Sat. Nov. 6 – Jazz at Princeton University presents Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio

Jazz at Princeton University presents Rudresh Mahanthappa’s internationally acclaimed Hero Trio in concert

with Princeton’s Small Group I on Saturday, November 6, 2021

Other events for the fall season include performances by student groups led by Jazz at Princeton faculty members Mahanthappa, Trineice Robinson-Martin, Matthew Parrish and Darcy James Argue

 

“Mahanthappa is “making truly some of the most original jazz out there at the moment."

– Brian Zimmerman, Jazziz

 

“The riveting cry of his alto saxophone is one of the most recognizable sounds in jazz.” 

– Thomas Conrad, Stereophile

Jazz at Princeton University, helmed by trailblazing saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, returns to live performances on Saturday, November 6 with a concert featuring Mahanthappa’s internationally renowned Hero Trio performing with Princeton’s Small Group I. Other concerts this season include performances by student groups led by faculty members Mahanthappa, Trineice Robinson-Martin, Matthew Parrish and Darcy James Argue. The concerts are free and open to the vaccinated public. For information, go to https://music.princeton.edu/calendar.

 

“Interfacing with the community via concerts by our renowned faculty and accomplished students has always been an important aspect of Jazz at Princeton,” says Mahanthappa. “I’m excited that we are able to bring it back and offer audiences the joy of attending live performances for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.”

 

Fall performances include:

 

Saturday, November 6, 2021 – Jazz Small Group I and Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio 

8 pm, Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall.  Free and open to the public. For tickets and information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-small-group-i-rudresh-mahanthappa‘s-hero-trio-concert

One of the top ensembles in jazz, Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio features the saxophone icon with bassist François Moutin and drummer Rudy Royston. Their album Hero Trio, released in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, earned wide acclaim including top spots as one of the best albums of the year in outlets and publications including NPR, Paste, DownBeat, JazzTimes, Jazziz, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, and Denver Post. Robert Baird of Qobuz calls the album “a near perfect mix of buoyancy and mastery, a welcome revelation.” John Murph of DownBeat writes: “These tributes burst with so much interpretive ingenuity, sparkling friction and caffeinated improvisational interplay that they demand considerable replay.” Jason Bivins wrote in Dusted that Hero Trio offers “a genuinely expansive, and often thrilling, ride through songs from Mahanthappa’s personal pantheon.…In a year of precious little joy, this is quite simply a jewel of a jazz record.”  

Wednesday, December 1 – Jazz Small Group I led by Rudresh Mahanthappa

7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-small-group-i-concert

 

Mahanthappa leads Princeton’s premiere small jazz ensemble in an energizing and beautiful evening of music.

Thursday, December 2 – Jazz Vocal Collective led by Trineice Robinson-Martin

7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-vocal-collective-3

 

Jazz at Princeton University’s Jazz Vocal Collective (JVC), Princeton University's elite small jazz ensemble that features solo voice, will join director Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin and showcase their original arrangements of classic and contemporary jazz compositions. 

 

Internationally recognized as one of the leading educators in gospel and soul voice training, Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin specializes in vocal pedagogy and performance practices for contemporary music styles (jazz, pop, gospel, R&B, country, rock, music theater). As the creator of Soul Ingredients®, a methodology for nurturing vocal freedom and authentic musical interpretation and expression, Dr. Robinson-Martin regularly travels nationally and internationally teaching voice, lecturing and giving workshops. She also performs internationally and recently released All Or Nothing, her highly acclaimed debut album as a leader.

 

Saturday, December 4 – Small Groups X & Z led by Matthew Parrish

7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-small-groups-x-z

 

The Princeton University Jazz Ensembles X & Z perform under the direction of master bassist Matthew Parrish. Group X evokes the small group tradition of the Art Blakey groups of the 50’s and 60's where improvisation and inspiring interaction are key. The group performs as a septet with several featured trio performances. Group Z is new this year, created in response to the expanding number of excellent student musicians participating in Princeton’s jazz program.   

 

Matthew Parrish is a sought-after performer, arranger, composer, producer, and instructor. Matthew’s warmth in his playing and loyalty to delivering heartfelt, passionate works is apparent in every note, every tune, and every interaction with his fellow musicians. Born in central California, Matthew has performed and recorded with top names in jazz including Regina Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paquito D’Rivera, Clark Terry, Etta Jones, Orrin Evans, Clark Terry, Dr. Jonnie Smith, Savion Glover, Bill Charlap, Houston Person, and many others. He has recorded over sixty works, including his debut CD Circles (2000) and his most recent recordings with Karine Aguiar.  

 

Monday, December 6 – Small Group A led by Rudresh Mahanthappa

7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-small-group

 

Jazz at Princeton University's Small Group A, directed by Rudresh Mahanthappa, presents an evening of jazz at its most intimate in a showcase of improvisation and inspiring interaction. 

