“This town hall meeting of a band makes the kind of jazz that nearly everyone could agree to call jazz. There are layers of squirming saxes, bright piano and serious brass blasts — low–end, high–note, and mid–range alike — tied together with a surplus of swing. But it doesn’t sound stuck in a misremembered era — there are jutting edges to the writing, and they’re played with a fashionably loose vibe. (As analogues, think of contemporary big bands led by trumpeters Roy Hargrove, or Nicholas Payton, or Charles Tolliver, or even the Charles Mingus repertory group, which Orrin Evans has served in.) And no soloist is afraid to hold anything back: There’s audacity of spirit here.” – Patrick Jarenwattananon, NPR Music, 3/20/2011.
Tag Archives: soloist
Josh Lawrence featured with the UArts Rick Kerber Big Band October 22
The University of the Arts in Philadelphia announced today that Josh Lawrence will be the featured soloist with the Rick Kerber Big Band under the direction of Dennis Wasko on Saturday October 22.
October 22, 7 PM
Caplan Center for the Performing Arts, Terra Hall
211 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA
Josh Lawrence joins the UArts Rick Kerber Tribute Ensemble October 24
The University of the Arts in Philadelphia announced today that Josh Lawrence will join the Rick Kerber Tribute Ensemble at Gershman Hall on Monday October 24. The ensemble, under the direction of Dennis Wasko, honors the teaching legacy of trumpeter Rick Kerber.
October 24, 7 p.m.
Gershman Hall, Levitt Auditorium
