Derrick Gardner and Kevin Fort, conductors
Cedar Walton was a hard bop jazz pianist who came to prominence as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. His compositions “Firm Roots,” “Bolivia,” “Holy Land,” “Mode for Joe,” and “Cedar’s Blues” have become classics in the jazz canon, and in 2010 Walton was inducted as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master. Trombonist, composer, and arranger J. J. Johnson was among the earliest musicians to embrace the bebop genre. A member of the Benny Carter orchestra and the Count Basie big band, he also performed with Max Roach, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis. Johnson later became active in the Third Stream movement, fusing jazz with elements of classical music. Enjoy the music of these two jazz giants, performed by the Derrick Gardner and Kevin Fort ensembles.
Kevin Fort Ensemble
J. J. Johnson (arr. Eli Sullivan), Enigma
J. J. Johnson (arr. Calvin Simmers), In Walked Horace
J. J. Johnson (arr. Ikenna Eze), Lament
David Raskin and Johnny Mercer (arr. Evan Steinkoler), “Laura”
J. J. Johnson (arr. William Lewis), Wee Dot
Derrick Gardner Ensemble
Cedar Walton (arr. Dante Villasenor), Ojos De Rojo
Cedar Walton (arr. Jack Beckner), Midnight Waltz
Cedar Walton (arr. Ethan Bouwsma), Martha’s Prize
Cedar Walton (arr. Brandon Harper), The Maestro
Cedar Walton (arr. Jason Zhu), Head and Shoulders
Cost: Tickets are $6 for the general public and $4 for students with valid ID.
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