 

Friday, December 10 – Creative Large Ensemble – Led by Darcy James Argue

8 pm, Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall.  Free and open to the public. For tickets and information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-creative-large-ensemble-fall-concert

 

Hear Jazz at Princeton University’s Creative Large Ensemble led by Darcy James Argue in their first live performance since the start of the pandemic. The ensemble continues to redefine the big band in an innovative program encompassing classic and contemporary repertoire.

 

Vancouver-born, Brooklyn-based composer and bandleader Darcy James Argue has toured nationally and internationally with his 18-piece ensemble, Secret Society. Argue made his mark with his critically acclaimed 2009 debut Infernal Machines. 2013 saw the release of Brooklyn Babylon, which, like Infernal Machines before it, earned the group nominations for both GRAMMY and JUNO Awards. His most recent recording, Real Enemies, released in the fall of 2016, earned a third consecutive GRAMMY nomination. Secret Society maintains a busy touring schedule, with European, Canadian, and South American tours and four appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival. Argue has also toured Australia and New Zealand leading the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra. He has led performances of his music by the WDR Big Band, the Danish Radio Big Band, the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, the Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, the Big Band Palácio das Artes, and the West Point Jazz Knights. Argue has composed works for chamber duo and string quartet, art songs for Newspeak, and created arrangements for the Atlanta Symphony. In 2015, Argue was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition and a Doris Duke Artist Award. He has received commissions from the Fromm Music Foundation, the Jazz Gallery, the Manhattan New Music Project, the Jerome Foundation, and BAM, as well as ensembles including the Danish Radio Big Band, the Hard Rubber Orchestra, the West Point Jazz Knights, and the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos. He is the recipient of grants and fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, New Music USA, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Composers Now, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the MacDowell Colony.

 

Jazz at Princeton University under the direction of Rudresh Mahanthappa serves to promote this uniquely American music as a contemporary and relevant art form. Our goals are to convey the vast musical and social history of jazz, establish a strong theoretical and stylistic foundation with regard to improvisation and composition, and emphasize the development of individual expression and creativity. Offerings of this program include academic course work, performing ensembles, master classes, private study, and independent projects. Students also have the opportunity to participate in academic courses from the music department curriculum that encourage the study of the historical, social, theoretical, stylistic, and creative issues that pertain to the jazz idiom.

Hailed by Pitchfork as “jaw-dropping… one of the finest saxophonists going,” alto saxophonist, composer and educator Rudresh Mahanthappa is widely known as one of the premier voices in jazz of the 21st century. He has over a dozen albums to his credit, including the acclaimed Bird Calls, which topped many critics’ best-of-year lists for 2015 and was hailed by PopMatters as “complex, rhythmically vital, free in spirit while still criss-crossed with mutating structures.” His most recent release, Hero Trio, was considered to be one of the best jazz albums of 2020 by critics and fans alike.  Rudresh has been named alto saxophonist of the year for nine of the last eleven years running in Downbeat Magazine’s International Critics’ Polls (2011-2013, 2015-2018, 2020-1), and for five consecutive years by the Jazz Journalists’ Association (2009-2013) and again in 2016. He won alto saxophonist of the year in the 2015-2018 & 2020 JazzTimes Magazine Critics’ Polls and was named the Village Voice’s "Best Jazz Artist" in 2015.  He has also received the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, among other honors, and is currently the Anthony H. P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz at Princeton University.

 

Born in Trieste, Italy to Indian émigrés in 1971, Mahanthappa was brought up in Boulder, Colorado and gained proficiency playing everything from current pop to Dixieland. He went on to studies at North Texas, Berklee and DePaul University (as well as the Stanford Jazz Workshop) and came to settle in Chicago. Soon after moving to New York in 1997 he formed his own quartet featuring pianist Vijay Iyer. The band recorded an enduring sequence of albums, Black Water, Mother Tongue and Codebook, each highlighting Mahanthappa’s inventive methodologies and deeply personal approach to composition. He and Iyer also formed the duo Raw Materials.

 

Coming deeper into contact with the Carnatic music of his parents’ native southern India, Mahanthappa partnered in 2008 with fellow altoist Kadri Gopalnath and the Dakshina Ensemble for Kinsmen, garnering wide acclaim. Apti, the first outing by Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition (with Pakistani-born Rez Abbasi on guitar and Dan Weiss on tabla), saw release the same year; Agrima followed nine years later and considerably expanded the trio’s sonic ambitions.  In 2020, Rudresh released Hero Trio, an album of “covers” paying tribute to his musical heroes.  He also co-led a project celebrating the centenary of Charlie Parker with the blessing of the Parker estate. 

 

Mahanthappa has also worked with Jack DeJohnette, Mark Dresser, Danilo Pérez, Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the collaborative trios MSG and Mauger, the co-led quintet Dual Identity with fellow altoist Steve Lehman, and another co-led quintet with fellow altoist and Chicago stalwart Bunky Green (Apex). His exploratory guitar-driven quartets on Samdhi and Gamak featured David Gilmore and Dave “Fuze” Fiuczynski, respectively. In 2015 he was commissioned by Ragamala Dance to create Song of the Jasmine for dancers and a hybrid jazz/South Indian ensemble. He was also commissioned by the PRISM Saxophone Quartet to compose a chamber piece, “I Will Not Apologize for My Tone Tonight,” which can be heard on the quartet’s 2015 double-disc release Heritage/Evolution, Volume 1.

