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| Dean Shelly Berg |
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and the University of Miami's Frost School of Music are proud to announce the thrilling six-concert lineup for the JAZZ ROOTS 2016-2017 season as well as the appointment of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music Dean SHELLY BERG as Artistic Advisor for the groundbreaking series. A world-renowned musician, composer and educator, Berg has been involved as a collaborator on JAZZ ROOTS since its inception. The Arsht Center invited Berg to expand his role to include assisting with creative direction for the series following the passing in 2015 of JAZZ ROOTS co-founder and co-creator Larry Rosen, with whom Berg also collaborated for many years.
The ninth season of JAZZ ROOTS will launch befittingly with an all-star tribute to series co-founder Larry Rosen, commissioned especially for the 10th Anniversary of the Arsht Center. The extraordinary season will continue with five musically diverse concerts each starring some of the most celebrated headliners in the music industry today.
"It is hard to imagine JAZZ ROOTS without Larry Rosen. Together we realized a vision that has become one of the most celebrated jazz series in the world. In passing the torch to Dean Berg, the 2016-2017 season promises to reach the high standards of musicality and diversity that has become the mainstay of the concert and educational series that has established the Arsht Center as one of the most recognized concert halls in the world for jazz. Shelly has long been part of our JAZZ ROOTS family and we are excited to welcome him as our new artistic advisor,” said John Richard, president and CEO of the Arsht Center.
"Larry and I shared so many visions over our many years of friendship and working together, most notably our love of jazz, educating young people about jazz and creating an awareness among the masses about the roots of America's true art form. While I am so saddened he is no longer with us both personally and professionally, I am honored the Arsht Center has entrusted me to take the helm of the extraordinary program he set forth. I look forward to paying tribute to Larry in our opening concert and presenting all the exciting shows we have scheduled this upcoming season,” said Dean Shelly Berg, JAZZ ROOTS artistic advisor.
Among Dean Berg’s numerous outstanding achievements: he is a four-time GRAMMY nominee and was named one of the “educators of the millennium” by the Los Angeles Times. Berg has recorded and performed with diverse artists, including Gloria Estefan, Renee Fleming, KISS, Chicago, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, etc. He composed a piece for the Dali Lama's World Festival of Sacred Music in Los Angeles, in addition to composing for top network television series and major studio films.
The concert lineup for the JAZZ ROOTS 2016-2017 six-concert season in the John S. and
James L. Knight Concert Hall is as follows:
JAZZ ROOTS: TO LARRY WITH LOVE: A STAR-STUDDED TRIBUTE TO LARRY ROSEN
Dave Grusin, The Frost School of Music’s Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra and StarStudded
Cast (to be announced)
November 4, 2016 at 8 p.m.
John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall
The ninth season kicks off with a very special evening in tribute to the legendary co-founder of JAZZ ROOTS and GRP Records - Larry Rosen, who passed away in October 2015. Multiple GRAMMY and Academy Award-winning musician, composer and producer, Dave Grusin, a longtime collaborator of Rosen’s with whom he founded GRP Records, will be joined by the Frost School of Music’s Henry Mancini Orchestra and a star-studded cast to celebrate Rosen’s extraordinary musical accomplishments spanning over 35 years, which earned 33 GRAMMY Awards, 80 GRAMMY nominations and numerous other prestigious honors.
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| Dave Koz |
JAZZ ROOTS: DAVE KOZ CHRISTMAS TOUR 2016
With special guests Jonathan Butler, Kenny Lattimore and Valerie Simpson
November 26, 2016 at 8 p.m.
John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall
Nine-time GRAMMY® nominee and saxophonist extraordinaire Dave Koz and a trio of special guests – Jonathan Butler, Kenny Lattimore and Ashford and Simpson’s Valerie Simpson will capture the magic of Christmas in the 19th anniversary edition of Koz’s holiday tour. Koz, who has charted nine number one albums on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Album chart and has released five holiday albums, has assembled another stellar lineup for 2016. The irrepressible Jonathan Butler, an “alumni” of the tour, has earned accolades in the R&B, contemporary jazz and gospel fields and recently released a new studio album entitled Free. GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Kenny Lattimore, hailed by The New York Times as a
“modern soul man,” has released seven solo albums, including his latest, Anatomy of a Love Song. Acclaimed vocalist Valerie Simpson co-wrote such classic hits as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “You’re All I Need to Get By,” “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand” and “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” as half of the songwriting/performing/producing entity Ashford and Simpson. She recently released a new solo album, Dinosaurs Are Coming Back Again. Together these four remarkable artists will put fresh spins on holiday classics as well as other selections that beautifully capture the spirit of the season.
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| Wynton Marsalis |
JAZZ ROOTS: JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS
January 20, 2017 at 8 p.m.
John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall
Under Wynton Marsalis’ direction, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performs a repertoire across the full jazz spectrum - from the music’s New Orleans roots to bebop to modern jazz. In its stunning performances, the orchestra showcases new compositions and arrangements by Marsalis, members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and jazz contemporaries. The orchestra may also perform the unique repertoire for which it is world-renowned: modern renditions of traditional favorites including tunes by Thelonious Monk; classic Blue Note Records selections by Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Jackie McLean, Lee Morgan, Joe Henderson; and selections from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s 2015 album release, Live in Cuba.
JAZZ ROOTS: PIANO TITANS: CHICK COREA & GONZALO RUBALCABA, SOLOS &
DUETS
February 24, 2017 at 8 p.m.
