Pitt Jazz Ensemble Presents Spring Concert

PITTSBURGH—The sounds of big band jazz will fill the room when the University of Pittsburgh Jazz Ensemble presents its annual spring concert at 8 p.m. April 17 in the auditorium of Bellefield Hall, 315 S. Bellefield Ave., Oakland.

The student ensemble, performing under the direction of Ralph Guzzi, will be joined by special guest artist and tenor saxophonist Don Braden. Following a brief intermission, Braden will perform with Pitt Director of Jazz Studies Geri Allen (piano); Paul Thompson (bass); Pitt PhD student John Bagnato (guitar); and James Johnson III (drums). 

Tickets—$10 for general admission and $5 for students—are available at the door or at the box office on the main floor of the William Pitt Union, 3959 Fifth Ave.

Known for his imaginative and soulful sound, Braden has toured the world leading his own ensembles and as a special guest and sideman with such jazz greats as Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, and many others. He has composed music in many styles for symphonies, films, and television, and he worked for several years as a composer for Bill Cosby. Braden is a world-renowned educator, having taught master classes at many schools and universities and having run the Litchfield Jazz Camp, the Harvard University Monday Jazz Band, and other programs. His latest CD, Full Circle, is inspired by classic sax and vocal collaborations and features vocalist Vanessa Rubin.

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