 

Mahanthappa is a Yamaha artist and uses Vandoren reeds exclusively.

music.princeton.edu

Nov. 17: Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in world premiere at Princeton University

Jazz at Princeton University presents renowned trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in world premiere of Slightly Left of Sorrow's Song

on Saturday, November 17

Work was commissioned by Jazz at Princeton University

in honor of the 150th anniversary of W.E.B. DuBois’ birth

Jazz at Princeton University presents guest artist and Blue Note Records trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in the world premiere of Slightly Left of Sorrow's Song, commissioned by Jazz at Princeton University to commemorate the 150th anniversary of W.E.B. DuBois' birth. Akinmusire will perform the 8-movement suite with the school's Small Group I under the leadership of saxophonist and program director Rudresh Mahanthappa.

The concert takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 17 at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. Tickets are $15, $5 students.  For information call 609-258-9220 or visit at https://music.princeton.edu/events/ambrose-akinmusire-jazz-small-group-i

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Ambrose Akinmusire, “a thrilling young trumpeter and astute bandleader [with a] unique spark in his playing” (The New Yorker), was a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble when he caught the attention of saxophonist Steve Coleman. Akinmusire was asked to join Coleman’s Five Elements, embarking on a European tour when he was just a 19-year-old student at the Manhattan School of Music. After returning to the West Coast to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Southern California, Akinmusire went on to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles, where he studied with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Terence Blanchard. In 2007 he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, decided by a panel of judges that included Blanchard, Quincy Jones, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, Clark Terry, and Roy Hargrove. That year Akinmusire also won the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition and released his debut album Prelude…To Cora on the Fresh Sound label.

He moved back to New York and began performing with artists including Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Esperanza Spalding, and Jason Moran. It was during this time that he first caught the attention of another discerning listener, Bruce Lundvall, President of Blue Note Records. Akinmusire’s Blue Note debut When the Heart Emerges Glistening was released in 2011 to rave reviews. The Los Angeles Times praised his “chameleonic tone that can sigh, flutter or soar,” adding that “Akinmusire sounds less like a rising star than one that was already at great heights and just waiting to be discovered.” DownBeat described his playing as “spectacular and not at all shy—muscular, driving, with a forward sound, pliant phrasing and a penchant for intervallic leaps,” concluding that “clearly something very special and personal is at work here, a vision of jazz that’s bigger than camps, broader and more intellectually restless than blowing sessions.” His new recording is his fourth Blue Note release, Origami Harvest, a groundbreaking work that features the Mivos Quartet, rapper Kool A.D., drummer Marcus Gilmore, pianist Sam Harris, and saxophonist Walter Smith III.

Akinmusire has paradoxically situated himself in both the center and periphery of jazz, most recently emerging in classical and hip hop circles. He’s on a perpetual quest for new paradigms, masterfully weaving inspiration from other genres, arts, and life in general into compositions that are as poetic and graceful as they are bold and unflinching. His unorthodox approach to sound and composition make him a regular on critics polls and have earned him grants and commissions from the Doris Duke Foundation, the MAP Fund, the Kennedy Center, the Berlin Jazz Festival, and Monterey Jazz. Motivated primarily by the spiritual and practical value of art, Akinmusire wants to remove the wall of erudition surrounding his music. He aspires to create richly textured emotional landscapes that tell the stories of the community, record the time, and change the standard. While committed to continuing the lineage of black invention and innovation, he manages to honor tradition without being stifled by it.

This year’s exciting programming also features guest artists including world renowned vocalist Nnenna Freelon (February 16, 2019) and Terri Lyne Carrington (May 11, 2019), and the first ever outdoor jazz festival. “With the contribution of so many of jazz's most articulate voices – both as guest artists and ensemble leaders – we are thrilled to offer performances that will engage, inspire and entertain students, educators and the community at large,” says Mahanthappa.

Jazz at Princeton’s six major student ensembles include the Creative Large Ensemble directed by Darcy James Argue, Small Groups I and A directed by Mahanthappa, Small Group X directed by Matthew Parrish, the Jazz Vocal Collective directed by Trineice Robinson-Martin, and the Vocal Improvisation Ensemble directed by Jay Clayton.

Jazz at Princeton University under the direction of Rudresh Mahanthappa serves to promote this uniquely American music as a contemporary and relevant art form.  Our goals are to convey the vast musical and social history of jazz, establish a strong theoretical and stylistic foundation with regard to improvisation and composition, and emphasize the development of individual expression and creativity. Offerings of this program include academic course work, performing ensembles, master classes, private study, and independent projects. They also have the opportunity to participate in academic courses from the music department curriculum that encourage the study of the historical, social, theoretical, stylistic, and creative issues that pertain to the jazz idiom.