John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall
Joining forces for this extraordinary evening are two piano titans who hail from different eras:music icon Chick Corea and one of the new masters of jazz piano, Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Keyboardist, composer and bandleader Chick Corea is a DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, as well as the fourth most nominated artist in GRAMMY history with 63 nominations and 22 wins, in addition to a number of Latin GRAMMYS. From straight-ahead to avant-garde, bebop to jazz-rock fusion, children’s songs to chamber and symphonic works, Corea has touched an astonishing number of musical bases in his illustrious career while maintaining a standard of excellence that is awe-inspiring.
GRAMMY and multiple Latin GRAMMY-winning pianist/composer Gonzalo Rubalcaba is considered one of the new masters of modern jazz piano. He has built a career, and with it, a musical bridge, to span the rich musical traditions of his native Cuba with North American jazz and has been described by The New York Times as “one of the greatest musicians in jazz and a pianist of super-natural abilities.” Rubalcaba was commissioned by the Arsht Center for its 10th anniversary season to create a new work fusing Cuban and flamenco sounds. The piece celebrated its world premiere in March 2016.
JAZZ ROOTS: LIVING LEGENDS: BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET WITH SPECIAL
GUEST KURT ELLING
March 17, 2017 at 8 p.m.
John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall
For their Arsht Center debut, the 3-time GRAMMY Award-winning Branford Marsalis Quartet will be joined by guest vocalist and GRAMMY Award winner Kurt Elling in a singular collaboration of musical forces. The tight-knit working band featuring Marsalis on saxophones, Joey Calderazzo on piano, Eric Revis on bass, and Justin Faulkner on drums rarely invites other musicians into the fold of their nearly telepathically cohesive unit. Elling’s deep jazz vocabulary, technical versatility, and outstanding intonation will enable the band to perform a variety of material in new ways. Opening for the quartet will be jazz vocalist, composer and Miami native, Carmen Lundy who is hailed by The Evening Standard as “a genuine jazz singer.”
JAZZ ROOTS: FROM MA RAINEY TO MILES DAVIS: A BLUES JOURNEY
Steve Miller, Henry Mancini Institute Big Band and special guests Jimmy Vaughan, Mike
Flanigin and Shelly Berg
April 7, 2017 at 8 PM
John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall
When the music of Ma Rainey meets Miles Davis, expect the realms of blues and jazz to be out of this world. Originally developed for and performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center this past season, renowned blues-rock guitarist, multi platinum-selling singer/songwriter, 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and life-long jazz fan Steve Miller hosts a wide-ranging musical-and-beyond revue with special guests: Jimmy Vaughan on guitar, Mike Flanigin on the Hammond B3 organ and JAZZ ROOTS artistic advisor Shelly Berg on piano. From his distinctively recognizable guitar and vocals, to engaging commentary, high-energy jamming, and much more, the evening promises surprises and high-level performances. Having learned his first chords at age five from his godfather Les Paul, how to play lead guitar from T-Bone Walker at age nine, and then working with the best Bluesmen in Chicago – Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, and Paul Butterfield – Miller has incorporated his affinity for the blues into such hits as “The Joker,” “Fly Like An Eagle,” and “Jet Airliner.”
TICKET INFORMATION
JAZZ ROOTS 2016-2017 series subscriptions, which include tickets to all six performances, are on sale to the public beginning July 10 with seating priority given to renewing subscribers. Subscribers can save up to 35% with six-show packages ranging in price from $160-$790* and can be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office at 1300 Biscayne Blvd., by calling (305) 949-6722, or online at arshtcenter.org/jazz. Single tickets, if available after the subscription campaign ends, will go on sale later this summer.
ABOUT JAZZ ROOTS
JAZZ ROOTS is an institution in Miami music and has been credited with revitalizing America’s art form in the region. More than 80,000 people have attended the annual six-part concert and educational series, which has also benefited more than 8,000 high school jazz music students who have participated in the JAZZ ROOTS: Sound Check educational program. JAZZ ROOTS was co-created by the Adrienne Arsht Center in 2008 in collaboration with the late music industry entrepreneur Larry Rosen and, since then, has presented a rich variety of thematically based concerts exploring the spectrum of jazz. The series has featured hundreds of the greatest living jazz artists/ensembles on the scene today and has introduced Miami audiences to rising stars and local talent. JAZZ ROOTS has showcased every unique style and incarnation of jazz – from Latin jazz and fusion to bossa nova and straight ahead, as well as presented tribute programs honoring American icons Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. Since its inception, the series has drawn more than 80,000 jazz lovers to the Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall for memorable evenings with such jazz superstars as George Benson, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Paquito D’Rivera, Michael Feinstein, Dave Grusin, Keith Jarrett, Eddie Palmieri, and Sonny Rollins, as well as world-class ensembles, including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, the Count Basie Orchestra, and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. Quincy Jones has heralded JAZZ ROOTS as “the most important new jazz and educational series in America!” This history making series has sold-out dozens of concerts since it was launched eight years ago.
JAZZ ROOTS also features JAZZ ROOTS: SOUND CHECK, an in-depth educational partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools which has brought more than 8,000 high school music students to the Center for a complimentary and unique behind-the-scenes experience including: a pre-concert sound check; a Q&A session with featured artists followed by a workshop with a local jazz expert that will highlight the music, the artistic process and the practical skills needed for a career in the arts; and free entry to the evening’s performance. The JAZZ ROOTS education program is made possible in part by Wells Fargo, the Green Family Foundation, Citizens Interested in Arts and The ASCAP Foundation.
