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| Francis Johnson Tribute Concert The Francis "Frank" Johnson Tribute Concert, sponsored by the Board of Directors of the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Historic Paul Robeson House, will take place on Sunday, June 3, 2007, at Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, on the University of Pennsylvania campus. The concert will feature both solo and ensemble performances by Grammy award- winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis, the ground-breaking and category-shattering trio Time for Three, and acclaimed trumpeter Rodney Mack and the Philadelphia Big Brass. The program will include compositions by Francis "Frank" Johnson (1792-1844), an African American virtuoso bugle and violin player who was one of America's first composers. Johnson, who performed locally, nationally and internationally, introduced the promenade-style concert which he experienced on his tours to Europe. This form evolved into the style used by orchestras such as the Philly Pops and Boston Pops. In 1837, Johnson and a small group of African American musicians sailed to England to participate in the celebrations marking Queen Victoria's ascent to the British throne. Johnson was the first African American composer to have his works published as sheet music, the first such piece being "A Collection of New Cotillions." He composed more than 300 works. This Tribute Concert is made possible by a grant from the Philadelphia Music Project, a program of the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by the University of the Arts. Tf3 transcends traditional classification, with elements of classical, country western, gypsy and jazz idioms forming a blend all its own. The three members -- Zachary (Zach) De Pue, violin; Nicolas Kendall, violin; and Ranaan Meyer, double bass -- carry a passion for improvisation, composing and arranging -- all prime elements of Tf3¹s playing. Tf3 has performed on many of the nation's important stages, including the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, the 92nd Street Y in New York, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The group recorded the soundtrack to the History Channel's production, The Spanish-American War, and will soon release its third CD, Three Fervent Travelers. The ensemble has begun a major commissioning program to expand its unique repertoire for both symphony orchestras and concert series. One of these projects is a new work being written by Jennifer Higdon, to be premiered by The Philadelphia Orchestra in January, 2008. What started as a trio of musicians who played together for fun while students at the Curtis Institute for Music has evolved into Tf3, a charismatic ensemble with a reputation for limitless enthusiasm and no musical boundaries. Violinists Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall first discovered their mutual love of fiddling in the country/western and bluegrass styles. Then bassist Ranaan Meyer introduced them both to his deep roots in jazz and improvisation. After considerable experimentation, the three officially formed Time for Three, or Tf3 for short. Tf3 has performed in an enormous variety of settings, including Paul Newman's Hole In The Wall Gang Camp Fandango XIV for Whoopi Goldberg, Alec Baldwin, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Joanne Woodward; FOX's "Good Morning Philadelphia" telecast from the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts; the Liberty Awards Ceremony honoring Colin Powell; the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's morning debate banquet for gubernatorial candidates Edward Rendell and Mike Fisher; and Philadelphia's WXPN and WRTI radio broadcasts. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |