2021–2022
MUSIC@ EMORY
The Jazz Fest concerts are presented by the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Emory Big Band will also be presented as a livestream concert at schwartz.emory.edu/virtual-stage. 404.727.5050 | schwartz.emory.edu | boxoffice@emory.edu
Audience Information In Consideration
Please turn off all electronic devices. Face masks covering the nose and mouth are required at all times in the Schwartz Center. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required for all patrons attending this event. Full details are available at schwartz.emory.edu/FAQ The concert hall capacity has been reduced in order to allow distance between seated parties. Please be mindful of distancing.
Photographs and Recordings
Digital capture or recording of this concert is not permitted.
Ushers
The Schwartz Center welcomes a volunteer usher corps of approximately 60 members each year. Visit schwartz.emory.edu/volunteer or call 404.727.6640 for ushering opportunities.
Accessibility
The Schwartz Center is committed to providing performances and facilities accessible to all. Please direct accommodation requests to the Schwartz Center Box Office at 404.727.5050, or by email at boxoffice@emory.edu.
Design and Photography Credits Cover and Program Design: Lisa Baron | Cover Photo: Mark Teague
Acknowledgment
The Schwartz Center gratefully acknowledges the generous ongoing support of Donna and Marvin Schwartz.
2021–2022
DONNA AND MARVIN
SCHWARTZ ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Jazz Fest 2022 Gary Motley, director of Jazz Studies
Raul Midón, singer/songwriter/guitarist Schwartz Artist in Residence with the Gary Motley Trio Edwin Livingston, bass Clarence Penn, drums Gary Motley, piano Friday, February 4, 2022, 8:00 p.m.
Emory Big Band Saturday, February 5, 2022, 8:00 p.m. Emerson Concert Hall Schwartz Center for Performing Arts
Friday, February 4, 2022 Jazz Fest 2022 Guest Artist Program Tonight’s selections will be announced from the stage. As part of the Schwartz Artist-in Residence Program, Raul Midón is conducting a free lecture/demonstration on Thursday, February 3 at 2:30 p.m. in Emerson Concert Hall, Schwartz Center. The general public is invited to attend.
Raul Midón, singer/songwriter/guitarist Along with his 11 studio albums as a solo artist, Raul Midón—dubbed “an eclectic adventurist” by People magazine—has collaborated with such heroes as Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and Bill Withers, along with contributing to records by Queen Latifah and Snoop Dogg and the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s She Hate Me. A native of New Mexico who now lives in Maryland after years in New York, Midón has earned acclaim the world over, with a fanbase that stretches from San Francisco to India, Amsterdam to Tokyo. Marveling over his live performances, the New York Times has called Midón “a one-man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus.” He recently performed in a special Homecoming Week music series at his alma mater, the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. He was surprised onstage with the school’s most prestigious honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award. Frost’s dean said of the 1990 graduate: “Raul Midón truly personifies what a student at our school can achieve. It’s a thrill to be able to honor Raul’s extraordinary talent and exemplary accomplishments.” For a glimpse of how magnetic Midón can be live, seek out on YouTube the clip of his appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2006. Performing State of Mind, the title track from his major-label debut, Midón unveils what would become his signature combination of silky voice and percussive guitar. His playing is a syncopated wonder in which bass, harmony, and melodic lines fly from the fretboard in a way that belies the fact that all the music is being produced by just two hands. If that weren’t enough, Midón busts out his improvisational mouth-horn technique, in which he creates a bebop “trumpet” solo with his lips, earning himself a burst of mid-song applause from the audience.
