Miami, Sept. 16, 2020 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Arts and Philosophy Department at the Wolfson Campus will kick off a new online season of Jazz at Wolfson Presents, the longest continuously running free jazz series in Miami-Dade County. This year’s concerts will be streamed online starting with acclaimed jazz duo Davis and Dow at noon, Wednesday, Sept. 23. Concerts are free and open to the public through April 2021.
“The series continues to be a place for jazz artists to present themselves and their music,” said Dr. Michael Di Liddo, program director and MDC Jazz Faculty member. “At the same time, it offers MDC and the community a jazz experience that is pure and unrestricted.”
The Jazz at Wolfson Presents series is funded with support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, Miami-Dade County mayor and the Board of County Commissioners through the Hannibal Cox Jr. Cultural Grants Program.
Watch the David and Dow concert at www.mdc.edu/livestream.
View the complete 2020-21 Jazz at Wolfson season:
Davis and Dow
Voice and Guitar
Wednesday, Sept. 23, Noon
The sound of award-winning jazz duo Davis and Dow is a culmination of performing together for 25 years. While their style is deeply rooted in the classic jazz tradition, they weave different genres of music into their repertoire, such as a Bossa Nova sung in French or a jazz standard with a Bach Interlude.
Tim Armacost
Saxophone
Wednesday, Oct. 14, Noon
Grammy-nominated saxophonist Tim Armacost has established himself as one of the most important improvisers on the New York scene today. Having come of age as a musician in Tokyo, New Delhi and Amsterdam, he has recorded 16 critically acclaimed records as a leader and performed on more than 60 as a sideman.
Wolfson Jazz Ensembles
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 5:40 p.m.
The Wolfson Jazz Ensembles consist of three groups of exceptional music students. The Horace Silver group takes its name from the legendary pianist and composer of the 1950s and ’60s. The Blue Note group pays tribute to the famed jazz record label of numerous groundbreaking recordings. Both groups help young musicians develop by presenting a wide range of jazz styles. The program’s most mature group, the Hard Bop Jazz Ensemble, has included some of South Florida’s finest emerging musicians. Over the years, the ensemble has performed at jazz festivals in Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands. The group has received DownBeat magazine awards in both composition and performance.
Dave Stryker
Guitar
Wednesday, Nov. 4, Noon
Named “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years,” Dave Stryker has performed with numerous jazz greats, including Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith, Dr. Lonnie Smith and many others.
MDC Jazz Faculty
Quintet
Wednesday, Dec. 2, Noon
The MDC Jazz Faculty Quintet, who are separately heralded as some of South Florida’s finest musicians, features saxophonist Mark Small, pianist Jim Gasior, bassist Gary Thomas, drummer Rodolfo Zúñiga and guitarist Michael Di Liddo. As diverse musicians with a variety of musical backgrounds, their performances project a blending of styles that possibly only come together with jazz.
Emmet Cohen
B-3 Organ
Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, Noon
Multifaceted jazz pianist, B-3 organist and composer Emmet Cohen is one of his generation’s pivotal figures in music. Leader of the Emmet Cohen Trio and creator of the “Masters Legacy Series,” Cohen is an internationally acclaimed jazz artist and dedicated music educator.
Alex Sipiagin
Trumpet
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, Noon
Alex Sipiagin has worked with numerous legendary musicians, including Eric Clapton, Aaron Neville, Elvis Costello, Dave Sanborn and Deborah Cox, among others. He performed on Grammy-award winning albums by Dave Holland Big Band, Michael Brecker Quindectet, and most recently, Dafnis Prieto Big Band. His newest solo album, NoFo Skies, debuted in April 2020.
Wolfson Jazz Ensembles
Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 5:40 p.m.
The Wolfson Jazz Ensembles consist of three groups of exceptional music students. The Horace Silver group takes its name from the legendary pianist and composer of the 1950s and ’60s. The Blue Note group pays tribute to the famed jazz record label of numerous groundbreaking recordings. Both groups help young musicians develop by presenting a wide range of jazz styles. The program’s most mature group, the Hard Bop Jazz Ensemble, has included some of South Florida’s finest emerging musicians. Over the years, the ensemble has performed at jazz festivals in Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands. The group has received DownBeat magazine awards in both composition and performance.
Sara Caswell
Violin
Wednesday, March 17, 2021, Noon
Recognized as a “Rising Star” in DownBeat magazine polls every year since 2013, Grammy-nominated violinist Sara Caswell regularly performs with her two groups, the Sara Caswell Quartet and the Caswell Sisters Quintet.
Andy LaVerne
Piano
Wednesday, April 7, 2021, Noon
Jazz pianist, composer, arranger, recording artist, and educator Andy LaVerne studied at Juilliard, Berklee, and the New England Conservatory, and took private lessons from legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans. He will be performing works that Bill Evans recorded in a variety of performance settings including solo piano, duo with guitar, trio, and quartet. The list of musicians with whom LaVerne has worked reads like a Who’s Who in Jazz: Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz, Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Lionel Hampton, Michael Brecker, Elvin Jones, Gerry Mulligan, Miroslav Vitous, Benny Golson, Brandford Marsalis, Chris Potter, and numerous others.
For more information, visit the Jazz at Wolfson Presents Facebook page.