Mulgrew Miller and Wingspan at William Paterson University

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Pianist Mulgrew Miller and Wingspan to Perform in Jazz Room Series at William Paterson University on Sunday, February 26, 2006 -Miller was recently appointed director of the Jazz Studies Program at William Paterson University Mulgrew Miller, a jazz pianist and composer of international stature and the new director of the jazz studies program at William Paterson University, will perform with his group Wingspan as part of the University's Jazz Room Series on the campus in Wayne, N.J. on Sunday, February 26, 2006. Prior to the concert, Miller and members of the group will be the guests for “Sittin In, ” an informal discussion about jazz.

Miller has been featured on more than 400 recordings. He made his first recording as a leader in 1985 for producer Orrin Keepnews's former label, Landmark, and has recorded as a leader of his own trios and quintets for RCA/Novus. His most recent recordings, on MaxJazz, include Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 1 (2004), Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2 (2004) and The Sequel (2003).

He is a veteran of tours and recordings with such ensembles as Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, three years with the Woody Shaw Quintet, three years with the Mercer Ellington Orchestra and over six years with the Tony Williams Quintet. He regularly tours throughout the world and in 1997, toured Japan with some of the most prestigious names in jazz piano called “100 Gold Fingers, ” including Tommy Flanagan, Ray Bryant and Kenny Barron. Other innovative projects include his work with the late Danish jazz bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson and a commission to compose a special work for the Dayton Dance Company. He was named director of the Jazz Studies Program at William Paterson University in January 2006.

Now in its 28th year of exciting performances, The Jazz Room is one of the largest and most prestigious college-sponsored jazz events in the country. Performers include renowned professionals who encompass the complete spectrum of jazz, from practitioners of traditional jazz to avant-garde to bebop to swing to Afro-Latin jazz as well as William Paterson's own student ensembles. The series has won numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for its innovative programming.

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