The MSU School of Music’s Jazz Spectacular continues tonight when veteran pianist Marian McPartland performs with Rodney Whitaker on bass and Milwaukee-based Carl Allen on drums.
The event begins 7:30 p.m. today at Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre.
“McPartland is a legend in jazz piano,” said Pat Smith, coordinator of Jazz Studies at MSU and Whitaker’s assistant.
“She’ll be playing with two soon-to-be living legends; Rodney is one of the two or three most in-demand bass players in the jazz world today and he is the principle bassist of the jazz orchestra,” Smith said.
Whitaker is associate professor of music (double bass) and director of the Jazz Studies program. Known as one of the leading jazz bass performers in the United States, he also is a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
“People should come and see (this week’s events) because they celebrate the history of jazz,” Whitaker said. “And no music has a history like jazz.”
Smith said Allen is one of the most exciting drummers in the world today.
“Like Rodney, he’s in demand - he’s played with everybody,” Smith said.
“We have an older generation (McPartland is in her 80s) merging with two great stars from the current generation of jazz greats.
“Rodney and Carl represent the present and future of jazz.”
Other events today include an MSU jazz vocal showcase, with MSU voice instructor Sunny Wilkinson at 12 p.m. at the Union. The Kenn Cox Quintet also will perform at 1:30 p.m. at the Union. Both Union events are free.
Tickets still are available for the Jazz Spectacular’s other paid events this week, including Thursday’s performance at the School of Music Auditorium with Jazz Band I and the MSU Professors of Jazz and Friday’s performance of Octet I and the Guest Quintet at 8 p.m. at Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre.
For ticket information, call the School of Music at (517)353-5340 or Wharton Center’s box office at (517)432-2000. At press time, less than 200 tickets were still available.
