An Evening Of Words And Music Celebrating The Life Of Trumpet Legend Lew Soloff

contents

jazz

A celebration of the life and music of Lew Soloff, is scheduled for Monday, June 8, 2015 at the John C. Borden Auditorium, located at the Manhattan School of Music. This event is free to the public and begins at 7:00 p.m.

Lew Soloff, a quintessential part of the New York jazz scene since the early 1960s, passed away suddenly on March 8, 2015, after spending the day with daughters Laura Solomon and Lena Soloff. "The jazz community is deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of this beloved musician and the event will honor his legacy and prominent reputation in the music world, " says Noah Evans, the event's producer.

The evening's musical director will be Soloff's longtime friend, Paul Shaffer. The program will include many musical guests and speakers, plus a visual montage of Soloff's life and career. "Lew's gift was his sense of humor and his improvisational chops, " notes Shaffer. "We will be sure to spotlight both during this special occasion to salute this special man."

For nearly 20 years, Soloff was part of the Jazz Arts faculty at Manhattan School of Music (MSM), and the school has graciously offered to host the memorial. MSM and the John C. Borden Auditorium are located at 120 Claremont Avenue (entrance on West 122nd Street, West of Broadway), New York, New York 10027.

For further information please contact Caryn Freitag, Communications and Public Relations Associate, at MSM, (917) 493-4536 or cfreitag@msmnyc.edu.

Soloff was known as a virtuoso with tremendous range and superior technical command, with wisdom for quietness and melody. He was proficient on trumpet, flugelhorn, Harmon mute, plunger mute and was particularly recognized for his work on piccolo trumpet. Soloff was an in-demand player and had important musical associations with Gil Evans, Ornette Coleman, Carla Bley, Marianne Faithful, Maynard Ferguson and the groundbreaking group Blood, Sweat &Tears, to name a few. His studio work crossed all genres, including sessions with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Lionel Hampton, Kip Hanrahan, Dr. John, Paul Simon and Lou Reed. Soloff was also a respected bandleader, touring the world with his own quartet and releasing eight solo recordings.

For those who would like to honor Soloff's memory, tax-deductible contributions at all levels may be made to Manhattan School of Music with donations going toward the school's Jazz Arts Program. MSM hopes to create an endowed scholarship in Soloff's name, thus recognizing in perpetuity this extraordinary musician's indelible contributions, while also supporting young musicians.

More information on participating guest artists at the June 8 celebration will be released shortly. Please visit lewsoloff.com for updates and access to a complete biography.

write your comments about the article :: © 2015 Jazz News :: home page