Weeklong Series of Events Includes Concert Open to the Public at Jazz Alley on April 26

Through generous funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz will introduce its “Peer-to-Peer” jazz education program in Seattle public schools April 26-30. Combining performance with information, these “informances” will be presented by six exceptionally gifted high school jazz students from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts along with internationally acclaimed saxophone recording artist Antonio Hart, vocal sensation Lisa Henry, and renowned jazz educator Dr. J.B. Dyas. Also appearing will be Thelonious Monk, Jr., the Institute’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees and son of legendary jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk. Each school visit will include an assembly program featuring a musical performance for all students, followed by jazz workshops for each school’s jazz band and choir with the visiting student performers playing alongside and sharing ideas with their Seattle counterparts.

“As young people are so influenced by kids their own age, who better to expose them to this great American art form than those of their own generation?” said Thelonious Monk, Jr. “And when you hear how great these young kids play, you know the future of our music is in good hands.”

Besides playing jazz at a level that belies their years, the students will talk with their Seattle peers about what jazz is, why it’s important to America, and how a jazz ensemble represents a perfect democracy. They also will discuss important values that jazz represents: teamwork, freedom with responsibility, unity with ethnic diversity, the correlation of hard work and goal accomplishment, and the importance of finding a passion early in life and being persistent.

The six Los Angeles students selected to participate in the Seattle tour include pianist Zak Astor, 17; drummer Max D’Anda, 17; trombonist John Egizi, 17; bassist Balam Garcia, 17; guitarist Adam Moezinia, 18; and tenor saxophonist Max Zooi, 18. “We’re really looking forward to the trip,” said Egizi, one of the best jazz trombonists for his age in the country. “Having the opportunity to play with and learn from Antonio [Hart] is definitely the highpoint of our year.”

Immediately following the informances, Hart, Henry, and Dyas will conduct jazz workshops for each host school’s jazz band and choir in which the visiting students will play with their Seattle counterparts side-by-side, providing tutelage peer to peer. In so doing, they will teach and learn from one another not unlike Thelonious Monk did with his fellow musicians during the bebop era some 60 years ago. They’ll also learn about each other’s cities and culture. “We’re especially looking forward to hanging out and playing jazz with kids from Seattle,” exclaimed Moezinia, who just received a full scholarship to attend the Juilliard School of Music in the fall. “Seattle is known for having some of the best high school jazz programs in the country.”

Seattle Public Schools' commitment to music education includes a long jazz tradition and programs have flourished because of community support. Jazz bands at both Garfield and Roosevelt High School have received national recognition including top honors at Essentially Ellington, the nation's preeminent high school jazz competition in New York City. The district continues to support expansion of jazz programs at the high school level, as may be observed at Ballard, Chief Sealth, Ingraham, Nathan Hale and Rainier Beach High Schools, and through community partnerships. For example, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra has been working with students at Denny Middle School in their Jazz Scholars Program, providing private jazz lessons to students and families who could not otherwise afford private music instruction.

The weeklong tour will include a concert open to the public at 7:30 PM on April 26 at Jazz Alley, 2033 6th Ave., where Seattle residents and visitors are invited to enjoy an evening of music with Hart and Henry alongside jazz's future “young lions.” The sextet will perform standards, jazz classics, and contemporary jazz, as well as compositions from Hart and Henry’s latest CD releases. For more information call 206-441-9729 or visit www.jazzalley.com.

About THE ARTISTS & Educators

Antonio Hart, one of the top alto saxophonists on the scene today, has come a long way since elementary school when he chipped his first reed by carrying it around in his sock. Born and raised in Baltimore, Hart was classically trained at the Baltimore School for the Arts, studied jazz at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and later earned his Master’s degree in Music Composition and Performance at Queens College in New York. While at Berklee, he teamed up with classmate Roy Hargrove with whom he would later tour the world and make a number of critically acclaimed recordings. In 1991, Hart made his debut recording as leader, For the First Time, on RCA/Novus. He has since gone on to perform around the globe and record over 80 albums with such eminent jazz artists as Nat Adderley, Monty Alexander, Terence Blanchard, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ray Brown, Cyrus Chestnut, Dizzy Gillespie, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, Dave Holland, Christian McBride, Wallace Roney, McCoy Tyner, and Nancy Wilson. Hart’s 1997 release, Here I Stand, was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo. Besides being an internationally acclaimed performer and prolific composer, Hart is a renowned educator and enjoys working with up-and-coming young jazz artists. He currently serves as Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. www.antoniohart.com

Lisa Henry is a dynamic vocalist with a combination of swingin’ cool and down home class. A Kansas City native, she began by singing gospel music in the Baptist church, and by age 12 was singing the music of Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. Henry was a winner of the 1994 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition and was later named an International Jazz Ambassador to Africa. She toured Chile, Argentina, and Peru with the Institute in 1998, performing for 34 Heads of State at the Summit of the Americas. In 2006 she participated in a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of India, and in 2007 she performed for an esteemed presidential dinner at the White House celebrating the Institute's 20th Anniversary. Over the past 15 years, Henry has toured the globe, sharing the stage with such artists as Kenny Barron, Kenny Garrett, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Antonio Hart, Ingrid Jensen, Kevin Mahogany, TS Monk, Lou Rawls, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry, and Bobby Watson. Her latest recording, Live from 18th and Vine, has received critical acclaim. www.lisahenryjazz.com

Internationally acclaimed drummer, bandleader, composer, and vocalist TS Monk had an extraordinary childhood. As the son of legendary pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, his home was the gathering place for such jazz luminaries as Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and numerous other musicians who went on to create some of the greatest music of all time. Monk played for two years with his father’s band and was a member of Atlantic Records’ nine-piece fusion band Natural Essence. He then formed the group “TS Monk,” recording three albums and enjoying great success with the singles “Bon Bon Vie” and “Too Much Too Soon.” In 1992, Monk formed a straight-ahead jazz septet and released Take One on Blue Note Records, which was followed by Changing of the Guard and the critically acclaimed The Charm. He celebrated his father’s 80th birthday with the all-star recording Monk on Monk followed by Crosstalk, which featured the group expanding into new territory incorporating fusion, funk, and vocals. Monk’s most recent release, Higher Ground, ventures into the realms of smooth jazz and funk. In addition to being a world-class performer, Monk currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.

