|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| The David Leonhardt Jazz Group Plays Gershwin The Frostburg State University Cultural Events Series Jazz Club, sponsored by Kauffman Music, presents the concert “The David Leonhardt Jazz Group Plays Gershwin” at the Windsor Hall in Town Centre in Cumberland on Friday, March 10. The songs of George Gershwin have been a favorite vehicle for jazz improvisation for over half a century. Gershwin came of age when jazz was being formed, when it was a vital music and the voice of a new generation in America. Jazz can be considered America's music of the first half of the 20th century and Gershwin America's song writer of the same era. The melodic elements that dictate the underlying harmonies have inspired countless jazz musicians to creative flights. A highly skilled and versatile jazz pianist and composer, David Leonhardt brings 25 years of professional experience to the stage performing regularly throughout North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He is joined by vocalist, Nancy Reed, who has sung professionally for over 20 years in the clubs of New York and on tour in Europe and the Far East, as well as drummer Taro Okamato, bassist Bill Morning and saxophonist Larry McKenna. The David Leonhardt Jazz Group is a critically acclaimed acoustic ensemble playing a blend of mainstream and modern jazz, including both jazz standards and original compositions. They blend the timeless music of George Gershwin with the improvisation of jazz into an evening of jazz that everyone will enjoy. It’s what the Village Voice calls “first rate jazz.” This performance marks the first presentation by FSU on the stage of Cumberland’s new performance venue, Windsor Hall located at 39 Baltimore St., Cumberland. This project is sponsored by Allegany Aggregates Inc. and a grant from the Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, a program developed and funded by the Vira I. Heinz Endowment; the William Penn Foundation; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency; and The Pew Charitable Trusts; and administered by the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |