November 4, 2014
SVSU jazz concert to feature music of Freddie Hubbard
Saginaw Valley State University jazz artist-in-residence Jeff Hall will lead a concert ensemble with five guest musicians as they perform the music of jazz legend Freddie Hubbard Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in SVSU's Rhea Miller Recital Hall. Admission is $12 for the general public, and $5 for students and senior citizens.
The late Hubbard is regarded as one of the great jazz trumpeters of all time. He gained fame by playing with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the 1960s, which followed a tour of Europe with Quincy Jones in 1960-1961. Hubbard also toured with Herbie Hancock's acoustic V.S.O.P. Quintet in 1977.
By the early 1970s, Hubbard’s distinctive music made him a pacesetter in jazz. The albums "Red Clay” and “Straight Life” are considered to be among his finest recorded work.
A Saginaw native, Hall worked as an adjunct instructor at SVSU from 1974-2005 when he accepted the artist-in-residence appointment. After attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, Hall returned to Michigan and has toured with bands such as Great Lakes Express and Method, while playing alongside noted jazz artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Joe Henderson and the J.C. Heard Orchestra.
For the concert, Hall will be joined by five guest musicians. They are:
• Chris Bickley, a saxophonist and flutist who lives in Traverse City and is the leader of the Bay Area Big Band. He is the founder of the Bay Area Music Foundation, which offers music scholarships, educational programs and musical instruments for gifted and underprivileged students. He has worked with renowned artists such as Kenny Rogers, Mel Torme and Gladys Knight.
• Jack Dryden, a bassist who has played with the Detroit Symphony, the Boston Pops and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded with Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops and Anita Baker. He is an active clinician and educator at Berklee, the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Western Michigan University, and the Interlochen School for the Performing Arts.
• Paul Finkbeiner, a trumpeter and flugelhornist who has performed in jazz groups all over the world, including the Orange County Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the symphonic hall of the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, Spain. He has appeared on several albums with artists such as Jan Krist and Phil Ogilvie's Rhythm Kings.
• Arlene McDaniel, a pianist who has performed at Lansing's Old Town Jazz Fest and the Michigan Jazz Festival in Livonia. She is on the faculty at Michigan State University’s Community Music School and Hillsdale College.
• Peter Simonson, a drummer who has performed with headliners such as Mark Murphy and Deborah Brown. In 2003, he received a Special Achievement Award from the Central Iowa Community Jazz Center.
For more information, call the SVSU Department of Music at 989-964-4159, or the SVSU box office at (989) 964-4261.