Past Events

Fall 2013

AUGUST

• JAZZAlive—Concerts in the Community
  UDC JAZZtet Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

  Wednesday, August 28, 2013
  12 Noon

  JAZZAlive — Concerts in the Community joins the nation in commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. The University's resident ensemble the UDC JAZZtet directed by Allyn Johnson celebrates this historic March for Jobs and Freedom with a performance at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library. The ensemble includes DC favorites Allyn Johnson (piano), Steve Novosel (bass), Lyle Link (saxophones), DeAndre Shaifer (trumpet), Doug Pierce (trumpet), Reginald Cyntje (trombone), Pete Muldoon (guitar), Jon Lewis (drums).

  (Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library - Great Hall, 901 G Street, NW, Washington, D.C, 20001.)
  The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library is conveniently located on Metro's Red Line (Metro Center) and Red/Yellow/Green Lines (Gallery Pl-Chinatown).




SEPTEMBER

• JAZZforum: Nasar Abadey & SUPERNOVA®- Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement
  

  Tuesday, September 17, 2013
  7:00 p.m.

  Musical Ambassadors Nasar Abadey and SUPERNOVA® continue the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the historic March for Jobs and Freedom. Nasar Abadey, the founder, leader and driving force of SUPERNOVA®, together with Joe Ford, James King, John Williams and Allyn Johnson will share their experiences as jazz musicians during this era and beyond. Joining the discussion is historian, author, educator and newly appointed Chairman of the District of Columbia Commission on African American Affairs, Maurice Jackson. This JAZZforum is a prelude to the concert - Take 5! Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement that is scheduled at the Smithsonian's American Art Museum on September 19, 2013. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).



• JAZZ Concert & CD Release: Allyn Johnson & Sonic Sanctuary—"The Truth"
  

  Wednesday, September 25, 2013
  7:00 p.m.

  Pianist and UDC Jazz Studies Director Allyn Johnson & Sonic Sanctuary celebrate their new recording, "The Truth." Joining Allyn are Romeir Mendez (bass) and Carroll Dashiell III (drums). CD signing follows concert. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).




OCTOBER

• Jazz Concert: Pete Muldoon, guitar
  

  Tuesday, October 8, 2013
  12:30 p.m.

  Pete Muldoon returns to the University of the District of Columbia to serve up an afternoon of jazz guitar for your lunch hour enjoyment. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).



• JAZZforum - Willard Jenkins: Keeping Jazz Alive
  

  Wednesday, October 16, 2013
  7:00 p.m.

  Author, journalist, broadcaster, arts consultant, festival curator and this year's Washington D.C. Jazz Hero, Willard Jenkins continues to be a tireless advocate for Jazz and the musicians who create the music. Most recently, the Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) presented him with the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz Journalism. He will discuss his extensive career with writer and producer WA Brower.

  "Willard Jenkins' jazz activities are many and varied. He is a founding member and former Vice-President of the JJA and is the co-author (or, as he puts it, "arranger") of Randy Weston's autobiography, African Rhythms. He arrived in Washington in 1989 to serve as Executive Director of the National Jazz Service Organization and almost immediately established himself as one of the most popular programmers on WPFW. He distinguished himself as a host, writer and producer for Black Entertainment Television's BET Jazz and BET J channels and has written for virtually every jazz-oriented publication as well as for many online platforms. He maintains his own very engaging and provocative blog, the Independent Ear on his website Open Sky Jazz and has been a frequent participant in the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Annual Legislative Conference Jazz Issue Forum and Concert." (WA Brower)

  Jazz historian, writer and producer WA Brower is senior partner and co-founder of JVC Production and a longtime concert and special event producer. A former staffer for Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Brower has been involved in producing the CBCF Annual Legislative Conference Jazz Issue Forum and Concert since its inception in 1985. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).



• Tom Teasley - New Directions
  

  Tuesday, October 29, 2013
  12:30 p.m.

  Tom Teasley, described in the Washington Post as "a percussionist in the widest and most exuberant sense of the word," maintains a unique career as a solo percussionist, composer and educator. A 2010 and 2011 Helen Hayes Theater Award recipient for outstanding sound design, Tom will present a performance-demonstration on his work in film and performance art. In this new offering Tom has performed live to a diverse repertoire of film. These include Lotte Reiniger's classic cut-out animation, "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" and the Fritz Lang Sci - Fi thriller, "Metropolis." In the unusual performance/installation of German Dadaist masters Hans Richter and Viking Eggeling, Tom performs original compositions and superimposes the images of his performance transforming the original art. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).




NOVEMBER

• Junior Recital: Krisylnn Perry, vocalist
  

  Monday, November 4, 2013
  7:00 p.m.

  The Jazz Studies program treats you to another exciting performance as vocalist and Jazz Studies major, Krislynn Perry presents her junior recital. She is a featured soloist with the UDC Jazz Ensembles and has charmed audiences throughout the Washington, DC area. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).



• JAZZforum: Robert "Bobby" Felder
  

  Wednesday, November 13, 2013
  7:00 p.m.

