New England Conservatory has announced its initial schedule of jazz programming for the 2017-18 season, with more events to be added. The season will celebrate NEC’s 150th anniversary, with concerts by NEC jazz faculty and alumni and a new work by composer and alumnus Darcy James Argue to be premiered on March 1, 2018.
Highlights include:
Oct. 19 – Monk’s Dream: Thelonious Monk at 100
Ran Blake, Frank Carlberg and Fred Hersch will perform, with T. S. Monk playing portions of Monk’s Town Hall Concert with the NEC Jazz Orchestra. Author Robin Kelley (Thelonious Monk: The Life of an American Original) will speak about Monk’s life and music. 7:30 p.m. in Jordan Hall.
Oct. 30 – Ken Schaphorst Faculty Concert
Details TBA. 7:30 p.m. in Jordan Hall.
Dec. 7 – Manteca: Dizzy Gillespie and the Birth of Latin Jazz
The NEC Jazz Orchestra will perform “Manteca,” “Tin Tin Deo” and “Cubano Be, Cubano Bop,” written by Gillespie and longtime NEC faculty member George Russell. 7:30 p.m. in Jordan Hall.
Mar. 1 – Celebration: The Legacy of Bob Brookmeyer
The NEC Jazz Orchestra will perform music by Bob Brookmeyer including his Celebration Suite, music by former NEC students Ayn Inserto, Mehmet Sanlikol, Ryan Truesdell and Nick Urie plus a new composition by Darcy James Argue, commissioned for NEC’s 150th Anniversary. 7:30 p.m. in Jordan Hall.
Apr. 19 – The Seven Rays: Music of Jerry Bergonzi and Ken Schaphorst
The NEC Jazz Orchestra with saxophonist/composer Jerry Bergonzi will perform Bergonzi’s “The Seven Rays,” a seven-movement suite arranged by Ken Schaphorst and inspired by mystical associations with the number seven. 7:30 p.m. in Jordan Hall.
For more information including the full schedule of events, visit necmusic.edu.
