PRESS RELEASE: As part of The Broad Stage’s Jazz Council Initiative, the Quincy Jones Presents series kicks off this fall with an astonishing array of musical talent. The series starts with a rare US performance by 16-year-old Slovakian guitar sensation Andreas Varady on October 12th, followed by a concert with Justin Kauflin on November 22nd. Kauflin, a talented young pianist who lost his sight due to a rare eye disease at 11, will be the subject of Academy-Award winning producer Paula Dupre Pesmen’s upcoming documentary, Keep on Keepin' On.
The series continues into 2014 with performances by Singapore-born guitarist, singer, and songwriter Shun Ng on January 11th and pianist Emily Bear on February 22nd.
Produced by legendary producer, composer, musician and 27-time Grammy® Award-winning artist Quincy Jones, in partnership with Ben Wendel, an acclaimed Grammy nominated musician/producer, the Quincy Jones Presents series will focus on jazz mentorship and creating opportunities for young artists.
“Our goal,” says Wendel, who also produces the Under the Radar music series at The Edye, “is to expand jazz offerings in Los Angeles, increase jazz awareness and increase opportunities for young musicians.
“The fact that Quincy Jones is lending his support to The Broad Stage is great for the theater, but also for jazz in LA.”
The Jazz Council Initiative marks the commencement of the next five years of groundbreaking programming, original productions and an expanded capacity to create and produce innovative and compelling works at The Broad Stage and its adjacent black box space, The Edye Second Space.
In addition to Quincy Jones and Ben Wendel, The Broad Stage’s Jazz Council consists of music great, the Grammy® Award-winning composer and A&M Records Co-founder, Herb Alpert; Jazz Bakery’s, Ruth Price and Jeff Gauthier; owner of the Blue Whale jazz club, Joon Lee; West Coast Director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Daniel Seeff; and Grammy® Award-winning singer-songwriter, Luciana Souza.
The Quincy Jones Presents series at The Edye Second Space features:
Quincy Jones Presents Andreas Varady - Saturday, October 12, 2013 / 8pm
Inspired by Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery and George Benson, this talented 16-year-old was born in Slovakia into a Hungarian gypsy family. He began learning the guitar at four under the direction of his father. In 2007 Varady's family moved to Ireland. After two years of busking in Limerick and Cork he met Irish drummer and producer David Lyttle after writing to him on YouTube. In 2011, he became the youngest musician to headline at London's legendary Ronnie Scott's. He has since toured Europe and performed in Quincy Jones' Global Gumbo project at the Montreux Jazz Festival. (www.andreasvarady.com)
Tickets: $25
Quincy Jones Presents Justin Kauflin - Friday, November 22, 2013 / 8pm
Voted 2012's "Jazz Artist of the Year" by VEER Magazine, this talented young pianist lost his sight due to a rare eye disease at 11, but persevered to become one of 12 pianists selected worldwide to compete in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition. For the last three years, Academy-Award winning producer Paula Dupre Pesmen has followed Kauflin for the upcoming documentary, Keep on Keepin' On.
(www.justinkaurlin.com)
Tickets: $25
Quincy Jones Presents Shun Ng – Saturday, January 11, 2014 / 8pm
Shun Ng is a gifted guitarist, singer, and songwriter who - despite having little access to music as a child in Singapore - is an acclaimed international performer. Known for his unique style of guitar-playing that infuses elements of Funk, Blues, Jazz and Motown, Shun dazzles audiences with his Fingerstyle technique and passionate groove.
(www.shunng.com)
Tickets: $25
Quincy Jones Presents Emily Bear – February 22, 2014 / 8pm
Only 12-years-old, Emily is an astonishing musical talent – composing, orchestrating and performing in a surprisingly diverse collection of styles. Her huge talent as a pianist is on display in the appropriately named album Diversity, her first album for Concord Records/Quest Records. For her concert at The Edye, Emily will seamlessly move from Classical to Jazz and Be-bop, demonstrating why Quincy Jones describes her as a “complete 360-degree package.”
(www.emilybear.com)
Tickets: $25
Comments