This spring proves to continue this tradition and, in fact, may be one of the best and busiest seasons in recent history. WPI will host a wide variety of jazz clinics, discussions and performances, highlighted by several concerts by prominent members of the jazz community.
One new development has been the organizing of a program called "Jazz in Our Midst," developed to focus on regional jazz artists. The JIOM program will present several clinics in the Spaulding Recital Hall in the lower level of Alden where the WPI Jazz Ensemble will perform and be critiqued by the visiting artist. This program was organized by Director of Jazz Studies, Rich Falco, in an attempt to establish a good repoire with the jazz community. "These artists frequently perform in central Massachusetts and students should feel at ease in the jazz community" says Falco.
Of particular interest is the jazz clinic which will be offered this Friday at 3:00 in Alden Hall. This clinic will be presented by renowned guitarist Larry Coryell, bassist Brian Torff and vibist Dave Samuels and is sponsored by the International Artists Series at Mechanics Hall, through the Mass Jazz Festival. Following the clinic, the trio will perform at Mechanics Hall with Ernestine Anderson, at 8:00; tickets for this event are $10.
Coryell was a seminal figure in the Fusion movement, and a leader in the electric jazz movement. Recently he has been working with acoustic jazz, but frequently he returns to the electric world. He has an international reputation as a jazz artist and is known for his recording and touring with Spyro Gyra.
Dave Samuels is a member of the faculty at the Berklee College in Boston. They will be accompanied by Brian Torff on bass. Two area high schools will also be participating in the clinic on Friday, the Algonquin Regional High School Jazz Combo, led by Dennis Wrenn, and the North Middlesex Regional High School Jazz Combo, which is led by Eric Schedine.
Give feedback: newspeak@wpi.wpi.edu