Jazz aficionados, musicians and educators will gather at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts (UArts) on October 30-November 1 for “Brownie Speaks,” a symposium and concert series celebrating and documenting the life, music and legacy of Clifford Brown, the influential jazz trumpeter who died in 1956 at 25.
The Philadelphia Music Project, a program of the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage, funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by the University of the Arts, sponsors the performance component of the symposium, with additional support from the University of the Arts and the recently founded Philadelphia Jazz Heritage Project. The three-day event will feature performances by Terence Blanchard, Benny Golson, Lou Donaldson, Marcus Belgrave, the UArts Jazz Ensembles and many others. The Lars Halle Jazz Orchestra will premiere a new John Fedchock composition dedicated to Clifford Brown. Also being honored is comedian Soupy Sales, for his commitment to jazz and for preserving the only known video footage of Clifford Brown. Sales is expected to attend.
Brownie Speaks: A Video Documentary, produced by UArts School of Music faculty member, composer, pianist, and recording artist Don Glanden, will premiere at the symposium. Brown’s son, Clifford Brown Jr. will serve as the symposium’s master of ceremonies. Participants will include Nat Hentoff, Lewis Porter, Don Glanden, Rick Lawn, Alan Hood, Nick Catalano. Phil Schaap, Jimmy Heath, Benny Golson, Lou Donaldson, Geneva Griffin and others. There will be daily performances by jazz ensembles from the University of the Arts School of Music, Marc Dicciani, Director.
All of the daytime symposium events are free to the public but pre-registering through one of the online forms is recommended. There is a fee for the evening concerts, however, the evening concerts are free to any student with a valid ID from any school. Ticket information is available on the website by clicking the invitation link.
For more information visit UArts.
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