Hailed by Pitchfork as “jaw-dropping... one of the finest saxophonists going,” alto saxophonist, composer and educator Rudresh Mahanthappa is widely known as one of the premier voices in jazz of the 21st century. He has over a dozen albums to his credit, including the acclaimed Bird Calls, which topped many critics’ best-of-year lists for 2015 and was hailed by PopMatters as “complex, rhythmically vital, free in spirit while still criss-crossed with mutating structures.” Rudresh has been named alto saxophonist of the year for seven of eight years running in DownBeat Magazine’s International Critics’ Polls (2011-2013, 2015-2018), and for five consecutive years by the Jazz Journalists’ Association (2009-2013) and again in 2016. He won alto saxophonist of the year in the 2015-2017 JazzTimes Magazine Critics’ Polls and was named the Village Voice’s "Best Jazz Artist" in 2015. He has also received the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, among other honors, and is currently the Anthony H. P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz at Princeton University.

Born in Trieste, Italy to Indian émigrés in 1971, Mahanthappa was brought up in Boulder, Colorado and gained proficiency playing everything from current pop to Dixieland. He went on to studies at North Texas, Berklee and DePaul University (as well as the Stanford Jazz Workshop) and came to settle in Chicago. Soon after moving to New York in 1997 he formed his own quartet featuring pianist Vijay Iyer. The band recorded an enduring sequence of albums, Black Water, Mother Tongue and Codebook, each highlighting Mahanthappa’s inventive methodologies and deeply personal approach to composition. He and Iyer also formed the duo Raw Materials.

Coming deeper into contact with the Carnatic music of his parents’ native southern India, Mahanthappa partnered in 2008 with fellow altoist Kadri Gopalnath and the Dakshina Ensemble for Kinsmen, garnering wide acclaim. Apti, the first outing by Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition (with Pakistani-born Rez Abbasi on guitar and Dan Weiss on tabla), saw release the same year; Agrima followed nine years later and considerably expanded the trio’s sonic ambitions.

Mahanthappa has also worked with Jack DeJohnette, Mark Dresser, Danilo Pérez, Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the collaborative trios MSG and Mauger, the co-led quintet Dual Identity with fellow altoist Steve Lehman, and another co-led quintet with fellow altoist and Chicago stalwart Bunky Green (Apex). His exploratory guitar- driven quartets on Samdhi and Gamak featured David Gilmore and Dave “Fuze” Fiuczynski, respectively. In 2015 he was commissioned by Ragamala Dance to create Song of the Jasmine for dancers and a hybrid jazz/South Indian ensemble. He was also commissioned by the PRISM Saxophone Quartet to compose a chamber piece, “I Will Not Apologize for My Tone Tonight,” which can be heard on the quartet’s 2015 double- disc release Heritage/Evolution, Volume 1. 

Nov. 14-May 11: Jazz at Princeton University dynamic 2018-2019 season

Jazz at Princeton University Announces Dynamic 2018-2019 Season

November 14, 2018 – May 11, 2019

Guest artists include Blue Note Records trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, 

legendary vocalist Nnenna Freelon, Grammy winner and drummer 

Terri Lyne Carrington

Faculty leading groups include Jazz at Princeton head Rudresh Mahanthappa, Trineice Robinson-Martin, Jay Clayton, Matthew Parrish, Darcy James Argue

Jazz at Princeton University, helmed by acclaimed saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, presents a dynamic and compelling 2018-2019 Season, November 14, 2018 – May 11, 2019.

Highlights include performances by student groups joined by guest artists including Blue Note Records trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, legendary vocalist Nnenna Freelon, and Grammy winner and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington.  In April, Jazz at Princeton will present Princeton University’s first-ever outdoor Jazz Festival.

“This year’s Jazz at Princeton program is going to be extraordinary,” says Mahanthappa. “With the contribution of so many of jazz's most articulate voices – both as guest artists and ensemble leaders – we are thrilled to offer performances that will engage, inspire and entertain students, educators and the community at large.  I am also excited that we’ll be hosting our first outdoor jazz festival.”

Jazz at Princeton’s six major student ensembles include the Creative Large Ensemble directed by Darcy James Argue, Small Groups I and A directed by Mahanthappa, Small Group X directed by Matthew Parrish, the Jazz Vocal Collective directed by Trineice Robinson-Martin, and the Vocal Improvisation Ensemble directed by Jay Clayton.

2018-2019 Season

Wednesday, November 14, 2018 – Jazz Vocal Collective  
The Jazz Vocal Collective, Jazz at Princeton’s elite vocal jazz ensemble directed by Trineice Robinson-Martin, performs original arrangements of classic and contemporary jazz compositions.