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The title of Midón’s Bad Ass & Blind album came from an apt description of its maker that soul icon Bill Withers endorsed; the 2017 release saw Midón collaborating with such top jazz players as trumpeter Nicholas Payton, pianist Gerald Clayton, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. NPR noted that the disc continues Midón’s “streak of records that cross boundaries with ease and head-turning musicality.” Midón’s 2018 followup, If You Really Want, found Midón’s voice and guitar riding the waves of the Metropole Orkest, the Grammy Award–winning Dutch ensemble that has collaborated with artists from Al Jarreau and Elvis Costello to Laura Mvula and Snarky Puppy. Midón worked closely on If You Really Want with another renowned Grammy winner: arranger and conductor Vince Mendoza. Relix magazine said about the album: “Throughout, there’s that voice—passionate and confident—with Midón giving each word his full attention so that you know he means it.” Midón’s earlier studio discography includes Don’t Hesitate (2014), Synthesis (2010), A World Within a World (2007), and State of Mind (2005). He also released the CD/DVD Invisible Chains—Live from NYC, which documents an intimate concert in Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater from 2012. Midón’s live 2016 rendition of John Coltrane’s classic Giant Steps—which sees him fly through all 12 keys on the guitar—earned more than a million views via Facebook. Ever since being told by some when he was a child that his blindness meant that “you can’t do this, you can’t do that,” Midón has lived a life devoted to beating the odds and shattering stereotypes. “As someone who has never seen, I’ve always felt at a disadvantage in that lyric writing is usually very visual,” he says. “People really relate to images and I’ve never seen images. But what I realized early on is that you have to write from what you know, and I hear, touch, and feel intensely—and those are sensations and experiences that everyone can relate to.”
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Edwin Livingston, bass Hailing from Dallas, Edwin Livingston was exposed to music early on. He has lived in Austin and New Orleans, and he now lives in Los Angeles. In his various travels, Livingston has played and recorded with many notable artists and greats including Elvin Jones, Ellis Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, the Headhunters, Los Hombres Calientes (Grammy-nominated Latin Jazz album), Bill Summers, Munyungo Jackson, Donald Harrison Jr., Alvin Batiste, Ronnie Laws, Debra Laws, Lionel Loueke, D.J. Logic, David ”Fathead” Newman, John Beasley, the MONK’estra, Otmaro Ruiz, Mike Garson, Russell Ferrante, Sadao Watanabe, Justo Almario, Leni Stern, Kevin Toney of the Blackbyrds, Dave Weckl, Will Kennedy, Peter Erskine, Vince Wilburn Jr., Jimmy Branly, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Tootie Heath, Dave Weckl, Joe LaBarbera, Hot Buttered Rhythm, Gecko Turner, Henry Butler, James Clay, Barbara Morrison, Queen Latifah, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, the Afro-American Chamber Music Society Orchestra, the Benjamin Wright Orchestra (Raphael Saadiq, Justin Timberlake, Will.I.Am, Brian McKnight, Mary J Blige, Aretha Franklin), Dave Slonaker Big Band (Grammy-nominated large ensemble album), Vince Mendoza, Bob Mintzer (Grammy-nominated large ensemble album), Yellowjackets, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jovanotti, Keiko Matsui, Melody Gardot, Seal, Natalie Cole, Ben Vereen, Frankie Valli, and many others. In addition to a full playing, touring, and recording career, Livingston is on the faculty at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, teaching bass and small ensembles in the jazz studies department. He is also part of the faculty of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He has a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Wichita State University and an MFA in performance/composition from the California Institute of the Arts. Livingston has appeared in several feature films including Ray, Dreamgirls, Dolemite Is My Name, and Low Down, and he has also performed on NBC live in Jesus Christ Superstar with John Legend, Sara Bareilles, and Brandon Victor Dixon. Other notable performances include with Seal on the Late Late Show with James Corden, with Melody Gardot on Later . . . with Jools Holland, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, and the A & E show Private Sessions with Queen Latifah. Livingston has recorded two CDs as a leader performing original music: the Edwin Livingston Group and Transitions. 6
