Vibraphonist, trumpeter part of 2022-23 concert season for 'We Always Swing' Jazz Series
As its name implies, the "We Always Swing" Jazz Series perpetually feels the pulse of the jazz world, programming artists who are grounded in the music's history and push toward its future.
The longtime concert series renewed its commitment to Columbia listeners last week, announcing its 2022-23 season. On tap is a varied slate of musicians appearing in settings as grand as the Missouri Theatre and as intimate as in front of your corner table at Murry's.
Among the most promising offerings is an Oct. 30 date with trumpeter Terell Stafford's All-Star Quintet at Murry's. The director of jazz studies and chair of instrumental studies at Temple University, Stafford has played with the likes of Bobby Watson and McCoy Tyner while charting his own path.
The Jazz Series' annual Dr. Carlos and Laura Perez-Mesa Memorial Concert, which focuses its attention on dynamic Latin jazz, recurs Jan. 28 at the Missouri Theatre. Cuban pianist Elio Villafranca will lead a group of players in what is being billed the Chick Corea Afro-Caribbean Experiment.
One of jazz's true rising stars, vibraphonist Joel Ross appears with his "Good Vibes" quartet April 18 at Whitmore Recital Hall on the University of Missouri campus. On his album "The Parable of the Poet," released this April, Ross "offers yet another window into his nuanced and sophisticated post-bop world," AllMusic's Matt Collar wrote.
The 2022-23 season opens Sept. 22 at Rose Park with Grammy-nominated organist Pat Bianchi's quartet. Other dates on the schedule include:
Oct. 15: Pianist Amina Figarova's sextet at First Baptist Church
Nov. 13: Pianist Bill Charlap's trio at Murry's
Dec. 4: Trumpeter Etienne Charles' Creole Christmas at The Blue Note
Feb. 19: Kansas City-based trumpeter Hermon Mehari's quartet at Murry's
March 12: Pianist Ryan Cohan's quartet at Murry's
April 23: Saxophonist Tia Fuller's ensemble at Murry's
May 7: Vocalist Samara Joy's group at Murry's
The Jazz Series will began taking season ticket orders Wednesday, it wrote in a Facebook post, and officially kicks off its upcoming season at an event with Columbia Jazz Orchestra at The Roof on Aug. 28.
For more information, visit https://www.wealwaysswing.org/.
Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. Find him on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: 'We Always Swing' Jazz Series announces dynamic 2022-23 concert season