7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall.  Free and open to the public. Information here

Internationally recognized as one of the leading pedagogues in gospel and soul voice training and vocal technique, Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin is a force within the academic, religious, and performance communities. Her pioneering scholarship on gospel vocal techniques and performance practices can be found in Journal of Singing, Teaching in the 21st Century ed. by Harrison and O’Brian; and So You Want to Sing Gospel and Voice Training for the Gospel Soloist. Creator of Soul Ingredients™, Dr. Trineice holds doctoral and master’s degrees from Teachers College Columbia University in music education with an emphasis in contemporary commercial music vocal pedagogy, and a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University-Bloomington. Her performance experience spans a variety of musical styles, venues and settings: the intimacy of private parties and local clubs, the grand stages of musical arts centers and large music festivals, and international stages. Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin is the Executive Director of the African American Jazz Caucus, Inc.; serves on the national faculty of Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc.; and is a certified instructor in Somatic VoiceworkTM the LoVetri Method.

Saturday, November 17, 2018 – Jazz at Princeton University Small Group I with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire
The acclaimed trumpeter joins Princeton’s Small Group I directed by Rudresh Mahanthappa for an exciting collaborative evening of music that includes a commissioned suite in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of W.E.B. Du Bois’ birth.

8:00 pm, Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. For information and tickets call 609-258-9220 or visit here

Ambrose Akinmusire, “a thrilling young trumpeter and astute bandleader [with a] unique spark in his playing” (The New Yorker), was born and raised in Oakland California. He was a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble when he caught the attention of saxophonist Steve Coleman, who invited him on a European tour when he was just a 19-year-old student at the Manhattan School of Music. After returning to the West Coast to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Southern California, Akinmusire went on to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles, where he studied with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Terence Blanchard. In 2007 he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition. He also released his debut album, moved back to New York, and began performing with artists including Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Esperanza Spalding, and Jason Moran. Akinmusire’s highly acclaimed Blue Note debut When the Heart Emerges Glistening was released in 2011. His second Blue Note release is the Imagined savior is far easier to paint.

Friday, November 30, 2018 – Creative Large Ensemble  
Jazz at Princeton University’s Creative Large Ensemble, led by Darcy James Argue, continues to redefine the big band in a program encompassing a broad spectrum of the genre.

8 pm at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. For information and tickets call 609-258-9220 or visit here

Monday, December 3, 2018 – Jazz Vocal Improvisation Ensemble
VIE directed by the world-renowned Jay Clayton presents its first public performance of the year.


7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information visit here 

Jay Clayton is an internationally acclaimed vocalist, composer, and educator whose work boldly spans the terrain between jazz and new music. She has gained worldwide attention as both performer and teacher. With more than 40 recordings to her credit, Clayton has appeared alongside such formidable artists as Muhal Richard Abrams, Steve Reich, Kirk Nurock, Julian Priester, Jerry Granelli, Jane Ira Bloom, Gary Bartz, Jack Wilkins, George Cables, Fred Hersch, Gary Thomas, and tap dancer Brenda Bufalino, as well as fellow vocalists Jeanne Lee, Norma Winstone, Urszula Dudziak, and Bobby McFerrin, She has taught extensively throughout the world at schools including Cornish College of the Arts and Peabody Institute in Baltimore. Her book “Sing Your Story: A Practical Guide for Learning and Teaching the Art of Jazz Singing,” was published by Advance Music.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018 – Small Groups I & A
Jazz at Princeton University’s small groups, directed by award-winning saxophonist and program director Rudresh Mahanthappa, present an energizing and beautiful evening of music.


7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information visit here

Thursday, January 10, 2019 – Small Group X
Princeton University’s Small Group X performs under the direction of master bassist Matthew Parrish. The ensemble evokes the small group tradition of Art Blakey groups of the 1950s and 1960s where improvisation and inspiring interaction are key. The group performs as a sextet with several featured trio performances.

7:30 pm at Lee Rehearsal Room, Lewis Arts Complex. Free and open to the public. For information visit here

Born in central California to hard-working, music-loving parents of four children, Matthew Parrish epitomizes the heart of jazz bass performance and livelihood. Matthew has performed and recorded with many of the top names in jazz, Regina Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paquito D’Rivera, Houston Person, Clark Terry, Etta Jones, Miri Ben-Ari, James Williams, Harry Sweets Edison, James Newton, Gary Thomas, Greg Osby, Stefon Harris, and Orrin Evans to name a few. His beautiful, warm, and complex sound has earned him an impressive reputation in the music community as a performer and composer/arranger/producer. He has recorded over 50 works, including his debut CD “Circles” (2000) and his recent recordings with Karine Aguiar, as well as a recording with Houston Person entitled “Rain or Shine” on Highnote Records.

Saturday, February 16, 2019 – Jazz Vocal Collective with Nnenna Freelon
The world-renowned jazz singer, composer, producer, arranger, and six-time Grammy nominee shares the stage with Princeton’s Jazz Vocal Collective, the university’s elite vocal jazz student ensemble.

