2010 The 33rd JCMC f/ Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra

It all started when…

Thursday, September 16, 2010, 6-8 pm~

John Coltrane and Black America’s Quest for Freedom:

Spirituality and the Music

(published by Oxford University Press, 2010)

symposium & book signing celebration,

featuring editor/contributor Leonard Brown,

and contributors

Emmett Price III, Anthony Brown,

Tommy Lee Lott & Eric Jackson

Friday, September 17, 6-8 pm~

Reflections: a 25 Year Retrospective on the

John Coltrane Memorial Concert

at Northeastern University

featuring vintage audio & video footage from past JCMC events

held at Northeastern, plus insight, reminiscences, and commentary

given by some of the Boston-based artists who have

performed at the JCMC throughout the years

Saturday, September 18, 7:30 pm~

33rd John Coltrane Memorial Concert

celebrating

25 years at Northeastern University

featuring

“India & Africa: A Tribute to John Coltrane”

performed by

Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra Concert

Special Lifetime Musical Recognition Award to Syd Smart;

hosted by Eric Jackson of WGBH’s “Eric in the Evening”

~during the entire month of September~

John Coltrane Memorial Concert at Northeastern University:

a photographic reflection of 25 years

(Boston, MA) John Coltrane inspired many, no matter the community or culture, to achieve musical, spiritual, and humanitarian heights never thought possible. The Boston based John Coltrane Memorial Concert (JCMC), established in 1977, is an annual recognition of Coltrane’s spiritual and musical legacy. The world’s oldest annual performance tribute to Coltrane and now in its 33rd year of existence, this year’s JCMC will span the month of September with events celebrating the silver anniversary (25 years) of JCMC being located at Northeastern University, where it is based in the Department of African American Studies.

The special guest for JCMC 2010 will be Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra from the San Francisco/Oakland Bay area. In 1998, Brown formed the Asian American Orchestra with other Bay Area Asian American activist musicians initially to record and perform the music documented on the album Big Bands Behind Barbed Wire, a national multi-media education project funded by a federal program using money set aside from reparations for Japanese-Americans interned during World War II.

Since then, Brown and his Orchestra have received international critical acclaim for blending Asian musical instruments and sensibilities with the sonorities of the jazz orchestra. In celebration of Duke Ellington’s centennial in 1999, the Asian American Orchestra’s recorded Duke Ellington-Billy Strayhorn’s Far East Suite, which received a 2000 Grammy nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance. In 2003, the late great jazz saxophonist and MacArthur Fellow Steve Lacy joined the Orchestra as guest artist for its recordingMonk’s Moods, which was rated as a “five-star masterpiece” and one of four “Best CDs of 2003” by Downbeatmagazine. More recently, the Orchestra has been exploring Asian/African interpretations of several Coltrane compositions, including India and Africa, both of which will be performed in honor of JCMC’s 25th Anniversary at Northeastern. [ A link to PRI’s story on the Orchestra’s Coltrane project can be found athttp://www.theworld.org/2009/09/23/celebrating-coltranes-birthday/.]

Since the early 80’s, California-based percussionist, composer, educator and ethnomusicologist Anthony Brown has pioneered jazz explorations primarily within the Asian American community. His musical career dates back to the 1970’s. A San Francisco native of Japanese and African/Native American descent who grew up around the world as an “Army brat,” Brown has developed a unique compositional and performance voice reflective of his own intercultural heritage and experiences. His work in the early 1980’s with the pioneering San Francisco-based jazz quartet, United Front, sparked an interest in blending non-Western compositional approaches and instruments with traditional jazz idioms and improvisation that he is still exploring today. Under the auspices of Fifth Stream Music (www.fifthstreammusic.org), Brown and his Orchestra continue to strive combining the instruments, conventions and sensibilities of jazz, classical, world and popular music to create a new musical language for the 21st century. More information specifically on Brown and his extensive background, including links to the Orchestra’s recordings, can be found atwww.anthonybrown.org.

