INFORMATION FOR
Guitarist James Chirillo brings his swinging virtuosity to William Paterson University in Wayne for the first time when he and his quintet perform as part of the University’s fall 2022 Jazz Room series. The concert begins at 4 p.m. in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on campus in Wayne, NJ.
A charter member of the Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra directed by Gunther Schuller and David Baker, Chirillo was a student of the legendary Tiny Grimes. He has performed with many of the swing era’s recognized greats, including Benny Goodman, as a member of his last touring band, as well as Buck Clayton, Benny Carter, Frank Wess, and James Wilder, to name a few.
Today, his collaborations include regular appearances with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra directed by Wynton Marsalis, as well as work with such diverse artists as Paquito D’Rivera, Wycliffe Gordon, and Michael Feinstein. He has been a participant on recordings with Tony Bennett, Joe Lovano, Houston Person, Marcus Roberts, and Dick Hyman, and as a long-time member of clarinetist Kenny Davern’s quartet, he recorded several discs, including In Concert at the Outpost Performance Space.
As a composer, he has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Composition Grant for his Homage Concerto for Clarinet and Jazz Orchestra, written for clarinetist Ken Peplowski. He has written works for the U.S. Military Academy Jazz Knights at West Point; for cornetist Warren Vaché with the Scottish String Ensemble, and for the 48-piece Gotham Wind Symphony.
He will be joined for this concert by Jon-Erik Kelso, trumpet; Evan Christopher, clarinet; Harvey Tibbs, trombone; and Jerome Jennings, drums.
The concert will be preceded by “Sittin’ In,” the Jazz Room’s accompanying “meet the artist” concert preview featuring interviews with jazz artists and guest speakers. This informal discussion, free to all Jazz Room ticketholders, begins at 3:00 p.m. in the Shea Recital Hall.
William Paterson University’s Jazz Room series is the longest-running program of its kind in the United States. Launched in 1978, the Jazz Room has welcomed more than 500 jazz legends to the stage, including Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Joe Williams, Marian McPartland, Slide Hampton, Kenny Burrell, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett, Clark Terry, Michael and Randy Brecker, the Vanguard Orchestra, and more. Concerts have encompassed the entire spectrum of jazz, from early jazz and swing to avant garde, and from intimate solo performances to big bands. The performance series provides support for the University’s internationally renowned Jazz Studies Program, founded in 1973, which draws students from across the United States and abroad under the current direction of pianist Bill Charlap.
Tickets are $15 for the general public, $12 for WP faculty, staff, alumni, and senior citizens, $8 for non-WP students, and WP students are admitted free. Tickets are an additional $5 if purchased on show day. For tickets or additional information, visit wp-presents.org, or contact the Shea Center Box Office at 973.720.2371 or boxoffice@wpunj.edu.
The Jazz Room at William Paterson University has been made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