8 pm at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. For information and tickets call 609-258-9220 or visit here

Six-time Grammy nominee Nnenna Freelon has earned a well-deserved reputation as a compelling and captivating live performer. In 2014 she starred in the critically acclaimed show “Georgia on My Mind: Celebrating the Music of Ray Charles” in Las Vegas. Freelon toured with Charles, as well as other great artists including Ellis Marsalis, Al Jarreau, and George Benson. She is the writer, composer, and producer of the original theatrical presentation of “The Clothesline Muse,” a devised theatrical work of dance, music, spoken word, vibrant art and projections. It premiered in Philadelphia in 2013 with a national tour following in 2015. Freelon has always had a passion for education, and in November 2011 was asked by The White House to headline the Asia Pacific Economic Summit for 300 Presidents, Premiers, and Heads of State from around the world. Freelon performed in Laura Karpman’s undertaking of Langston Hughes’ “Ask Your Mama” at the Apollo Theater and at a Hollywood Bowl concert with Jessye Norman and The Roots. She has also performed at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, on In Performance at the White House, and had a featured song in the hit TV show “Mad Men.” Awards include the Billie Holiday Award from Academie du Jazz, Eubie Blake Award from NYC’s Cultural Crossroads Center, and two nominations for Lady of Soul by Soul Train Awards.

Saturday, April 13, 2019
Princeton University’s first-ever outdoor Jazz Festival.  More details coming soon.

Monday, April 15, 2019 – Jazz Vocal Collective
Jazz at Princeton University’s elite vocal jazz ensemble, directed by Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin, showcase their original arrangements of classic and contemporary jazz compositions.

7:30 pm at Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information visit here

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 – Small Groups I & A
Jazz at Princeton University’s small groups, directed by award-winning saxophonist and program director Rudresh Mahanthappa, present an energizing and beautiful evening of music.


7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information visit here

Thursday, April 25, 2019 – Jazz Vocal Improvisation Ensemble
VIE directed by the world-renowned Jay Clayton presents its final performance of the year.

7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information visit here

Monday, April 29, 2019 –Small Group X
Princeton University’s Small Group X performs under the direction of master bassist Matthew Parrish. The ensemble evokes the small group tradition of Art Blakey groups of the 1950s and 1960s where improvisation and inspiring interaction are key. The group performs as a sextet with several featured trio performances.

7:30 pm at Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information visit here

Saturday, May 11, 2019 – Creative Large Ensemble with Terri Lyne Carrington
Jazz at Princeton University’s season closes with renowned drummer and Grammy winner Carrington in a rare performance of Jim McNeely’s Tribute to Tony Williams Lifetime alongside students in the Creative Large ensemble led by Darcy James Argue.

8 pm at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. For information and tickets call 609-258-9220 or visit here

Grammy Award-winning drummer, producer, and educator Terri Lyne Carrington started her professional career at 10 years old, being the youngest person to receive a union card in Boston. She was featured as a “kid wonder” in publications including People, Ebony, and Modern Drummer. After studying under a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music, she worked as an in-demand musician in NYC and later moved to LA where she was late night TV drummer for Arsenio Hall and Quincy Jones’ VIBE TV show. She has worked with artists including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Al Jarreau, Stan Getz, Woody Shaw, Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding, The Yellowjackets, and countless others. She is the first female artist to win a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. She is a professor at Berklee College of Music, where she holds the position of Zildjian Chair in Performance, Berklee Global Jazz Institute. She is also the Artistic Director for the Beantown Jazz Festival and Berklee Summer Jazz Workshop. Her recent recordings include The Mosaic Project: Love and Soul, featuring a cast of female artists including Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Nancy Wilson, Lalah Hathaway, Lizz Wright, Ingrid Jensen, Linda Oh, Regina Carter, and others. She also released a tribute to Ornette Coleman with David Murray and Geri Allen. She tours with her band Social Science, featuring Aaron Parks and Matt Stevens.

Vancouver-born, Brooklyn-based composer and bandleader Darcy James Argue has toured nationally and internationally with his 18-piece ensemble, Secret Society. Argue made his mark with his critically acclaimed 2009 debut Infernal Machines. 2013 saw the release of Brooklyn Babylon, which, like Infernal Machines before it, earned the group nominations for both GRAMMY and JUNO Awards. His most recent recording, Real Enemies, released in the fall of 2016, earned a third consecutive GRAMMY nomination. Secret Society maintains a busy touring schedule, with European, Canadian, and South American tours and four appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival. Argue has also toured Australia and New Zealand leading the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra. He has led performances of his music by the WDR Big Band, the Danish Radio Big Band, the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, the Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, the Big Band Palácio das Artes, and the West Point Jazz Knights. Argue has composed works for chamber duo and string quartet, art songs for Newspeak, and created arrangements for the Atlanta Symphony. In 2015, Argue was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition and a Doris Duke Artist Award. He has received commissions from the Fromm Music Foundation, the Jazz Gallery, the Manhattan New Music Project, the Jerome Foundation, and BAM, as well as ensembles including the Danish Radio Big Band, the Hard Rubber Orchestra, the West Point Jazz Knights, and the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos. He is the recipient of grants and fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, New Music USA, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Composers Now, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the MacDowell Colony.

