Capital University presents its annual Jazz and World Music Festival, which runs through Sunday, April 20 and features more
than 60 events, including student and faculty recital series, daily Brown Bag Concert Series, an alumni concert, community outreach concerts, the Jazz Ensemble Invitational, Carnivale! – an outdoor concert on The Plaza at Mound Street – and more.
This year’s guest artist is Dave Pietro, a gifted saxophonist, composer and teacher who has been on the New York jazz scene since 1987. His credentials include a nine-year run playing lead saxophone for and recording six CDs with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra. He also has toured, recorded and performed with the bands of Woody Herman, Lionel Hampton, Maynard Ferguson, Maria Schneider, The Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, John Fedchock, Arturo O’Farrill and Jim Widner, Paul Anka, Louis Bellson, Blood Sweat & Tears, Bobby Caldwell, Ray Charles, Rosemary Clooney, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Feinstein, Chaka Khan, Liza Minnelli, James Naughton and John Pizzarelli. He also studies East Indian music and has performed with various groups led by Indian tablist Sandip Burman.
Other featured performers include:
• Ali Ryerson, jazz flutist who has toured the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Africa and has
performed in concert halls such as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Repeatedly voted one of the top flutists in the Downbeat Jazz Poll, Ryerson has released nearly 20 jazz albums as leader or co-leader, including four on European labels, two for legendary record producer Bob Thiele (Red Baron label), three for Concord Jazz and two on DMP with guitarist Joe Beck.
• Dennis Wilson, who after graduating from Berklee College of Music began his professional career with Lionel Hampton as trombonist, arranger, and musical director. Wilson has been a lead/solo trombonist for the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, The New Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and for 10 years with William James “Count” Basie and his Orchestra. He received a Grammy Award nomination for arrangements created for The Manhattan Transfer. He has performed on more than six Grammy Winning Albums with the Count Basie Orchestra. His experience includes work with many jazz greats including Sarah Vaughn, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry and Joe Williams.
• Rob Parton, one of Chicago’s busiest and most versatile trumpet players. Parton is well-known and highly regarded as a studio/theatre/jazz musician, performer-educator and band leader. He performs more than 250 jazz trio dates a year as the
featured artist at Chicago’s Catch 35. Parton has performed with the Chicago Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, Doc Severinsen, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra Jr., Mel Torme, Beach Boys, Christopher Cross, Sheena Easton, Peabo Bryson, Celine Dion, Nick Carter, Yolanda Adams, Josh Groban, Enrique Eglasius, Natalie Cole and Maynard Ferguson.
• Luke Gillespie, an active performer of jazz and classical piano music. Gillespie is the recipient of numerous awards, including best performance from Indianapolis Star in 1993; the 1990 Copland Piano Concerto Competition at Indiana University; and the 1994 Indianapolis Jazz Festival Competition. He has recorded with the Arts Center Jazz Collective, David Baker, Bruce Bransby, Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, James Campbell, Steve Davis, Everett Greene, Dan Perantoni, Rufus Reid, Eugene Rousseau, Dominic Spera, Wanda Stafford, and Tom Walsh. He has performed with Jamey Aebersold, Benny Golson, Bunky Green, Jimmy Heath, Steve Houghton, Ingrid Jensen, Kelley Johnson, Pat LaBarbera, David Liebman, James Moody, Chris Potter and Jim Snidero.
View a complete list of events for the 2008 Jazz and World Music Festival.
Jazz & World Music photos by Jamie De Pould '08.