FALL/Spring JAZZ ENSEMBLE CONCERT SERIES
Palomar Night and Day Jazz Bands – Directed by Paul Kurokawa
Friday, October 27, 2023, at 7:00 p.m., and Wednesday, December 13, 2023,
at 7:00 p.m. (HBT); Friday, April 12, 2024, at 7:00 p.m., and Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
(HBT)
With Special Guest Charles McPherson
Experience the thrilling big band sounds of the Palomar College Day and Night Jazz Ensembles
with vibrant rhythms and melodies – both old and new – brought to life here at Palomar College’s
campus. Mark your calendar and plan to be a part of a concert series everyone will love
Learn more about Charles McPherson:
Charles McPherson was born in Joplin, Missouri and moved to Detroit at age nine. After growing up in Detroit, he studied with the renowned pianist Barry Harris and started playing jazz professionally at age 19. He moved from Detroit to New York in 1959 and performed with Charles Mingus from 1960 to 1972. While performing with Mingus, he collaborated frequently with Harris, Lonnie Hillyer, and George Coleman.
Mr. McPherson has performed at concerts and festivals with his own variety of groups, consisting of quartets, quintets to full orchestras. Charles was featured at Lincoln Center showcasing his original compositions 15 years ago, and once again joined Wynton Marsalis and J@LC Orchestra in April, 2019 honoring his 80th Birthday where they arranged and performed 7 of Charles’ iconic original compositions. Charles has toured the U.S., Europe, Japan, Africa and South America with his own group, as well as with jazz greats Barry Harris, Billy Eckstine, Lionel Hampton, Nat Adderly, Jay McShann, Phil Woods, Wynton Marsalis, Tom Harrell, Randy Brecker, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, and others.
McPherson has recorded as a guest artist with Charlie Mingus, Barry Harris, Art Farmer, Kenny Drew, Toshiko Akiyoshi, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. He has recorded as a leader on Prestige, Fantasy, Mainstream, Discovery, Xanadu, Arabesque, Capri and several smaller labels in Europe and Japan. Charles was the featured alto saxophonist in the Clint Eastwood film “Bird,” a biopic about Charlie Parker. Charles has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Don Redman Lifetime Achievement Award and an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from California State University San Marcos. Charles performed this past April at the NEA Jazz Master’s 2019 performance during Stanley Crouch’s tribute. Widely recognized as a prolific composer, Charles is now Resident Composer for the San where he has written three original suites plus two arrangements for chamber music and jazz combos. His newest album is a compilation of two of multiple movement suites, “Sweet Synergy Suite” and “Song of Songs”, plus a movement from a string chamber work, “Reflection, Turmoil & Hope.” Many critics, including DownBeat Magazine, recognized JAZZ DANCE SUITES as one of the best Jazz Recordings of the year. It’s also won the honor of TWO Reader’s Polls – both DownBeat and JAZZTIMES as #1 & #4 Jazz Album of the year, plus Charles was named Artist of the Yeai. Read all the reviews here. Charles was most touched by his peer’s comments. Bobby Watson said, “A masterpiece.” John Beasley and Don Sickler both said, “I had no idea you are such a great writer.”
In the summer of 2019, Dr. Donnie Norton will compile the entire book of Charles’ compositions for publication.
During the pandemic, Charles was as busy as ever online all over the world – from the esteemed Global Music Foundation, Detroit Symphony programs, many jazz festivals, and a new recording coming up from Germany where he is a soloist, several artists in residence programs from MSU to ASU.
McPherson remains a strong, viable force on the jazz scene today. Throughout his six decades of being an integral performer of the music, Charles has not merely remained true to his Be Bop origins, but has expanded on them. Stanley Crouch says in his New York Times article on Charles, “he is a singular voice who has never sacrificed the fluidity of his melody making and is held in high esteem by musicians both long seasoned and young.” Wynton Marsalis, a long time admirer says: “Charles is the very definition of excellence in our music. He’s the definitive master on this instrument. He plasy with exceptional harmonic accuracy and sophistication. He persorms free-flowing, melodic and thematically developed solos with unbelievable fire and an unparalleled depth of soul.” Charles is a frequent guest at universities all over the world and also teaches privately. Many of his former students have gone on to have careers of their own in jazz, and have earned National Jazz Student Awards. Charles had the honor of being the subject of then PhD candidate Dr. Donnie Norton’s Doctoral Dissertation: “The Jazz Saxophone Style of Charles McPherson: An Analysis through Biographical Examination and Solo Transcription.”
For more info, visit: CharlesMcPherson.com