Jazz at Princeton University under the direction of Rudresh Mahanthappa serves to promote this uniquely American music as a contemporary and relevant art form.  Our goals are to convey the vast musical and social history of jazz, establish a strong theoretical and stylistic foundation with regard to improvisation and composition, and emphasize the development of individual expression and creativity. Offerings of this program include academic course work, performing ensembles, master classes, private study, and independent projects. They also have the opportunity to participate in academic courses from the music department curriculum that encourage the study of the historical, social, theoretical, stylistic, and creative issues that pertain to the jazz idiom.

Hailed by Pitchfork as “jaw-dropping... one of the finest saxophonists going,” alto saxophonist, composer and educator Rudresh Mahanthappa is widely known as one of the premier voices in jazz of the 21st century. He has over a dozen albums to his credit, including the acclaimed Bird Calls, which topped many critics’ best-of-year lists for 2015 and was hailed by PopMatters as “complex, rhythmically vital, free in spirit while still criss-crossed with mutating structures.” Rudresh has been named alto saxophonist of the year for seven of eight years running in DownBeat Magazine’s International Critics’ Polls (2011-2013, 2015-2018), and for five consecutive years by the Jazz Journalists’ Association (2009-2013) and again in 2016. He won alto saxophonist of the year in the 2015-2017 JazzTimes Magazine Critics’ Polls and was named the Village Voice’s "Best Jazz Artist" in 2015. He has also received the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, among other honors, and is currently the Anthony H. P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz at Princeton University.

Born in Trieste, Italy to Indian émigrés in 1971, Mahanthappa was brought up in Boulder, Colorado and gained proficiency playing everything from current pop to Dixieland. He went on to studies at North Texas, Berklee and DePaul University (as well as the Stanford Jazz Workshop) and came to settle in Chicago. Soon after moving to New York in 1997 he formed his own quartet featuring pianist Vijay Iyer. The band recorded an enduring sequence of albums, Black Water, Mother Tongue and Codebook, each highlighting Mahanthappa’s inventive methodologies and deeply personal approach to composition. He and Iyer also formed the duo Raw Materials.

Coming deeper into contact with the Carnatic music of his parents’ native southern India, Mahanthappa partnered in 2008 with fellow altoist Kadri Gopalnath and the Dakshina Ensemble for Kinsmen, garnering wide acclaim. Apti, the first outing by Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition (with Pakistani-born Rez Abbasi on guitar and Dan Weiss on tabla), saw release the same year; Agrima followed nine years later and considerably expanded the trio’s sonic ambitions.

Mahanthappa has also worked with Jack DeJohnette, Mark Dresser, Danilo Pérez, Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the collaborative trios MSG and Mauger, the co-led quintet Dual Identity with fellow altoist Steve Lehman, and another co-led quintet with fellow altoist and Chicago stalwart Bunky Green (Apex). His exploratory guitar- driven quartets on Samdhi and Gamak featured David Gilmore and Dave “Fuze” Fiuczynski, respectively. In 2015 he was commissioned by Ragamala Dance to create Song of the Jasmine for dancers and a hybrid jazz/South Indian ensemble. He was also commissioned by the PRISM Saxophone Quartet to compose a chamber piece, “I Will Not Apologize for My Tone Tonight,” which can be heard on the quartet’s 2015 double- disc release Heritage/Evolution, Volume 1. 

Mahanthappa is a Yamaha artist and uses Vandoren reeds exclusively.

March 28: Jazz at Princeton presents saxophonist Steve Lehman and Sélébéyone

Saxophonist Steve Lehman brings his global hip hop project Sélébéyone to Jazz at Princeton on Tuesday, March 28

“One of the transforming figures of early 21st-century jazz.”—The Guardian

“A quietly dazzling saxophonist.”—New York Times

“Music of genuinely visionary importance, a way forward for the art.”—Penguin Guide to Jazz

Jazz at Princeton University, helmed by acclaimed saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, presents a diverse and compelling spring 2017 season (March 5-May 13), including a performance by saxophonist Steve Lehman’s global hip hop project Sélébéyone on Tuesday, March 28, 7:30 p.m. at Fine Hall’s Taplin Auditorium. Joining Jazz at Princeton in bringing Lehman to campus is Princeton’s African Studies Department. Admission is free. For information visit www.princeton.edu/music.

Formed in 2015 by award-winning saxophonist Steve Lehman, HPrizm, Maciek Lasserre, and Bamar Ndoye, Sélébéyone is a collaborative project that draws from Senegalese rap, French spectral music, modern jazz, underground hip hop,, interactive electronics, and beyond.  The band’s first full-length album was called one of the “Top 10 CDs of 2016” by NPR Music, The NY Times Popcast, The Denver Post, The LA Times and The Chicago Reader, among many others.

