Guests include Grammy-nominated saxophonist Antonio Hart and We UP Re UP Trio
North Carolina Central University (NCCU) will host its 32nd Annual Jazz Festival with events for jazz enthusiasts, including concerts, master classes and workshops beginning Tuesday, April 18, through Sunday, April 30, on the university’s campus.
This year’s lineup will include jazz combos concerts, clinics and lectures by accomplished musicians from the Triangle region of North Carolina and New York. All events are free and open to the public except for the evening concerts on Wednesday, April 26, and Thursday, April 27, which require tickets.
The festival will kick off with the NCCU Jazz Combos Concert at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 18, and Wednesday, April 19 in the new band room of the B.N. Duke Annex, 1851 Fayetteville Street.
At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25, the We UP Re UP Trio – composed of drummer Nasheet Waits, bassist Eric Revis and saxophonist J.D. Allen – will perform alongside student composers at the NCCU Student Center, 500 Nelson St. The We UP Re Up Trio is an artist-led coalition that aims to support and foster creative performances in non-traditional settings, rejecting exploitation, while promoting artistic and career sustainability.
Multi-Grammy nominee and saxophonist Antonio Hart will accompany the NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble in concert, on Wednesday, April 26, beginning at 7 p.m., in the NCCU Student Center. He will also perform with the NCCU Jazz Ensemble on Thursday, April 27, 7 p.m., in the Student Center. An internationally known musician and educator, Hart’s 1997 release, “Here I Stand,” earned him a Grammy nomination for best jazz instrumental solo. Since his nomination, he has appeared as a guest artist on over 100 recordings and released eight records, including his latest called “Blessings.” Hart is also a professor at Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music.
Wednesday and Thursday night concert tickets can be purchased online here. Regular admission is $20; student admission with current and valid ID is $12; and admission for seniors 65 and up is $17. Two-day packages are also available for $35.
Other highlights include:
- Jazz Composer Master Class with We UP Re UP Trio at 1 p.m., Monday, April 24, in B.N. Duke Annex, band room.
- Master Class with Antonio Hart at 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 26 in, B.N. Duke Annex, new band room.
- International Jazz Day with NCCU Jazz Studies Program faculty and staff on Sunday, April 30, 12-5 p.m. The open house will feature a jazz brunch buffet and yoga class while experiencing the new jazz-themed art hanging in the B.N. Duke Annex atrium.
For more information about the NCCU's 32nd Annual Jazz Festival, visit https://bit.ly/NCCUJazzFestival.