If music is a language, then Berkeley percussionist and composer Anthony Brown is probably one of the most articulate men in jazz. – The San Francisco Chronicle

On Wednesday, September 15 (11:45 am-1:15 pm), there will be a private “Meet the Composer” gathering with maestro Anthony Brown, to be held at Northeastern’s Asian-American Center, 109 Hemenway Street, Boston. This special event is for Northeastern University students and invited guests. All subsequent events pertaining to JCMC’s 33rd anniversary will be open to the public.

John Coltrane Memorial Concert listing details for events open to the public:

Thursday, September 16, 6-8 pm

John Coltrane and Black America’s Quest for Freedom:

Spirituality and the Music

(Published by Oxford University Press, 2010)

Symposium & book signing celebration; featuring editor/contributor Leonard Brown and contributors Emmett Price III, Anthony Brown, Tommy Lee Lott, & Eric Jackson; an interview with Leonard Brown reflecting on JCMC and his new book is available at www.massjazz.com/whatsnew/LeonardBrownPraises.php; detailed information on the book can be found at www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Music/PopularMusic/Jazz/?view=usa&ci=9780195328929.

Northeastern University, John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, Amilcar Cabral Center

40 Leon Street, Boston

[conveniently located near the Ruggles stop on the Orange Line or the Northeastern stop on the Green Line (E train)]

Free and open to all; books will be available for purchase at a discount price.

For information: 617-373-8700, EW.OToole@neu.edu

Friday, September 17, 6-8 pm

Reflections: a 25 Year Retrospective on the John Coltrane Memorial Concert at Northeastern University

Featuring vintage audio & video footage from past JCMC events held at Northeastern, plus insight, reminiscences, and commentary given by some of the Boston-based artists who have performed at the JCMC throughout the years.

Northeastern University, Egan Research Center, Raytheon Room

120 Forsyth St., Boston

[conveniently located near the Ruggles stop on the Orange Line or the Northeastern stop on the Green Line (E train)]

Free and open to all.

For information: 617-373-8700, EW.OToole@neu.edu

Saturday, September 18, 7:30 pm

33rd John Coltrane Memorial Concert celebrating 25 years at Northeastern University featuring:

“India & Africa: A Tribute to John Coltrane” performed by Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra Concert

Special Lifetime Musical Recognition Award to Syd Smart; hosted by Eric Jackson of WGBH’s “Eric in the Evening.”

Northeastern University, Blackman Theatre, Ell Hall

360 Huntington Ave., Boston

[conveniently located near the Ruggles stop on the Orange Line or the Northeastern stop on the Green Line (E train)]

Ticket: $20 general admission; $17 NU faculty & staff, WGBH Members, non-NU students, seniors; $15 NU students.

For tickets and information: 617-373-4700 (TTY 617-373-2184)

During the entire month of September [check www.jcmc.neu.edu for complete information]:

John Coltrane Memorial Concert at Northeastern University: a photographic reflection of 25 years

Northeastern University

[exhibit at various locations on campus: Gallery 360 (Curry Student Center), Atrium (Ryder Hall,1st floor) and Snell Library (entrance foyer)]

360 Huntington Ave., Boston

[conveniently located near the Ruggles stop on the Orange Line or the Northeastern stop on the Green Line (E train)]

Free and open to all.

For information: 617-373-8700, EW.OToole@neu.edu

The John Coltrane Memorial Concert is proud to acknowledge this year’s sponsors which at press time are Northeastern University (www.northeastern.edu), WGBH (www.wgbh.org), Boston Herald (www.bostonherald.com), causemedia, inc. (www.causemedia.com), MassJazz (www.massjazz.com), and JazzBoston (www.jazzboston.org). For updates on sponsors and other pertinent information, log ontowww.jcmc.neu.edu or call 617-373-8700.