Dr. J.B. Dyas has been a leader in jazz education for the past two decades. Formerly the Executive Director of the Brubeck Institute, Dyas currently serves as Vice President for Education and Curriculum Development at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles. He oversees the Institute’s education and outreach programs including Jazz In America: The National Jazz Curriculum (www.jazzinamerica.org), one of the most significant and wide-reaching jazz education initiatives in the world. Throughout his career, Dyas has performed across the country, taught students at every level, directed large and small ensembles, developed and implemented new jazz curricula, and written for national music publications. He has served on the Smithsonian Institution’s Task Force for Jazz Education in America and presented numerous jazz education events nationwide with such artists as Dave Brubeck and Herbie Hancock. Dyas received his masters degree in Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Miami and PhD in Music Education from Indiana University, and is a recipient of the DownBeat Achievement Award for Jazz Education.

About the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz

The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is a non-profit education organization established in memory of Thelonious Monk, the legendary jazz pianist and composer. Monk was one of the primary architects of bebop and his impact as both performer and composer has had a profound influence on every genre of music. His more than 70 compositions are classics that continue to inspire artists in all disciplines. Monk believed the best way to learn jazz was from a master of the music. The Institute follows that same philosophy by bringing together the greatest living jazz musicians to teach and inspire young people, offering the most promising young musicians college level training by America's jazz masters through its fellowship program in Jazz Performance at Loyola University in New Orleans, and presenting public school-based jazz education programs around the world. Helping to fill the tremendous void in arts education left by budget cuts in public school funding, the Institute’s school programs are provided free of charge and use jazz as the medium to encourage imaginative thinking, creativity, a positive self-image, and respect for one’s own and others' cultural heritage. Jazz great Herbie Hancock serves as chairman. www.monkinstitute.org

About Jazz in America – The National jazz curriculum

Jazz in America (www.jazzinamerica.org) is the Institute’s Internet-based jazz curriculum available to all 5th, 8th, and 11th grade public school students in the United States. Designed to be integrated into social studies and American history classes, Jazz in America is the first jazz curriculum to use state-of-the-art Internet technology and be offered free of charge on a national basis. Beginning with what jazz is and how it began, each set of age-appropriate lesson plans examines characteristics of various jazz styles and highlights contributions of important performers and composers. They also explore the social, economic, and political contexts within which jazz evolved, providing vivid and engaging new ways to study American history. Each lesson connects content areas, promoting interdisciplinary instruction and stimulating further communication among teachers, students, parents, and the public. All pertinent content, audio and video examples, student handouts, and assessments are available on the website.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PERFORMING ARTS HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ PROGRAM

The Institute’s National Performing Arts High School Program has been designed to help facilitate the education of gifted music students who are currently attending public performing arts high schools across the nation. The Program offers them the opportunity to participate in a pre-conservatory, highly specialized performance-based jazz curriculum, study with some of the world’s most eminent jazz artists and educators, perform in a jazz combo comprised of their peers, and prepare for entry into the country’s most distinguished conservatories and university schools of music. Included is instruction in Jazz Improvisation, Theory, Composition, History, and Styles and Analysis. The Institute provides each participating school with consultation regarding curriculum development and instructional methodology, periodic residencies by Institute staff, high-profile performance opportunities, and funding for visiting guest artists and clinicians.

ABOUT THE PEER-TO-PEER JAZZ EDUCATION INITIATIVE

Through the national Peer-to-Peer Jazz Education Initiative, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Institute provides jazz combos comprised of music students from selected public performing arts high schools across the nation with a week-long peer-to-peer jazz informance tour. The young musicians gain invaluable performance experience playing alongside internationally acclaimed artists while they, in turn, help educate young audiences in public schools throughout the US about America’s indigenous art form.

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Jazz Sextet

Seattle Peer-to-Peer Informance and Concert Schedule

Monday, April 26 Assembly Program
11:00 AM
Garfield High School, 400 23rd Avenue,
Jazz Band and Vocal Workshops 1:00 PM Seattle, WA 98122; 206-252-2270

Concert Open to the Public 7:30 PM Jazz Alley, 2033 6th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121
206-441-9729 • www.jazzalley.com

Tuesday, April 27 Assembly Program
11:00 AM
Ingraham High School,
1819 North 135th Street,
Jazz Band and Vocal Workshops
1:00 PM
Seattle, WA 98133;
206-252-3880

Wednesday, April 28 Assembly Program
11:05 AM
Chief Sealth High School,
5959 Delridge Way SW,
Jazz Band and Vocal Workshops
1:00 PM
Seattle, WA 98106; 206-252-8550

Thursday, April 29 Assembly Program
9:10 AM
Ballard High School,
1418 NW 65th Street,
Jazz Band and Vocal Workshops
11:30 AM
Seattle, WA 98117;
206-252-1000

Friday, April 30 Assembly Program
11:00 AM
Roosevelt High School,
1410 NE 66th Street,
Jazz Band and Vocal Workshops 1:00 PM
Seattle, WA 98115;
206-252-4810