Clarence Penn, drums Clarence Penn is one of the busiest jazz drummers in the world, a leader of multiple bands, a composer, a prolific producer, and an educator. Since 1991, when Penn arrived in New York City, he has placed his unique blend of mega-chops, keen intellect, and heady musicianship at the service of a staggering array of A-list artists—a chronological short-list includes Ellis and Wynton Marsalis, Betty Carter, Stanley Clarke, Steps Ahead, Makoto Ozone, Michael Brecker, Dave Douglas, Maria Schneider, Luciana Souza, Richard Galliano, and Fourplay. Penn’s impressive discography includes several hundred studio albums (including the Grammy-winning recordings 34th N Lex by Randy Brecker and Concert in the Garden and Sky Blue by Maria Schneider) representing a 360-spectrum of jazz expression. Penn has toured extensively throughout the United States, the Americas, Europe, Japan, and Southeast Asia. He has composed music for films and commercials and produced tracks for numerous singers in the pop and alternative arenas. Penn earned a “Ten Best of 1997” accolade from the New York Times for his first leader recording, Penn’s Landing. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was a protégé of Ellis Marsalis, Penn is active as an educator and drum clinician. From 2004 to 2012, he taught on the faculty of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. He has also served on faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, the Saint Louis College of Music in Rome, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Intensive Jazz Institute. Penn’s most recent rhythmically intoxicating recording is 2014’s Monk: The Lost Files, arrangements of the music of Thelonious Monk. Released on the Origin record label, an amazing quartet comprising saxophonist Chad Leftkowitz-Brown, pianist Gerald Clayton/Donald Vega, and bassist Yasushi Nakamura perform the music of Thelonius Monk with today’s modern jazz sensibility. Near completion is a world music studio project of songs and instrumentals that melds background voices—including his own—with a world-class band. Whether Penn is leading his own band or performing as a sideman, he brings to the table unfailing versatility and professionalism, an ability to find creative ways to interpret a global array of styles and idioms, and a stated intention “to play music that’s warm and organic for the people and for myself . . . When people hear my name, I want them to think, ‘I don’t know what band he’s playing with tonight or what he’ll be doing, but it’s going to be good, it’s going to be musical.’” 7
Gary Motley, piano Since embarking on a solo career in 1994, Gary Motley has been at the forefront of jazz in the southeastern United States, establishing himself as a keyboard virtuoso, composer, and internationally acclaimed educator. A high-energy performer in genres including straight-ahead jazz, chamber music, and symphonic works, he has been recognized by Downbeat magazine, the American Composers Forum, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Great American Jazz Piano Competition—and he was recently inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in acknowledgement of his artistic and educational achievements. During his career, Motley has established a professional association with many of today’s leaders in jazz. Featured on public radio’s Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland, he has shared the stage with artists from Dave Brubeck and Regina Carter to Mel Tormé and Bob Mintzer. Motley’s composing portfolio encompasses a wide array of genres and ensembles and he has premiered works at numerous national and international festivals. In addition to his work as an artist, Motley is committed to jazz education, serving as professor of pedagogy and founding director of Jazz Studies at Emory University.
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Saturday, February 5, 2022 Emory Big Band Program by Cole Porter arr. Alan Baylock
What Is This Thing Called Love
Crisis
by Freddie Hubbard arr. Mike Kamuf
My Man Sam (for Sammy Nestico)
by Gordon Goodwin
The following two numbers feature guest artists Clarence Penn and Edwin Livingston, along with members of the Emory Jazz Faculty Gary Motley, Randy Hunter, and Michael Cruse by Wayne Shorter
Black Nile Whisper Not
by Benny Golson
Easy to Love
by Cole Porter arr. Paul Baker Bb Marty Symes and Isham Jones arr. Eric Richards
There is No Greater Love
As part of the Schwartz Artist-in Residence Program, Edwin Livingston and Clarence Penn are conducting a free rhythm section jazz clinic on Saturday, February 5 at 11:30 a.m. in Tharp Rehearsal Hall, Schwartz Center. The general public is invited to attend.
