Humphries gets his day
http://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/articlelive/articles/40059/1/Humphries-gets-his-day/Page1.html
Courier Newsroom
By Courier Newsroom
Published on 02/21/2008
In this year celebrating the 250th anniversary of the city of Pittsburgh, Kente Arts Alliance is paying tribute to one of Pittsburgh’s living legends. The city of Pittsburgh has proclaimed Feb. 23 as Roger Humphries Day, thanks to the proclamation sponsorship of Councilman Ricky Burgess. Also, the Senate of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania has issued a proclamation congratulating Roger Humphries for his lifetime achievements and acknowledging this richly deserved recognition at this stage in his life and career (the resolution was sponsored by state Sen. James Ferlo).
Humphries gets his day
In this year celebrating the 250th anniversary of the city of Pittsburgh, Kente Arts Alliance is paying tribute to one of Pittsburgh’s living legends. The city of Pittsburgh has proclaimed Feb. 23 as Roger Humphries Day, thanks to the proclamation sponsorship of Councilman Ricky Burgess. Also, the Senate of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania has issued a proclamation congratulating Roger Humphries for his lifetime achievements and acknowledging this richly deserved recognition at this stage in his life and career (the resolution was sponsored by state Sen. James Ferlo).
The day begins with a free jazz workshop for youths at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, 5941 Penn Ave. in East Liberty from 2-3 p.m. The workshop will be facilitated by Humphries and his Rh Factor Band, with special guests Javon Jackson and Sean Jones, two of today’s freshest jazz recording stars. Only youths K-12 are eligible to participate.
On the evening of Feb. 23, Kente Arts Alliance will present a concert featuring Humphries and the band performing the music of NEA Jazz Master Horace Silver. The concert is the next installment in Kente Arts Alliance Jazz Legacy Series—the Pittsburgh Connection, the first time Kente has paid tribute to a Pittsburgh living legend. The concert at the Kelly-Strayhorn begins at 8 p.m.
Humphries was a child prodigy, playing with professional musicians as early as age 4-1/2. His first major road gig came in August 1962 when he joined Stanley Turrentine (also from Pittsburgh) and Shirley Scott at the Hurricane in the Hill District.
Music critics rate Roger as one of the most exciting percussionists in the business. Humphries has played with many jazz greats, including Horace Silver. In 1964, Roger went to New York to join Silver’s Quintet. While with Silver, Roger provided the rhythm for many of Silver’s jazz classics including the famous jazz hit, “Song for my Father.”
For more than 50 years, Silver has written some of the most enduring tunes in jazz while performing them in a distinctively personal style. Silver helped create the rhythmically forceful branch of jazz known as “hard bop.” He based much of his own writing on blues and gospel—the latter is particularly prominent on one of his biggest tunes, “The Preacher.” His hard-bop compositions featured surprising tempo shifts and a range of melodic ideas, and immediately caught the attention of a wide audience. He is also known as “the hard bop grandpop.”
Also performing in concert with Humphries and company are Javon Jackson on tenor sax and Sean Jones on trumpet.
Jackson has played with many of jazz greats including Max Roach and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Jackson came into prominence through his 1987-90 tenure with Blakey. Later came appearances with another drum master, Elvin Jones, the trumpet great Freddie Hubbard and bass ace Ron Carter. He’s made several albums on the Palmetto label as a leader with his Javon Jackson Band.
Over the course of four albums for the Mack Avenue label, Jones has revealed himself as one of the most immensely expressive, versatile and gifted players of his generation. Beyond his responsibilities as a leader of his own sextet, Jones is lead trumpeter of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and a professor of jazz studies at Duquesne University.
(Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door and are available through ProArts Tickets online (www.proartstickets.org) or by calling 412-394-3353. Advance tickets are available at Dorsey’s Record Shop in Homewood and Stedeford’s on the North Side. Information on group sales tickets is also available through ProArts Tickets.)
The day begins with a free jazz workshop for youths at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, 5941 Penn Ave. in East Liberty from 2-3 p.m. The workshop will be facilitated by Humphries and his Rh Factor Band, with special guests Javon Jackson and Sean Jones, two of today’s freshest jazz recording stars. Only youths K-12 are eligible to participate.
On the evening of Feb. 23, Kente Arts Alliance will present a concert featuring Humphries and the band performing the music of NEA Jazz Master Horace Silver. The concert is the next installment in Kente Arts Alliance Jazz Legacy Series—the Pittsburgh Connection, the first time Kente has paid tribute to a Pittsburgh living legend. The concert at the Kelly-Strayhorn begins at 8 p.m.
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ROGER HUMPHRIES |
Humphries was a child prodigy, playing with professional musicians as early as age 4-1/2. His first major road gig came in August 1962 when he joined Stanley Turrentine (also from Pittsburgh) and Shirley Scott at the Hurricane in the Hill District.
Music critics rate Roger as one of the most exciting percussionists in the business. Humphries has played with many jazz greats, including Horace Silver. In 1964, Roger went to New York to join Silver’s Quintet. While with Silver, Roger provided the rhythm for many of Silver’s jazz classics including the famous jazz hit, “Song for my Father.”
For more than 50 years, Silver has written some of the most enduring tunes in jazz while performing them in a distinctively personal style. Silver helped create the rhythmically forceful branch of jazz known as “hard bop.” He based much of his own writing on blues and gospel—the latter is particularly prominent on one of his biggest tunes, “The Preacher.” His hard-bop compositions featured surprising tempo shifts and a range of melodic ideas, and immediately caught the attention of a wide audience. He is also known as “the hard bop grandpop.”
Also performing in concert with Humphries and company are Javon Jackson on tenor sax and Sean Jones on trumpet.
Jackson has played with many of jazz greats including Max Roach and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Jackson came into prominence through his 1987-90 tenure with Blakey. Later came appearances with another drum master, Elvin Jones, the trumpet great Freddie Hubbard and bass ace Ron Carter. He’s made several albums on the Palmetto label as a leader with his Javon Jackson Band.
Over the course of four albums for the Mack Avenue label, Jones has revealed himself as one of the most immensely expressive, versatile and gifted players of his generation. Beyond his responsibilities as a leader of his own sextet, Jones is lead trumpeter of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and a professor of jazz studies at Duquesne University.
(Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door and are available through ProArts Tickets online (www.proartstickets.org) or by calling 412-394-3353. Advance tickets are available at Dorsey’s Record Shop in Homewood and Stedeford’s on the North Side. Information on group sales tickets is also available through ProArts Tickets.)