Lehman is a composer, performer, educator, and scholar who works across a broad spectrum of experimental musical idioms. His pieces for large orchestra and chamber ensembles have been performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble, So Percussion, Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin, the JACK Quartet, the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, and the Talea Ensemble. His 2014 recording was named #1 Jazz Album of the Year by NPR Music and the Los Angeles Times. His 2009 album was chosen as #1 Album of the Year by The New York Times. Recipient of a 2015 Guggenheim Fellowship and a 2014 Doris Duke Artist Award, Lehman has performed and recorded with artists including Anthony Braxton, Vijay Iyer, Jason Moran, and Georgia-Anne Muldrow. Lehman has degrees from Wesleyan University and Columbia University.

Other concerts in the Princeton series include Walter Smith III with small group ensembles (March 5), Small Group 1 and Small Group A (April 12), Small Group A (April 23), Jazz Vocal Collective I and II with Darmon Meader (April 27), Creative Large Ensemble with Billy Childs (May 13).

Jazz at Princeton University serves to promote this uniquely American music as a contemporary and relevant art form.  Our goals are to convey the vast musical and social history of jazz, establish a strong theoretical and stylistic foundation with regard to improvisation and composition, and emphasize the development of individual expression and creativity. Offerings of this program include academic course work, performing ensembles, master classes, private study, and independent projects.

Jazz at Princeton University Presents Diverse and Compelling Spring 2017 Season

Jazz at Princeton University Presents Diverse and Compelling Spring 2017 Season

Guest artists include Walter Smith III, Steve Lehman’s Sélébéyone, Darmon Meader and Billy Childs premiering a new work commissioned by Jazz at Princeton University

Jazz at Princeton University, helmed by acclaimed saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, presents a diverse and compelling series spring 2017 season, March 5 – May 13, 2017. Highlights include the world premiere of a Princeton-commissioned work by pianist/composer Billy Childs, and appearances by saxophonist Walter Smith III, saxophonist Steve Lehman’s global hip hop project Sélébéyone, and vocalist, arranger and saxophonist Darmon Meader.

“Jazz at Princeton University has a very exciting spring season that embraces this music in its many styles and forms,” says Mahanthappa. “Some of the top jazz artists of our day will be performing and working with out students.  From saxophonist Walter Smith III performing with our top small jazz group to esteemed composer and alto saxophonist Steve Lehman’s global hip-hop project Sélébéyone to a newly commissioned work by the amazing pianist Billy Childs, this will truly be a season to remember.”

Spring 2017 Schedule

Sunday, March 5 – Small Group I with special guest saxophonist Walter Smith III 

8 p.m. – Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall

Tickets are $15; $5 for students, available at 609-258-9220, or online at tickets.princeton.edu.

The Los Angeles Times simply states the future of Jazz is bright with rising saxophonist Walter Smith III. Although it may appear Smith is a young gun on the scene at age 33, he is widely recognized as an adept performer, accomplished composer, and inspired educator. Small Group I will be performing music from his most recent album Still Casual.

Tuesday, March 28 – Steve Lehman’s Sélébéyone

7:30 p.m. – Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall

Free and open to the public.

Formed in 2015 by award-winning saxophonist Steve Lehman, HPrizm, Maciek Lasserre, and Bamar Ndoye, Sélébéyone is a collaborative project that draws from Senegalese rap, French spectral music, modern jazz, underground Hip Hop, interactive electronics, and beyond.  The band’s first full-length album was called one of the “Top 10 CDs of 2016 by NPR Music, The NY Times Popcast, The Denver Post, The LA Times and The Chicago Reader, among many others.

   

Wednesday, April 12 – Small Group 1 and Small Group A

7:30 pm – Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall

Free and open to the public.

Sunday, April 23 - Small Group A 

2 p.m. at Princeton Public Library

Free and open to the public.

Come celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month in a special concert of jazz standards from Princeton’s Small Group A.  

Thursday, April 27 – Jazz Vocal Collective I and II with special guest Darmon Meader

7:30 pm – Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall

Free and open to the public.

Recognized in both the jazz vocal and instrumental worlds, Darmon Meader is a highly respected vocalist, arranger and saxophonist. Meader has achieved international recognition as the founder, musical director, chief arranger, composer, producer, saxophonist, and vocalist with New York Voices. As a member of New York Voices, he has released numerous recordings on the GRP, RCA/Victor, Concord and MCGJazz labels.

Saturday, May 13 – Creative Large Ensemble with special guest pianist/composer Billy Childs 
8 pm – Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall
Tickets are $15; $5 for students, available at 609-258-9220, or online at tickets.princeton.edu.


Creative Large Ensemble with special guest pianist and composer Billy Childs, one of the foremost American composers of his era working in jazz, classical, and rock.  CLE will be premiering a new work of Mr. Childs commissioned by Jazz at Princeton University as well as performing his previous work in arrangements by Grammy Award Nominee Darcy James Argue.

Jazz at Princeton University serves to promote this uniquely American music as a contemporary and relevant art form.  Our goals are to convey the vast musical and social history of jazz, establish a strong theoretical and stylistic foundation with regard to improvisation and composition, and

emphasize the development of individual expression and creativity. Offerings of this program include academic course work, performing ensembles, master classes, private study, and independent projects.