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Emory Big Band Gary Motley, director Randy Hunter, assistant director * Michael Cruse, ensemble coach * Jane Chakreborty, student assistant Andrew Wei, alto saxophone Noah Greenfield, alto saxophone Adam Shah, tenor saxophone Jason Bisgay, tenor saxophone Ryan Ruhde, baritone saxophone Michael Cruse, trumpet * Joseph Rosenbaum, trumpet Will Hudson, trumpet Steve Fowler, trumpet Max Inman, trombone Josh Peacock, trombone Griffin Noble, trombone Shiven Sinha, trombone Gary Motley, piano Evan Covey, guitar Justin Hahm, bass Tommy Parker, drums *denotes Emory artist affiliate
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Emory Jazz Faculty Gary Motley, Professor of Pedagogy and Director of Jazz Studies Since embarking on a solo career in 1994, Gary Motley has been at the forefront of jazz in the southeastern United States, establishing himself as a keyboard virtuoso, composer, and internationally acclaimed educator. A high-energy performer in genres including straight-ahead jazz, chamber music, and symphonic works, he has been recognized by Downbeat magazine, the American Composers Forum, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Great American Jazz Piano Competition—and he was recently inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in acknowledgement of his artistic and educational achievements. During his career, Motley has established a professional association with many of today’s leaders in jazz. Featured on public radio’s Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland, he has shared the stage with artists from Dave Brubeck and Regina Carter to Mel Tormé and Bob Mintzer. Motley’s composing portfolio encompasses a wide array of genres and ensembles and he has premiered works at numerous national and international festivals. In addition to his work as an artist, Motley is committed to jazz education, serving as professor of pedagogy and founding director of Jazz Studies at Emory University.
Emory Jazz Artist Affiliates Dan Baraszu, Guitar A Detroit-born guitarist-composer, Dan Baraszu started playing guitar at age nine. Early in his career, he explored many different styles of music. However, when he first heard the genius of jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, Baraszu devoted himself to becoming a die-hard jazz artist. His major influences include guitarists Joe Pass, Pat Martino, Pat Metheny, and John Scofield, as well as other instrumentalists like Bill Evans, Horace Silver, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Charlie Parker. Baraszu received a bachelor’s degree from the renowned Berklee College of Music, where he majored in jazz composition and arranging, and a master’s degree from the University of Miami with a major in jazz pedagogy. 11
Justin Chesarek, Drums After earning a bachelor’s degree in music education from Slippery Rock University, Justin Chesarek attained a master of music degree in jazz studies at Georgia State University. He performs regularly with Joe Alterman, Trey Wright, Gary Motley, Joe Gransden, Sam Burchfield, and the ATL Collective. Chesarek has appeared at the Iridium and the Blue Note in New York City; the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; a TED Talk; the Juneau Jazz and Classics Festival in Alaska; the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands; and the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Chesarek also teaches jazz percussion at Kennesaw State University. He is a board member of the Atlanta Lovers of Music Association, and he endorses Vic Firth drum sticks.
Randy Hunter, Saxophone Randy Hunter is a professional saxophonist, educational author, and private music instructor from Marietta, Georgia. He studied music education with an emphasis in jazz pedagogy at Valdosta State College. Focused on generating educational jazz material, Hunter developed a series of étude, duet, and combo method books titled Complete Jazz Styles that has been endorsed by several well-known jazz artists including Joe Lovano, Jerry Bergonzi, Randy Brecker, Bobby Shew, and John Fedchock. He also created jazz improvisation-oriented instructional material in multimedia format, including several eBooks. At Emory, Hunter teaches jazz saxophone and is the assistant director of the Emory Big Band.
Michael Cruse, Trombone/Trumpet, Combo Instructor Jazz artist and composer Michael Cruse is known for his unique take on the singing and trumpet-playing style of the incomparable Louis Armstrong. Cruse’s compositions and arrangements have been used in television, film, and commercial music. Born into a gospel family, Cruse developed a deep love for performing music at a young age. His uncle, Charles Quillings, who taught and performed with Les McCann, taught him the trumpet and how to read and write his own music. Cruse studied jazz performance and composition at the University of Cincinnati–College Conservatory of Music. After graduating, he released his first CD titled Unbridled featuring the Michael Cruse Quintet. His latest single, You (2020), is available on music streaming platforms. Cruse frequently performs in the Atlanta area and tours nationally in various concert halls, jazz festivals, and jazz clubs.
