Harlem in the Himalayas Continues into Spring

Harlem in the Himalayas Continues into Spring Rubin Museum of Art and Jazz Museum in Harlem Collaboration Extended!

4/7 Frank Wess

4/21 Gene Bertoncini (solo guitar)

5/19 Jack Walrath

6/2 Ron Blake plus many more in June/July

The Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) in Chelsea and the Jazz Museum in Harlem extend their hugely successful concert series into the Spring, continuing this Friday, April 7, 2006 with woodwind master Frank Wess.

>p>Wess, 84, still plays the alto and tenor saxophones with vigor and elegance, and remains one of the premier flautists in jazz. His approach on the flute established the instrument as a viable solo vehicle in jazz. The Kansas City native performed with Billy Eckstine and Lucky Millinder in the '40s, and was a stalwart member of the Basie woodwind session from 1953-1964. During his long-standing solo career he recorded with Thad Jones, Kenny Burrell, Etta Jones, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, Kenny Clarke, and Bill Charlap, among many others.

For this rare New York appearance at the Rubin Museum he's fronting a stellar quartet, featuring Michael Weiss on piano.

Jazz is not new to RMA. Tim McHenry, Director of Programming, invited Chelsea residents Roswell Rudd and Andrew Sterman to premiere works within the first weeks of the Museum's opening in 2004. Rudd, a veteran trombonist, was moved to say, “There is something definitely right about the range of acoustical spectrum in the theater. Jazz, and in fact any music, will sound good there."

The concerts, part of RMA's new K2 Lounge on Friday nights, are curated by Executive Director of the Jazz Museum in Harlem, Loren Schoenberg. The programs present a range of jazz interpreters - last Friday, multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson led a trio in an abstract set of impromptu tunes inspired by RMA's current exhibition “Holy Madness: Portraits of Tantric Siddhas."

The all-acoustic jazz combo concerts are held Friday nights at 7 p.m. Happy Hour is offered from 6-7 p.m. in the K2 Lounge. Movies from the Fakir & Faker film series follow the concerts at 9:30 p.m. and are free with a $7 bar minimum.

Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th Street (corner of 7th Ave.)
http://www.rmanyc.org

Tickets are $15 and include admission to the Museum's galleries. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 212.620.5000 ext. 344, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

RMA is dedicated to the art of the Himalayas and opened sixteen months ago; the Jazz Museum is four years into its community and educational programs, and is in the process of acquiring a permanent home in Harlem. Their very successful HARLEM SPEAKS series is held bi- weekly in their Harlem offices.