City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer park programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in over 750 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, and education programs, and empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level. Our programs and community building initiatives reach more than 600,000 people each year, contributing to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City.
The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival annually assembles some of the finest musicians in the world who reflect Parker’s musical individuality and genius, to promote appreciation for this highly influential and world-renowned artist. The concerts originally scheduled for August 27 and 28 and canceled due to Hurricane Irene will now be consolidated into one and will take place on Friday, September 23 at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem.
Friday, September 23 at 6:00 p.m.
Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan.
Born in Brooklyn, Kenny Werner got an early start as a pianist. At the age of 11 he recorded a single with a fifteen-piece orchestra and appeared on television. Werner’s first jazz recording was in 1977, when he released an LP that featured piano solos of the music of artists such as Duke Ellington and George Gershwin. In 1981, he released his first album of original work, Beyond the Forest of Mirkwood. Since then he has released a number of acclaimed, award winning records, and has toured and worked with numerous jazz luminaries such as Archie Shepp, John Abercrombie, Joe Lovano and Toots Thielemans. Praised by the New York Times as, “a well-seasoned pianist who tempers fearsome technique with abundant wit,” Werner’s prolific and diverse style has led him to play at festivals including the Tanglewood Jazz Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival. Werner’s latest release, entitled, “Balloons” features his prolific style as part of a quintet that includes Randy Brecker and David Sanchez.
James Carter is a powerhouse musician and one of the most admired saxophonists of his generation, garnering applause for his role in helping to propel jazz full tilt into the future over the past twenty-five years. As a master of numerous reed instruments, Carter has mesmerized the jazz world since his debut. Since then, he has released numerous albums to critical acclaim, including Layin’ In The Cut and Chasin’ The Gypsy which led Rolling Stone to assert that “…Carter is as near as jazz gets nowadays to a Young Turk—not some ironically avant-post-rock experimentalist but a cocky scene stealer with…a knack for coming up with noticeable records.” Carter’s most recent recording will be released in Spring 2011, and is titled, Caribbean Rhapsody.
When Tia Fuller picks up her saxophone to play, the notes and reverberations of her musical elixir fill the room. Fuller’s artistic fearlessness filled by her agile, buoyant and elegant full-bodied sax lines effortlessly convey a number of moods and grooves. The dynamic saxophonist has maintained a blossoming career, with several albums including 2010’s acclaimed release, Decisive Steps (Mack Avenue Records). In between recording and being a jazz educator, Fuller was also selected as a member of the all-female band touring with R&B star, Beyoncé. She is a featured soloist on the Beyoncé Experience DVD and has also appeared on number of major television shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Today Show.
Grammy nominated Gerald Clayton, born in the Netherlands to a musical family, was exposed to a variety of music styles at an early age. His passion and talent on the piano was immediate and allowed him to cultivate his dynamic sound with audiences nationally and internationally, while sharing the stage with numerous jazz greats. His sophisticated yet modern style has been praised by the Jazz Times and Los Angeles Times. Clayton’s trio, with Justin Brown (drums) and Joe Sanders (bass), allows him to explore and expand his creativity in music. Their “arrangements, full of broken and stuttered rhythm, pinpoint dynamics and classically ordered introductions” give audiences an experience of “three dimensions…focused down to one,” according to the New York Times.
**NEA Jazz Masters Live is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest that celebrates the living legends who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz.**
In all of its programming and activities, City Parks Foundation partners with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to improve neighborhood parks and the communities they serve.