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Chris Riggenbach, Double Bass and Electric Bass Chris Riggenbach has played double bass and electric bass with Josh Groban, Matt Catingub, Jens Lindemann, Steve Moretti, Wycliffe Gordon, Victor Goines, Ted Howe, Keith David, Chloe Agnew, Karla Harris, Sarah Partridge, Vecinos del Mundo (led by Jerry Fields), Orquestra Macuba, Marcus Lewis, Jazz Legacy Big Band (led by David Pruyn), the Gwinnett Symphony Wind Orchestra, and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, among others. He has also played internationally on cruise ships in performances of The Sound of Music, Camelot, Catch Me If You Can, Dreamgirls, and Bonnie & Clyde. In 2010, he performed in Poland with the Josh Lawrence Jazz 3 at the Sopot Molo Jazz Festival and at Piwnica pod Baranami in Krakow. Riggenbach has advanced degrees in jazz studies from Georgia State University. He studied bass with Ralph Jones, Thomas Thoreson, Dee Moses, Neal Starkey, Rich Nanista, and Robert Dickson. Riggenbach teaches bass and directs the jazz combos at Emory.
Music at Emory The Department of Music at Emory University provides an exciting and innovative environment for developing knowledge and skills as a performer, composer, and scholar. Led by a faculty of more than 60 nationally and internationally recognized artists and researchers, undergraduate and graduate students experience a rich diversity of performance and academic opportunities. Undergraduate students in the department earn a BA in music with a specialization in performance, composition, or research, many of whom simultaneously earn a second degree in another department. True to the spirit of Emory, a liberal arts college in the heart of a research university, the faculty and ensembles also welcome the participation of nonmajor students from across the Emory campus. Become a part of Music at Emory by giving to the Friends of Music. A gift provides crucial support to all of the activities. To learn more, visit music. emory.edu or call 404.727.1401.
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Schwartz Center Staff
Rachael Brightwell, Managing Director Terry Adams, Box Office Coordinator Lisa Baron, Communications Specialist Carrie Christie, Program Coordinator Kathryn Colegrove, Associate Director for Programming and Outreach Lewis Fuller, Associate Director for Production and Operations Jennifer Kimball, Assistant Stage Manager Jeff Lenhard, Operations Assistant Alan Strange, Box Office Manager Nicholas Surbey, Senior Graphic Designer Mark Teague, Stage Manager Nina Vestal, House Manager Matt Williamson, Multimedia Specialist The Schwartz Center gratefully acknowledges the generous ongoing support of Donna and Marvin Schwartz. To support this program, visit schwartz.emory.edu/give.
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Upcoming Music Events Many spring music events at Emory will require free online registration or tickets. Visit music.emory.edu or schwartz.emory.edu to view upcoming music events and their attendance requirements. To register, visit tickets. arts.emory.edu or call the Schwartz Center Box Office at 404.727.5050. Ticket prices are listed in the following order: Full price/Emory student price (unless otherwise noted as the price for all students). Friday, February 11 and Saturday, February 12, 8:00 p.m., CompFest 2022, Schwartz Artist-in-Residence Series, Performing Arts Studio, 1804 N. Decatur Road Friday, February 11, noon, Alec Chien, piano, ECMSA: Cooke Noontime Series, Michael C. Carlos Museum Saturday, February 12, 10:00 a.m., ECMSA: Master Class Series, Alec Chien, piano, Schwartz Center, Tharp Rehearsal Hall Sunday, February 14, 4:00 p.m., ECMSA: Emerson Series, The Bach Bowl, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall Friday, February 18, 8:00 p.m., An Evening with Branford Marsalis, Candler Concert Series, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall, $80/$10, tickets required Saturday, February 19, 10:00 a.m., ECMSA: Master Class Series, Zuill Bailey, cello, Schwartz Center, Tharp Rehearsal Hall Saturday, February 19, 8:00 p.m., ECMSA: Emerson Series, The Three Artistic Directors, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall Wednesday, February 23, 8:00 p.m., Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall Sunday, February 27, 8:00 p.m., Emory Wind Ensemble, Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall
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Music at Emory Music at Emory brings together students, faculty, and world-class artists to create an exciting and innovative season of performances, lectures, workshops, and master classes. With more than 150 events each year across multiple Emory venues, audiences experience a wide variety of musical offerings. As you explore Music at Emory, we hope you enjoy this variety by sampling an assortment of work from our student ensembles, community youth ensembles, artists in residence, professional faculty, up-and-coming prodigies, and virtuosos from around the world.
404.727.5050 music.emory.edu