NEW BERN – Craven Community College's (Craven CC) Lifetime Learning Center (LLC) is pleased to welcome John Brown Big Band to the Grover C. Fields Performing Arts Center on Friday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
The performance, titled "The Roots of Jazz," is part of the college's celebration of its 60th anniversary and corresponds with the anniversary's theme of "Deep Roots, Strong Futures."
John Brown Big Band is a full,17-piece jazz orchestra made up of the top jazz musicians from North Carolina and beyond. The group performs a wide range of material covering all eras of jazz repertoire, including the music and arrangements of legends like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Thad Jones, Woody Herman, and more. The band also delights in highlighting compositions of Carolina natives like John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Nina Simone.
Bassist, composer, educator, actor, and jazz ambassador John Brown leads the band. A native of Fayetteville, NC, John’s extensive experience includes performances at notable venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Blue Note, Blues Alley, and the Hollywood Bowl, as well as major jazz festivals like the Playboy Jazz Festival, the JVC Jazz Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Free Jazz Festival (Brazil) and Jazz à Vienne (France). He has taught at Duke University since 2001 and currently serves as director of the jazz program, professor of the practice of music, and vice provost for the arts. He previously served on the faculties of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University, and Guilford College.
John and his musicians are committed to jazz education and will present a jazz workshop for area high school music students during the band’s visit to New Bern.
Tickets are $40 for general admission and $25 for students. Reserved VIP seating in the first four rows is also available for $60. Tickets can be purchased here and will also be available at the door on the day of the show beginning at 6:30 p.m.
For questions or additional information, contact LLC Director Jennifer Baer at 252-633-2618.