Randy Weston at the University of Nevada

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Opening the University of Nevada, Reno's 2006-07 Performing Arts Series, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006 in Nightingale Concert Hall, Randy Weston's African Rhythms Quintet with the Master Gnawa Musicians of Morocco will perform work the Chicago Tribune has described as "consistently magisterial." Weston's quintet includes bassist Alex Blake, percussionist Neil Clarke, saxophonist T.K. Blue and trombonist Benny Powell. Their appearance is part of the NEA Jazz Masters on Tour, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, sponsored by Verizon in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Born in New York City and encouraged from a young age to study his African heritage, Weston now celebrates African influences -- found in bossa nova, samba, calypso, the blues -- by exploring the connections that resonate between traditional music of Africa and modern American jazz.

A disciple of Thelonious Monk, Weston began recording in the 1950s. During the late '60s Weston lived in Morocco, immersed in Arabic music and cultural crosscurrents that have colored his work for decades. His 1991 masterpiece, "The Spirits of Our Ancestors, " is an homage to that musical confluence.

In 1999 he recorded Spirit! The Power of Music, featuring the Gnawa Master Musicians of Morocco, who also toured with Weston. Of one of their typical live performances, he said, "What was so wonderful was that we had three religions--Christianity, Islam and Yoruba--in the music, and the church was packed with people. It was so spiritual."

"Weston has the biggest sound of any jazz pianist since Ellington and Monk, as well as the richest, most inventive beat, " said jazz critic Stanley Crouch. "But his art is more than projection and time; it's the result of a studious and inspired intelligence that is creating a fresh synthesis of African elements with jazz technique."

Named by DownBeat Magazine as "Composer of the Year" in 1994, 1996 and 1999, Weston has also been recognized with a number of national and international awards, including the prestigious French Order of Arts and Letters, one of France's highest honors.

In recognition of his enormous commitment to music, Weston was named in 2001 to the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship, the highest honor the United States bestows upon a jazz musician. Each year since 1982, the program has elevated to its ranks a select number of living legends who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz.

"Weston is a true master, " said C.J. Walters, director of the University's Performing Arts Series. "The University is proud of its partnership with the NEA, which allows a wider audience to see, hear and learn from such a national treasure as Randy Weston."

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