist, Slide Hampton, today’s band features some of the most highly accomplished jazz musicians in the world including Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove, Frank Wess, Claudio Roditti, Antonio Hart, Dennis Mackrel, John Lee, Steve Davis, Gary Smulyan, Andress Boiarsky, Frank Greene, Jason Jackson and Douglas Purviance. They will be joined by special guest vocalist, Roberta Gambarini. Slide Hampton, a master trombonist, composer, arranger and teacher, is a formidable champion of the jazz tradition. His mission to bring jazz to audiences around the world has placed him as the international ambassador of jazz. Hampton worked with Gillespie on and off since the 1960’s spending a significant amount of time with Gillespie starting in 1988 while serving as musical director, along with Paquito D’Rivera, of the United Nations Orchestra. Hampton also served as musical director for “Dizzy’s Diamond Jubilee, ” a year-long celebration in honor of Gillespie’s 75th birthday. Jazz giant and Tanglewood favorite, Dave Brubeck closes the festival Sunday, September 3 at Ozawa Hall with his legendary quartet and a rare performance of the quartet playing with a string symphonette. This unique program, last performed at Tanglewood in 2004, was breathtaking and closed the festival with rave reviews. The Dave Brubeck Quartet includes Randy Jones (drums), Bobby Militello (reeds), and Michael Moore (bass). write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |