Sunday, October 14, 2007

Benny Carter Centennial Celebration

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER KICKS OFF THE 2007-08 SEASON WITH THE
BENNY CARTER CENTENNIAL
· Mel Martin & The Benny Carter Centennial Band at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola on October 15
· Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in Rose Theater, Hosted by “NBC Nightly News” Anchor Brian Williams on October 19 and pre-concert lecture by Ed Berger
· Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in Rose Theater, Hosted by “Today Show” correspondent Tiki Barber on October 20 and pre-concert lecture by Ed Berger
· Benny Carter Inducted into 2007 Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame on October 19
Benny Carter videos, photos and album artwork on display in the Atrium on October 19 and 20

Jazz at Lincoln Center ushers in the 2007-08 season with the Benny Carter Centennial throughout Frederick P. Rose Hall on Broadway at 60th St. in New York City from October 15-21. Benny Carter, hailed as the leading creator of alto saxophone style and principal architect of big band swing, arranged and performed many of jazz music’s most significant tunes including “Stormy Weather” and “XYZ.” The world renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will perform the music of this legendary jazz musician on October 19 & 20, 2007. Anchor and Managing Editor of “NBC Nightly News” Brian Williams will host the October 19th concert and former New York Giants running back and “Today Show” correspondent Tiki Barber will host the October 20th concert.


Tickets for the Benny Carter Centennial are $30, $50, $75, $95, $120 and are available at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office on Broadway at 60th St., by calling CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500 or via www.jalc.org.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Benny Carter Centennial will provide opportunities for audiences to learn more about the legendary musician in Frederick P. Rose Hall. Ed Berger, Associate Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University and former record producer and road manager for Benny Carter, will lead pre-concert lectures on October 19 and 20 beginning at 6:45pm in the Irene Diamond Education Center. Benny Carter video footage, photos and album artwork will be on display in the Atrium on October 19 and 20.

Benny Carter is a 2007 Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame inductee and Jazz at Lincoln Center celebrates his induction with these special events. For more information on the Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame inductees, go to http://www.jalc.org/jazzED/ejhf_web/index.html. As part of the centennial celebration, Mel Martin & The Benny Carter Centennial Band will perform at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola on October 15 at 7:30 and 9:30pm and admission is $20 with $10 minimum at tables, $5 minimum at the bar. Student rates are $15. with same minimums.

For more information on Benny Carter, go to http://www.jalc.org/about/artist08.asp?personID=627

For more information on the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, go to http://www.jalc.org/concerts/jlco.html, http://www.jalc.org/jazzcast/jvid_band.html and www.myspace.com/jazzatlincolncenterorchestra.


Mel Martin & His All-Star
Benny Carter Centennial Tribute Band
To Appear at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola,
New York City, Monday Oct. 15

Helping to kick off Jazz at Lincoln Center's 2007-08 season and Benny Carter Centennial celebrations, Bay Area saxophonist Mel Martin brings an all-star Carter tribute band into Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola tomorrow, October 15. In addition to Mel on tenor and soprano saxophones, the ensemble will feature pianist Don Friedman,alto saxophonists Jerry Dodgion and Andrew Speight, tenor saxophonist Craig Handy, bassist Steve LaSpina, drummer Victor Lewis, and Jackie Ryan on vocals.

In other Carter-related news, the esteemed alto saxophonist/composer (1907-2003) will be inducted into the Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame on October 19. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis perform Carter's music October 19 and 20 in Rose Hall, with a pre-concert lecture each evening by Ed Berger. Carter videos, photos, and album artwork will be on display in the Atrium October 19 and 20.

Martin's performance at Dizzy's is the culmination of his personal observance of the centennial of his late friend and mentor, Benny Carter, which began with the July 2007 release of Just Friends (Jazzed Media), a new live CD by the quintet he co-led with Carter in the 1990s. Since the summer, Martin and the Carter tribute band have appeared in an extensive series of club and concert bookings on both coasts -- including an August Hollywood Bowl tribute to Carter on his actual 100th birthday -- highlighting material from the new album and from the Benny Carter songbook.

The Mel Martin band's first set on October 15 at 7:30 pm is sold out, but tickets remain for the 9:30 show ($20, 212-258-9595). The music will be recorded for broadcast on XM Satellite Radio.

Three videos documenting Mel Martin and Benny Carter in conversation and performance may be viewed on Martin's
web site as well as on YouTube (here, here, and here) and Jazzcorner. The videos were produced by Bret Primack in conjunction with JazzAlleyTV, SFJAZZ, Dr. Herb Wong, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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