For Immediate Release CONTACT: Karen DeRosa
March 23, 2007 Communications/Development Director
(609) 652-8848 ext. 17
publicrelations@noyesmuseum.orgJAZZ LEGENDS PERFORM LIVE AT THE NOYES MUSEUM
OCEANVILLE, N.J. – The musical group Jazz Legends will perform at The Noyes Museum of Art on Sunday April 1, 2007 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jazz Legends is a five piece ensemble that features the incomparable Earl May, Sam Dockery and Carl Allen. The group also includes Frank Mazzeo on saxophone and flute and Bob Ferguson on trumpet. Tickets, which may be purchased in advance or at the door for $5, include light refreshments.
The Noyes Museum of Art was founded in 1983 to collect, preserve and exhibit American fine art, crafts and folk art with an emphasis on New Jersey artists and folk art forms, reflecting the area's long traditions, history, landscape and culture. The Museum is located one and a half miles south of Historic Smithville Village, off Route 9, on Lily Lake Road in Oceanville, NJ. Hours of operation are Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5:00 p.m. For more information or to register call (609) 652-8848 or visit www.noyesmuseum.org.
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Jazz Legends Bios
SAM DOCKERY: Dockery has enjoyed a reputation for being a very hard-swinging, straight ahead player. Dockery, who is originally from Lawnside, NJ, but has spent much of his life in and around Philly, is perhaps best known for 11 recordings with Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. Dockery, a frequent visitor to New York City, was Blakey's pianist after Horace Silver and Kenny Drew Sr., and before Junior Mance or Bobby Timmons. During his stay in that legendary group, Dockery was part of a five-man lineup that included trumpeter Bill Hardman, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean (pre-Blue Note), bassist Spanky DeBest; at times, that quintet became a sextet when Chicago icon Johnny Griffin was added on tenor sax.
The late '50s and early '60s, found him being featured in Philly with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath's quartet, which employed Buster Williams on bass and Specs Wright on drums. Sam also crossed paths with heavyweight improvisors ranging from trumpeter Clifford Brown to saxophonists Sonny Stitt, Benny Golson & Stan Getz. Bud Powell is a major influence on Dockery, as are Thelonious Monk and Art Tatum.
EARL MAY: May began his career in 1949 in New York City, and honed his craft in places like Minton's Playhouse with musicians such as Lester Young and Mercer Ellington. He was also a protege of the legendary Charles Mingus.
Earl joined the Billy Taylor Trio in 1951, appearing regularly in such clubs as the Hickory House, Birdland and the Downbeat Club. During this period, Earl also worked with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and recorded the classic “Lush Life” with John Coltrane. Earl left the Billy Taylor Trio in 1959, to form his own group and act as musical director and arranger for Gloria Lynne. During the mid-sixties Earl took up the electric bass and led a quartet at the New York City Playboy Club. The Earl May Quartet rapidly became the epitome of great music in the New York club scene. Over the years Earl has performed or recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Foster, Cab Calloway, Tommy Flanigan, Linda Hopkins, Doc Cheatum, Charles Brown, Jon Hendricks, Marlena Shaw, Ruth Brown, Winard Harper and Phyllis Hyman. He is currently featured with the Barry Harris Trio.
FRANK MAZZEO: A New Jersey native, Mazzeo has performed with Frank Sinatra, Patti Austin, Bernadette Peters, Louie Bellson, Bill Watrous, the New Jersey and New York Saxophone Quartets, Mel Louis, Lee Konitz, Randy Newman, Christopher Cross, Patti LaBelle, Tommy Tune, Tony Bennet, Ray Charles, Diahann Carroll, Phyllis Hyman, John Popper of Blues Travelers, Peabo Bryson, Sam Dockery and Earl May. He is the lead alto player at the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia, Pa.
BOB FERGUSON: Ferguson has performed throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean for over 20 years as a trumpet soloist and section player. A native of Linwood, New Jersey, Bob began performing in the Atlantic City Club and Hotel scene at the age of 14. Bob began his professional career in 1978 performing in Puerto Rico where he had the opportunity to work with Aldo Mata, Hector Fernandez, Ruben Blades, Gloria Estafan, and members of the Fania All Stars. Since then, Bob has had the opportunity to work with hundreds of Latin and Jazz artists from all idioms of the music business. In the summers of 2005 and 2006 he performed in a tour of Italy with appearances in Rome, Milan and Florence, as well as 8 other cities.
CARL ALLEN: Allen has performed and recorded with Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Jackie McLean, Benny Green, Art Farmer, Vincent Herring, Donald Brown, Cyrus Chestnut, Lena Horne, Donald Byrd, Alto Legacy - Alto Summit, Pete Yellin & The Brooklyn Jazz Machine, and Dewey Redman. Carl has been decribed by the New York Times as “Aggressive without being intrusive, Allen balances the back-and-forth swaying of his rhythmic ideas with hard-boiled swing.”
