  
|
 |
The Bill Charlap Trio Opens Carnegie Hall’s 2008-09 The Shape of Jazz Series, 12/10
|
Carnegie Hall News
Back to Press Release List > 11/03/2008 - The Bill Charlap Trio Opens Carnegie Hall’s 2008-09 The Shape of Jazz Series, 12/10
Most current program information 
CARNEGIE HALL’S THE SHAPE OF JAZZ SERIES OPENS WITH
JAZZ PIANIST BILL CHARLAP AND HIS TRIO IN ZANKEL HALL ON DECEMBER 10
Bill Charlap Trio’s Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein
Part of Citywide Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds Festival
Series also Includes the John Scofield Trio Featuring the ScoHorns on February 4
and Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater on March 18
On Wednesday, December 10 at 8:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall, modern jazz pianist Bill Charlap leads his trio—featuring drummer Kenny Washington and bassist Peter Washington—through unique interpretations of the Leonard Bernstein songbook in a program titled Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein. The trio’s Grammy Award nominated album of the same name is part of Charlap’s continued exploration of American composers and features jazz reworkings of “Cool” and “America” from West Side Story as well as selections from On the Town, Wonderful Town, Fancy Free, and Candide. This performance, which is the penultimate concert of the citywide festival Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds, also opens Carnegie Hall’s 2008–2009 The Shape of Jazz series, presented in partnership with Absolutely Live Entertainment, LLC.
The series continues next year with jazz guitar innovator John Scofield leading his trio that features drummer Bill Stewart and bassist Matt Penman in a performance in Zankel Hall on Wednesday, February 4 at 8:30 p.m. Performing material from his latest recording, Scofield and his trio will be joined by the 3-part horn section, the ScoHorns, with Philip Grenadier (trumpet and flugelhorn), Frank Vacin (bass clarinet and baritone saxophone), and Tom Olin (alto/tenor saxophone and flute).
Grammy and Tony Award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater closes out the 2008–2009 The Shape of Jazz series with a performance on Wednesday, March 18 at 8:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall. This concert is part of Carnegie Hall’s festival Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy, curated by renowned soprano Jessye Norman from March 4 through 29, 2009.
About the Artists
Bill Charlap was born in New York City into a musical family. His father, Moose Charlap, was a Broadway composer and songwriter whose credits included the scores to Peter Pan, The Conquering Hero, Whoop-up, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Kelly. Charlap began playing the piano at a very young age, studying with jazz pianist Jack Reilly and classical pianist Eleanor Hancock and informally picked up pointers from jazz/popular song pianist Dick Hyman. He was fully thrust into the jazz world in the late 1980s when he joined baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's quintet and in 1994 was enlisted by alto saxophonist Phil Woods for his band. Charlap started his solo recording career in 1994 and has since released several albums. In 1996, he began playing with his fine working trio of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. The group has recorded five CDs: 1997's All Through the Night, 2000's Written in the Stars (a collection of Great American Songbook standards), 2002's Stardust (celebrating the songs of Hoagy Carmichael), 2004's Grammy-nominated Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein, for which the trio received a Grammy Award nomination, and most recently The Bill Charlap Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard, which was also nominated for a Grammy Award.
John Scofield is considered one of the "big three" of current jazz guitarists with a sound and style that generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk-edged jazz, and R&B. Born in Ohio and raised in suburban Connecticut, Scofield took up the guitar at age 11, inspired by both rock and blues players. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, and after a debut recording with Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, he was a member of the Billy Cobham/George Duke band for two years. In 1977 he recorded with Charles Mingus and joined the Gary Burton quartet. From 1982–1985, Scofield toured and recorded with Miles Davis, which placed him firmly in the foreground of jazz consciousness as a player and composer. Since that time he has led his own groups in the international jazz scene and recorded over 30 albums as a leader, including collaborations with Pat Metheny; Charlie Haden; Eddie Harris; Medeski, Martin & Wood; Bill Frisell; Brad Mehldau; Mavis Staples; Government Mule; Jack DeJohnette; Joe Lovano; and Phil Lesh. He has also played and recorded with Tony Williams, Jim Hall, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Dave Holland, and Terumasa Hino, among many other jazz legends.
Jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater has received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for The Wiz and been nominated for the London theater’s West End equivalent, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Lady Day. She has won two 1998 Grammy Awards—for Best Jazz Vocal Performance and Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal and received France’s top honor Victoire de la Musique in 1998 for “Best Jazz Vocal Album.” Bridgewater captured the hearts of audiences when she made her New York debut in 1970 as the lead vocalist for the band led by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis. Her early years in New York featured concerts and recordings with such giants as Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Max Roach, and Roland Kirk, and collaborations with Norman Connors, Stanley Clarke, and Frank Foster’s "Loud Minority."
Program Information
Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
BILL CHARLAP TRIO
Bill Charlap, Piano
Kenny Washington, Drums
Peter Washington, Bass
SOMEWHERE: THE SONGS OF LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Major funding for Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds has been provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Alice Tully Foundation, American Express, Bob and Martha Lipp, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Nash Family Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. A. Alfred Taubman.
Additional funding provided by GWFF USA Inc., and Linda and Stuart Nelson.
Generous support has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
____________________________________
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 8:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
JOHN SCOFIELD TRIO
Featuring the ScoHorns
John Scofield, Guitar
Bill Stewart, Drums
Matt Penman, Bass
Philip Grenadier, Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Frank Vacin, Bass Clarinet and Baritone Saxophone
Tom Olin, Alto/Tenor Saxophones and Flute
____________________________________
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 8:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER
Major funding for Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy has been provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Alice Tully Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation's New York City Cultural Innovation Fund, and the A. L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation.
____________________________________
Presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with Absolutely Live Entertainment, LLC.
Artistic Coordination for The Shape of Jazz
Absolutely Live Entertainment, LLC.
Danny Melnick, Artistic Director
Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.
|
Ticket Information
Tickets, priced at $34 and $44, are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212- 247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, www.carnegiehall.org.
|
###
| |
|