BOSTON, March 20, 2002 -- Berklee College of Music's Percussion Department presents its annual “Percussion Week" from Wednesday, April 3 through Saturday, April 6. All events are open to the public. Guest artists, including jazz great Billy Hart, and Berklee's world-renowned percussion faculty will present clinics and concerts daily at various venues on campus, beginning at 1:30 or 2:00 p.m., depending on the day. All clinics and concerts are free, EXCEPT for nightly concerts at the wheelchair-accessible Berklee Performance Center, which are $5.00 -- $2.00 for seniors -- and are available at the box office, 136 Mass. Ave., Boston, 617-747-2261. (Cash only.) For a complete schedule of Percussion Week '02 clinics and events, please see the end of this message.
Percussion companies will be exhibiting instruments and equipment every day during Percussion Week at 921 Boylston Street in Boston. Saturday, April 6, has been designated Massachusetts Percussive Arts Society Day of Percussion. Saturday's events begin at 9:30 a.m. and end with an exciting rock concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Berklee Performance Center. The day is devoted to the high school and college percussion student, the music educator, and the percussion enthusiast.
On Monday, April 3, jazz legend Billy Hart will kick off Percussion Week '02 with a “Drumset Master Class" at 2:00 p.m. at the David Friend Recital Hall, 921 Boylston Street, in Boston. Hart has performed with Shirley Horn, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Cecil Taylor and Stan Getz, to name a few. Professor of Jazz Percussion at Western Michigan University, Hart will share his expertise in jazz drumming. He will return to the David Friend Recital Hall the following day, Thursday, April 4, at 2:00 p.m. to present another master class.
For the Jazz Night concert at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 4 at the Berklee Performance Center, Billy Hart will share the evening with Percussion Department Assistant Chair, Yoron Israel. One of the most sought-after and gifted musicians on the jazz scene today, Israel's recording credits include Larry Coryell, Ahmad Jamal, George Cables, and his own group, Organic.
And at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, another jazz drumming legend, Professor Joe Hunt will present a free jazz concert at the David Friend Recital Hall. Hunt's classic drumming style has complemented the music of Gary Burton, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Jim Hall and Barry Harris, among others.
There will be daily free concerts at 4:00 p.m. in the David Friend Recital Hall, 921 Boylston Street. Wednesday, April 3, Associate Professor Nancy Zeltsman will present a marimba concert. She has performed and taught all over Europe, the US, Japan, and Mexico and has two recordings to date -- “SeeYa Thursday" and “Woodcuts." Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Associate Professor Larry Finn will present a high energy repertoire of R&B and funk styles with faculty Dave Limina on keyboards and Dave Buda on bass, plus special guests. Friday at 4:00, Assistant Professor Angelamia Bachemin and guests present “Afriquita" to introduce her new genre of percussion -- Ragga Jazz. And Saturday at 4:00 (Room 311, 921 Boylston St.) Ensemble Department faculty member Ron Reid directs a group of Berklee students in a steel drum concert.
There are two unique offerings on the evening of Wednesday, April 3. At 7:00 p.m. (David Friend Hall), Associate Professor Jamey Haddad, who regularly tours as percussionist for Paul Simon, will direct students from diverse musical and cultural backgrounds in the “Mixed World Ensemble." And an 8:15 p.m. (Berklee Performance Center), Associate Professor Steve Wilkes directs “Six Drumsets," which brings together six jazz drum kits and electronic percussion instruments in a one-of-a-kind blend of polyrhythms and solid grooves.
Friday, April 5, will be a collage of world beats as Assistant Professor Mohammad Camara, renowned West African drummer, presents his band Kolimba at 7:00 p.m. (David Friend Hall), and Assistant Professor Ernesto Diaz directs World Percussion Night's multi-ethnic rhythms and sounds at 7:30 p.m. (Berklee Performance Center).
Saturday's Massachusetts Percussive Arts Society Day of Percussion will be an entire day of diverse programs, including a free “Drumset Master Class" at noon (Berklee Performance Center) with Associate Professor Mike Mangini, who has performed with Extreme, Dennis Chambers, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Steve Perry and Steve Lynch. At 10:00 a.m. Neil Grover presents a free “Accessories Master Class" (Room 311, 921 Boylston St.). Grover is a renowned cymbal, tambourine and triangle specialist who has performed with the Boston Symphony and the Boston Pops, the Royal Ballet of England, Boston Musica Viva, American Ballet Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet, and Boston Symphony Chamber Players. And at 2:00 p.m. Boston Symphony Orchestra assistant timpanist Tim Genis will give a “Timpani Master Class" (Room 311, 921 Boylston St.)
Percussion Week '02 culminates in a high-energy rock concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Berklee Performance Center featuring Assistant Professor Dave DiCenso, who has recorded with Duran Duran, the Cro-Mags, Steve Morse, Suze DeMarchi, the Jon Finn Group, John Petrucci, and Two Ton Shoe. DiCenso performs that evening with faculty guitarist Bruce Bartlett and Hiromi Uehara, with guests Tim Archibald, Mitch Cohn, John Shannon, and Masato Homa.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
