Concert Features Saxophonist Eddie Barbash and The University of Scranton Jazz Band

Feb 23, 2015
Saxophonist Eddie Barbash and The University of Scranton Jazz Ensemble will perform Saturday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.
Saxophonist Eddie Barbash and The University of Scranton Jazz Ensemble will perform Saturday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.

Renowned young saxophone virtuoso Eddie Barbash will join The University of Scranton Jazz Ensemble as their guest soloist for a concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, in the University’s Houlihan McLean Center. Admission to the concert is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:40 p.m., and seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Barbash will also offer a free masterclass for woodwind players earlier that day. Interested saxophone, clarinet, and flute players can obtain more information on eligibility, registration, and participation in the masterclass by emailing music@scranton.edu or by calling 570-941-7624.

One of the most sought-after young alto players of his generation, Barbash is a founding member of Jon Batiste Stay Human and the Amigos Band, two very different groups that showcase his range of expression. His rich sound and creative vitality first caught the attention of legendary drummer Chico Hamilton, who invited him to join his sextet when he was 19 years old (70 years younger than Chico) and a freshman at The Juilliard School. He began playing with Batiste the same year (2008) and is the lyrical core of Batiste’s collective. The group is dedicated to making ‘social music’ – an invigorating synthesis of jazz and popular styles, at once crowd-pleasing and artistically ambitious.

In addition, in 2009 he formed the Amigos, a folk-and-country trio that featured a unique combination of sax, accordion, acoustic guitar, and three-part vocal harmony (with Barbash doubling on washboard). 
Described by The New York Times critic Ben Ratliff as “gifted, young and driven,” Barbash is admired for his luminous sound, his melodic and rhythmic invention, his virtuosic technique, his fresh sense as an arranger, his facility as an ensemble player, his command as a section leader, and his sincerity and charisma on stage. He has performed and recorded with jazz greats Wynton Marsalis and Christian McBride, country stars Jim Lauderdale, Vince Gill and Ranger Doug, hip-hopper “?uestlove,” rock drummer Chad Smith, composer David Amram, cabaret diva Nellie McKay and many others. His CDs include Twelve Tones of Love with Hamilton, In the Night, MY NY and Social Music with Batiste, and The Tres Amigos. He was raised in Oaxaca, Mexico, Atlanta, Georgia, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He lives in New York City.

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.

For additional information about the performance, visit scranton.edu/music or call 570-941-7624.

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