  Musician and educator Robert "Bobby" Felder has been a prominent figure in the Washington, D.C. music scene for many years. He will share his background and experiences as a performer, arranger and music educator that include 23 years as Director of Instrumental Music at the University of the District of Columbia where he played a key role in the establishment of the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives.

  Felder, who has had a long career working with some of D.C.'s top jazz musicians, will also speak about his current projects that include: his service as Director of Jazz Services at Peoples Congregational Church, leading the group, Bobby Felder and Friends; The Capital All-Stars big band; several recordings; and of course his signature group that has been fixture in the area for over 50 years, Bobby Felder and His Blue Notes. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).



• UDC Small Jazz Ensembles
  

  Tuesday, November 19, 2013
  12:30 p.m.

  Join the jazz ensembles under the direction of Allyn Johnson for our "Thanksgiving" celebration. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).




DECEMBER

• Annual Holiday Concert
  

  Tuesday, December 10, 2013
  7:30 p.m.

  The University of the District of Columbia presents its annual holiday gift to the Washington, D.C. community. The UDC Chorale directed by Richard Odom, starts the evening with a program of choral music followed by the gospel sound of The Voices, directed by Gerry Gillespie. The UDC Jazz Ensemble directed by Allyn Johnson closes the program with big band jazz sure to spread the holiday spirit. University Auditorium—Theatre of the Arts (Bldg. 46-East).




FEBRUARY 2014

• JAZZforum: Chuck Redd
  

  Wednesday, February 19, 2014
  7:00 p.m.

  Drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd has had a long and distinguished career working with some of the legends of jazz including Charlie Byrd, Bill Potts, Mel Torme, and Barney Kessel. Born and raised in the DC area, Redd has been a fixture on the Washington jazz scene for decades, playing for 15 years with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra as well as teaching at the University of Maryland. He will speak about his background and experiences, his current projects, and about his upcoming participation in a tribute to Felix Grant at the Smithsonian American Art Museum on February 20, 2014. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).



• UDC Small Jazz Ensembles
  

  Tuesday, February 25, 2014
  12:30 p.m.

  Join the jazz ensembles under the direction of Allyn Johnson for our Black History Month celebration. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).




MARCH

• JAZZforum:Arthur C. Dawkins, Ph.D.
  

  Monday, March 24, 2014
  7:00 p.m.

  Musician and educator, Dr. Arthur Dawkins has been a prominent and pivotal figure in the Washington, D.C. music scene. He will share his background and experiences that include 30 years as Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Howard University where he played a key role in establishing a program that has produced world-class practitioners of the art form. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).




APRIL - JAM 2014 (Jazz Appreciation Month)@UDC



• 2014 Archives Fair
  

  Thursday, April 3, 2014
  9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

  The annual Archives Fair will be presented by the DC Caucus of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC). Some of the participating institutions include the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, University of the District of Columbia Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives and University Archives, University of Maryland Special Collections, Smithsonian Archives of American Art, National Museum of American History Archives Center, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University, Washingtoniana Division of the District of Columbia Public Library, and others. National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW



• Senior Recital: Krisylnn Perry, vocalist
  

  Monday, April 7, 2014
  7:00 p.m.

  Featured soloist with the UDC Jazz Ensembles and Jazz Studies major, Krislynn Perry presents her senior recital. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).



• UDC Small Jazz Ensembles
  

  Tuesday, April 15, 2014
  12:30 p.m.

  Jazz ensembles under the direction of Allyn Johnson celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month in a variety of flavors. Recital Hall (Bldg. 46-West).



• JAZZforum: Exploring DC Jazz History
  

  Monday, April 21, 2014
  7:00 p.m.

  A brand new special jazz issue of Washington History Journal focuses on the city's bountiful music history. The included articles illuminate Washington's involvement in the history of jazz and cover a wide range of topics. This forum is presented in conjunction with the Historical Society of Washington and features four journal contributors. Panelists Rusty Hassan, Willard Jenkins, and Blair Ruble and moderator Michael Fitzgerald will discuss the influential people and places of over a century's worth of great music. Recital Hall (Performing Arts Bldg. 46-West).



• Calvin Jones BIG BAND Jazz Festival

  Monday, April 28, 2014
  8:00 PM

  The Calvin Jones Big Band Jazz Festival celebrates 28 years of world-class jazz at the University of the District of Columbia. The Big Band sound returns to UDC as the powerhouse jazz ensembles from the University of the District of Columbia (directed by Allyn Johnson), Howard University (directed by Fred Irby III) and the University of Maryland (directed by Chris Vadala) once again cap off Jazz Appreciation Month with a with a hand-clapping, finger-snapping, foot-stomping good time. Produced by UDC's Jazz Studies Program and the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives, the festival began in 1987 as part of a city-wide tribute to Duke Ellington, and it remains one of the most anticipated events on Washington, DC's jazz calendar. Scholarship Benefit Series. University Auditorium—Theatre of the Arts (Bldg. 46-East).

  Tickets are $20 (general admission), $15 (seniors), and $10 (students) and can be purchased in advance at the UDC Music Program, Building 46-West or online at InstantSeats.com.




Please note that all events, dates, and times listed are subject to change. Additional events may be scheduled throughout the year. Unless otherwise noted, all programs are FREE and OPEN to the public.