Master drummer and composer Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band will headline the 38th annual Carolina Jazz Festival Feb. 18-21 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The group will perform Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. in Memorial Hall. For tickets and information, call the Memorial Hall Box office at (919) 843-3333 or visit http://carolinaperformingarts.org.
Widely acknowledged as one of the most versatile and accomplished drummers in music, Blade has appeared on albums by Herbie Hancock, Kenny Garrett, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones and Emmylou Harris, and he toured with Chick Corea in the high-profile Five Peace Band. Since 2000, he has been a member of the iconic Wayne Shorter Quartet.
The festival will feature additional performances and workshops by the UNC Jazz Band, UNC Jazz Combos, UNC Faculty Jazz Ensemble and artists-in-residence Etienne Charles (trumpet) and Rodney Whitaker (bass). Many of the events are free.
A Latin Jazz Night with Charanga Carolina will be held on Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kenan Music Building, room 1201. A forum with Whitaker and Charles discussing the history of jazz, improvisation and more will be held on Feb. 19 at 2 p.m.
On Feb. 21, the Essentially Ellington Regional High School Jazz Festival, offered in conjunction with Jazz at Lincoln Center, will bring in high school bands from across North Carolina to the UNC campus for performances and clinics.
For detailed information, visit http://music.unc.edu/jazzfest, or contact the music department in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences at (919) 962-1039.
