By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
The jazz world’s “Old School” will meet “Next Gen” later this month in Grand Rapids as St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2019-20 Jazz Series returns with Emmet Cohen’s Master Legacy Series featuring Benny Golson on Jan. 16.
Cohen, a master jazz pianist at the young age of 28, is “on mission to celebrate the last remaining legendary jazz artists,” according to supplied material, with his Masters Legacy Series, a “celebratory set of recordings, interviews and live performances honoring legendary jazz musicians.”
Golson, 90 years young, is a world-renowned composer, arranger, lyricist, producer and, arguably, one of the best alto saxophonists ever to blow his horn.
“We are very excited to bring the Emmet Cohen Trio with Benny Golson together at St. Cecilia Music Center to celebrate an evening of jazz at its finest,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive director said in supplied material. “Emmet Cohen has hit the mark with his superb understanding of what jazz is all about and by bringing the legendary jazz master Benny Golson on tour, the blending of creative talent will be electrifying.”
In describing his reasons for establishing Master Legacy Jazz series, Cohen says that playing jazz “is enriched immeasurably by connecting and studying with jazz masters, forging backward to the very creation of the art form.”
The Masters Legacy Series, according to supplied material, is a celebratory set of recordings and interviews honoring legendary jazz musicians, which Cohen serves as both producer and pianist for each album in the series. Volume one of the “Masters Legacy Series” features drummer Jimmy Cobb and volume two spotlights bassist Ron Carter. With Cohen’s work with Golson in work, future Masters Legacy Series efforts are also planned to include work with Tootie Heath and George Coleman.
The goal of the project is to “provide musicians of multiple generations a forum to transfer the unwritten folklore that is America’s unique musical idiom,” according to supply material.
Golson, for one, certainly qualifies as a “master” of the jazz music art form.
He has recorded more than 30 albums under his own name, and innumerable ones with other major artists. A prolific teacher at several musical conservatories and universities, he is also a prodigious musical writer, with more than 300 compositions penned.
Golson’s resume includes working with the legendary masters of old — Count Basie, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie, just to name drop just a few.
Cohen, while 60 years junior to Golson, is no novice on the jazz piano himself.
He began Suzuki method piano instruction at age three, according to supplied material. While active in many musical and creative areas, Cohen says jazz is his first love — saying that playing jazz is “about communicating the deepest levels of humanity and individuality; it’s essentially about connections,” both among musicians and with audiences. He currently leads his namesake ensemble, the “Emmet Cohen Trio”, which will accompany Golson at the St. Cecilia concert.
The remaining St. Cecilia Jazz Series concerts remaining for the 2019-20 season include, on March 5, jazz vocalist Luciana Souza — of which Billboard Magazine described as “a uniquely talented vocalist who organically crosses genre borders. Her music soulfully reflects, wistfully regrets, romantically woos, joyfully celebrates …” — as well as the two time Grammy-nominated Clayton Brothers Quintet performing on April 16.
Tickets for Emmet Cohen’s Master Legacy Series featuring Benny Golson are $40 and $45 and can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids. Tickets can also be purchased online at scmc-online.org.
A pre-concert reception for $15 at 6:30 pm, with wine and hors d’oeuvres, is available by reservation in advance (reserve by Friday, Jan. 10). A post-concert party with dessert, coffee and wine is open to all ticket-holders to meet the artists, obtain autographs and purchase CDs.
