Wycliffe Gordon and His International All Stars to play WVU Creative Arts Center March 23

Highly-acclaimed trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and His International All Stars will perform at the WVU Creative Arts Center Friday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. The concert will also feature a performance by the WVU Big Band. Tickets are on sale now at the Mountainlair and CAC box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 304-293-SHOW (7469) and 800-745-3000.

Wycliffe Gordon is a musical ambassador and interpreter of America’s music. He has toured the world performing hard-swinging, straight-ahead jazz receiving great acclaim from audiences and critics alike. His exceptional technique and signature sound – he can scat, multinote, slide and plunge like he stepped out of the 1930s – has solidified him as one of the top trombonists of his generation.

Gordon has been named the “Best Trombone” by the Downbeat Critics Poll too many times to count. He is also a recipient of the Louis Armstrong Memorial Prize presented by the Swing Jazz Culture Foundation and the American Society of Composers (ASCAP) Foundation Vanguard Award, among others.

He has played with may jazz luminaries including Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Henderson, Branford Marsalis, Lionel Hampton, Tommy Flanagan and Shirley Horn. He is, perhaps, best known for his work with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra under the direction of jazz maestro Wynton Marsalis. Gordon contributed to the Orchestra as both a musician and composer. Musicians and ensembles of every caliber perform his music throughout the world and his arrangement of the theme song to NPR’s “All Things Considered” is heard daily across the globe. 

Gordon’s high-energy, traditional hard-swinging style captivates audiences from dignitaries and heads of state to elementary school children. He is one of America’s foremost music educators having held positions at the Juilliard School of Music, Michigan State University and the Manhattan School of Music in the Jazz Arts Program.  His work with young musicians and audiences all over the world is extensive, and includes master classes, clinics, workshops, children’s concerts and lectures — powerful evidence of his unique ability to relate musically to people of all ages. 

While in Morgantown, Gordon will participate in a master class with students attending WVU’s Jazz Fest.The March 23 concert at the Creative Arts Center will also feature a performance by the WVU Big Band. These student musicians will perform a high-energy set that includes both traditional big band repertoire and some “contemporary, funky music that speaks to the youthful exuberance of the group,” says Director Dr. Jared Sims.

Jazz enthusiasts will not want to miss this concert. General public tickets start at $27 while WVU Student tickets are only $10. Tickets are on sale now at the Mountainlair and CAC box offices, online at ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 304-293-SHOW (7469) and 800-745-3000. WVU Student discounted tickets are limited to one per valid WVU Student ID or offer code. Discounted rates for groups of 20 or more are available by calling 304-293-SHOW (7469).

The University Arts Series is produced by WVU Arts & Entertainment and presented by University Toyota. Stay connected with the latest event updates through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by following @wvuevents.

-WVU A&E-
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