Saxophonist headlines Jazz Masters Series

KALAMAZOO—Western Michigan University's School of Music presents saxophone legend Joe Lovano as part of its Jazz Masters Series at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, in the Dalton Center Recital Hall. Lovano will perform with the University Jazz Orchestra and the faculty ensemble Western Jazz Quartet.

Tickets are $20 general admission, $12 for seniors and $5 for students, and are available from Miller Auditorium at millerauditorium.com/som or by calling (269) 387-2300 or (800) 228-9858.

Joe Lovano

Hailed by The New York Times as "one of the greatest musicians in jazz history," Grammy Award-winning Joe Lovano has distinguished himself for more than three decades as a prescient and pathfinding force in the arena of creative music. He has earned praise not only for his compelling saxophone tone and improvisational ability, but also for his forward-thinking presentation of new musical ideas and ensemble concepts.

Lovano will perform with the critically acclaimed Western Jazz Quartet and the award-winning University Jazz Orchestra, directed by Tom Knific. The performance is particularly meaningful for Knific, professor of jazz studies, as he is a life long friend of Lovano; the two grew up as family friends in the same neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio.

Jazz Masters Series

The Jazz Masters Series, now in its fourth season, brings the greatest artists of the genre to Kalamazoo. Past artists include saxophonist and composer Paquito D’Rivera, vocalist and composer Kurt Elling, and vocal ensemble The New York Voices.

For more information about the concert, visit wmich.edu/music or call (269) 387-4667.