The University of Scranton Jazz Band will take the stage on Saturday, Oct. 26, with legendary drummer Alvin Atkinson joining them as the evening’s guest soloist. Presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton, the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.
Atkinson will also offer a free drumset masterclass for set drummers ranging from students (ages 16 and older) to professionals on Oct. 26 at 3:30 p.m. in the Houlihan McLean Center. Drummers wishing to attend should email music@scranton.edu or call 570-941-7624 for more information.
At the concert, the University’s student jazz ensemble will perform a wide variety of works that mainly feature Atkinson on drums. According to Performance Music Conductor and Co-Director Janelle Decker, “The program will feature music representing the work of numerous jazz giants in a variety of styles, all selected to showcase the versatility of our guest artist and maximize the musical and educational experience of our student musicians.”
A member of Wycliffe Gordon’s International All-Stars, Atkinson is a six-time U.S. Jazz Ambassador and has extensively traveled the world performing America’s classical music. Alvin Atkinson and the Sound Merchants has appeared in South America, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Russia. Known for his dynamic and mesmerizing playing style as well as versatility across various genres, he has recorded and performed with jazz legends Wycliffe Gordon, Vanessa Ruben, Paquito D’Rivera, Ellis Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Cecil Bridgewater, Jimmy Heath, Cedar Walton, Reggie Workman, Roy Hargrove, Cyrus Chestnut, Gerri Allen, Eddie Henderson, ELEW, Maceo Parker, Shirley Scott and many others.
As an educator, Atkinson has conducted classes, clinics, and workshops worldwide through the U.S. State Department, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Midori and Friends, and many others. He is also an artist-teacher at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Middle School Jazz Academy and is assistant director of Arts at Harlem Children Zone Promise Academies.
The University of Scranton Jazz Band is a 25-member ensemble of big band style instrumentation, made up of University of Scranton student musicians from majors spanning the curriculum. They perform five or more times per year, and the majority of their performances are open to the public, free of admission charge, and often feature a nationally or internationally renowned guest soloist.