March 7, 2012

Dr. George Starks and the Drexel Jazz Orchestra will reunite with the Spelman College Jazz Ensemble in the Mandell Theater on Wednesday, March 7th at 7 PM for Jazz Extravaganza XIII. This annual celebration of jazz features the work of some of the genre’s most significant artists and innovators. The Spelman College Jazz Ensemble, which has shared the stage with Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Nancy Wilson and other great jazz musicians, hails from the Spelman College for Women in Atlanta, Georgia.

Led by Professor Joseph W. Jennings, the Ensemble will present “A Night of Blues,” featuring some of Jazz’s most notable artists including Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker, as well as lesser known talents like Abby Lincoln. Dr. Starks will lead the Jazz Orchestra in “Jazz, Blues, and Tap,” a performance featuring music by Z.Z. Hill and Michael Brecker, as well as tap dancing inspired by “Baby” Laurence Jackson. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Publicity Assistant Tom Bonner at twb54@drexel.edu, or call 215-895-2787.