 Stacy Dillard Jazz at Lincoln Center brings back the "Tenor Maddness" lineup that dazzled Dizzy's last spring. A quintet featuring tenor saxophonsts Seamus Blake and Stacy Dillard with an amazing rhythm section including the renowned Eric Reed on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Willie Jones III on drums will grace the stage at Dizzy's for six nights from Tuesday, March 4th through Sunday, March 9th with two sets each night at 7:30 and 9:30 plus an additional 11:30 set on Friday and Saturday night.
Stacy Dillard, from Muskegon Heights, Michigan, attended college at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Very quickly, Dillard acquired the necessary knowledge that would soon put his name out on the local scene. It was a run-in with Wynton Marsalis in Dayton, Ohio that would turn his attention to the New York Scene. After graduation, Stacy took the act to Cincinnati, where he stayed for a short time and made his first recording appearance with Mike Wade on trumpet, drummer Melvin Broach and pianist William Menefield. Maturation was very rapid, finally leading the way to New York.
 Seamus Blake
Seamus Blake was born in England and raised in Vancouver, Canada. Blake was first asked to record at the age of 21 with drummer Victor Lewis while Blake was still a student at the Berklee College of Music. Following his graduation, Blake moved to New York, where he rapidly established himself on the New York scene. At 30, Blake now has 4 releases on Criss Cross Records, including the 1995 premiere release of the Bloomdaddies band featuring 2 electrified tenors, electric bass, vocals and 2 drums. His latest for them entitled Echonomics, and features Dave Kikoski and Victor Lewis. A CD of originals entitled Stranger Things Have Happened has also just been released on the Fresh Sound label with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jorge Rossy and Larry Grenadier. Blake is long standing member of the Mingus Big Band and is featured on their last three recordings for Dreyfuss. Pat Metheny has described him as "the best tenor player I’ve heard in a couple of years" (JazzTimes April 1997). John Scofield, who hired him for his ‘Quiet Band’, calls him ‘extraordinary, a total saxophonist".
 Eric Reed Since 1995, Eric has been touring with his own ensembles, making serious waves in the Jazz community. The legendary Ahmad Jamal has called Eric, "one of my very favorite pianists." Eric’s recording Pure Imagination, shot to #1 on the Gavin chart and stayed there for seven weeks, earning him the 1999 Gavin Artist of the Year award. His next recording, Manhattan Melodies was also #1 on Gavin for several weeks. A masterful composer/arranger Reed has scored music for independent films as well as mainstream, including the comedy "Life," featuring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. In addition to leading a quintet that features some of the finest young talent on the scene, Eric presently expands his musical horizons in the area of education, teaching in various situations worldwide. Away from the piano, Eric serves as the artistic director of a concert series called Jazz Composer Portraits at Columbia University’s Miller Theater. Eric’s latest release is Happiness on the Nagel-Heyer label, his first recording of original music in five years.
 Dezron Douglas
Willie Jones III, son of the accomplished jazz pianist Willie Jones II, co-founded Black Note, which was awarded First Place in the 1991 prestigious John Coltrane Young Artist Competition. Willie Jones III was a semifinalist in the 1992 Thelonious Monk Jazz Drum Competition. By 1994, the band toured Europe and across the U.S., and was the opening act for Wynton Marsalis. From 1998-2005, Jones was a member of and toured with the prominent Roy Hargrove's Quintet, and can be heard on Hargrove's latest album release Nothing Serious and RH Factor's Distractions. Continuing the pursuit of musical artistry, Jones not only made his debut as a bandleader in 2000 with his premier record Vol 1...Straight Swingin' (WJ3), but he also revealed his proficiency as a composer as well as a producer. He released his second acclaimed CD in 2002, Vol II...Don't Knock The Swing. Currently, Jones is touring with Eric Reed, Kurt Elling and Hank Jones.
Tue-Sun, March 4-9 at Dizzy's - Tenor Madness: featuring Stacy Dillard & Seamus Blake
- Seamus Blake and Stacy Dillard, tenor saxophones; Eric Reed, piano; Dezron Douglas, bass; Willie Jones III, drums.
- Tuesday-Sunday, 7:30 & 9:30 sets and additional 11:30 sets on Friday and Saturday.
Dizzy's is located at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center Broadway at 60th Street, on the 5th Floor. For Reservations Call: 212 258-9595 or -9795. Seating is available on a first-come first-served basis either at tables or at the bar. For more information, visit: www.jalc.org/dccc
Jazz at Lincoln Center is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to jazz. With the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra and a comprehensive array of guest artists, Jazz at Lincoln Center advances a unique vision for the continued development of the art of jazz by producing a year-round schedule of performance, education and broadcast events for audiences of all ages. |
Saturday, 05 July 2008
