This April Jazz Arts Project presents:

Talkin' Jazz 2011

A free weekly lecture series throughout April

April is Jazz Appreciation month as declared by the US Congress and supported and promoted by the Smithsonian Institute. While we here at the Jazz Arts Project feel that it’s important to appreciate jazz year round, we will be holding a series of talks by jazz luminaries this spring that serve as a great introduction to jazz for novices or as a wonderful extension of knowledge for connoisseurs. The lectures will take place this year at the Count Basie Theatre every Monday in April. This roster of speakers is one of our finest to date, and we are very excited to present them to you, as always, free of charge. Space is limited however, so you should register today to ensure a spot!

Each Monday in April at 7:00pm

 Monday, April 4th at 7:00 pm   - Bruce Williams - 

 "Improvisation and Education"

Bruce Williams is a powerful alto saxophonist who hails from our nation's capital of Washington, D.C. Bruce has performed, toured, and recorded with a long roster of jazz legends - The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Stanley Cowell, The Count Basie Orchestra, The World Saxophone Quartet, the Roy Hargrove Big Band, RH Factor, KRS 1, and the Red Bank Jazz Orchestra to name a few. Bruce continues to tour all over the world and performs regularly in the NYC, NJ, DC, and Philly areas. His music is filled with spirit, soul, intellect, groove, and freedom. A noted jazz educator and mentor to young jazz musicians; Bruce has given master classes at Ohio State, Iowa State, and the Paris Conservatory in France. He has served as adjunct saxophone instructor at the New School for Social Research, and at Princeton, and William Paterson Universities in New Jersey while continuing to nurture a healthy roster of private students of his own. Bruce's talk will focus on how to teach improvisation, and why programs that provide a background in jazz music to young musicians are vital to us now more than ever.

April 11th Ricky Ricardi - "What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years"

Ricky Riccardi is the author of the upcoming book, "What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years" (Pantheon, June 2011). He holds a B.A. in journalism and an M.A. in Jazz History and Research from Rutgers University. He has lectured at the Institute of Jazz Studies, at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, and at the annual Satchmo SummerFest in New Orleans. He is the author of a popular Armstrong blog (http://dippermouth.blogspot.com/) and is himself a jazz pianist. He is the Project Archivist for the Louis Armstrong House Museum. He lives in New Jersey.

Join Ricky  for a journey through the last 25 years of Armstrong's life. Riccardi will debunk many previously held notions about Armstrong's later career, sharing unique audio and video footage, much of it previously unreleased." 

April 18th - Bill Crow  - "Jazz Jokes and Anecdotes"

When jazz musicians get together, they often regale one another with stories about the players and singers they've worked with. They pass around jokes, one-liners, quick-witted retorts. Take a look behind the scenes at the inside humor of jazz. Join special guest, master bassist and author Bill Crow, as you find out about the hip silliness of the Jazz world.

April 25th - Dorthaan Kirk and Sheila Anderson - "The State of Jazz"

Ms. Kirk is the widower of the late saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk and since his death in 1977 manages his images, music and administers his publishing company, Rokir Music Corporation. She was one of the founders of WBGO Jazz 88.3 in the late 70's and continues her work there in various administrative capacities.

Sheila Anderson's path to jazz radio has been long and circuitous. Along the way she has worked as a member of the NAACP board of directors, at publishing companies Random House, Grove House and several others, and as the president of the Bookbinder's Guild of New York. She has hosted a variety of jazz radio programs since 1995 on WBGO Newark, and is also the one-woman producer of "The Art of Jazz," a weekly television program for Time Warner Cable. Ms. Anderson has written two books, "The Quotable Musician: From Bach to Tupac," and "How to Grow as a Musician: What All Musicians Must Know to Succeed." 

Join these two extremely accomplished figures in jazz as they discuss the state of the music today, and what we can do to ensure its continued growth and development.