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UNCG Jazz Ensembles Celebrates African American History Feb. 28
Count Basie Orchestra veterans join in special concert
 

Formerly the sideman for James Brown, Fred Wesley will join the UNCG Jazz Ensemble and vocalist Chris Murrell for a free concert at UNCG Feb. 28.

Trombonist Fred Wesley and vocalist Chris Murrell, both veterans of the Count Basie Orchestra, will join the UNCG Jazz Ensemble in a musical celebration of African American History Month at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

The free concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, in the School of Music Recital Hall. It is sponsored by UNCG’s African American History Month committee and the Miles Davis Program in Jazz Studies.

Most widely recognized as a sideman for James Brown, Wesley has enjoyed a full, varied career, which has included performing with and arranging for top names such as George Clinton, Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton, Vanessa Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra. He toured with colleagues from the James Brown Band, Pee Wee Ellis and Maceo Parker as the JB Horns in the early ’90s and in 1996 he formed his own band, the Fred Wesley Group.

“This is a concert not to be missed,” said Steve Haines, director of the Jazz Ensemble and the Miles Davis Program in Jazz Studies. “Fred has a national reputation and is one of the finest trombonists in the south. He calls himself a funk trombone player, but he’s a bona fide jazz man in my eyes.”

Wesley recently completed an autobiography, “Hit Me, Fred: Recollections of a Sideman,” released in September. A book signing, hosted by Triad Black Media Professionals, will follow the concert.

Murrell was chosen as the featured vocalist for the Count Basie Orchestra in 1991, the same year Downbeat Magazine readers voted the orchestra Best Big Band. He toured with the orchestra throughout the world, including stops at Carnegie Hall, the White House and Albert Hall in London.

“Chris is a captivator from the very first note,” Haines said. “When he’s sad, he’s so very sad and when he’s happy, he’s so very happy. You can’t help but empathize.”

Murrell has also performed with Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Billy Eckstine, George Benson and Dizzy Gillespie, among others. Born and raised in Winston-Salem, he has been featured locally with the North Carolina School of the Arts and the North Carolina Black Repertory Theatre.

Welcoming these two jazz greats is the UNCG Jazz Ensemble. An accomplished 19-member group, the jazz ensemble has been featured in concerts throughout the United States on radio and television. The group appeared in the Count Basie Jazz Festival in Carnegie Hall in 1991, marking the first time a university music ensemble from North Carolina performed there. The musicians have also recently released a CD of original compositions, titled “Stronger Than Dirt.”

The UNCG Jazz Ensemble will open the concert before inviting Murrell and Wesley to join them on the stage. Musical selections will include “Everyday I Sing the Blues” by Peter Chatman, “Low Down” by Thad Jones, “Alright, OK, You Win” by Sid Wyche and Mayme Watts and “On the Sunny Side of the Street” by Jimmy McHugh, among others.

For more information, call the University Box Office at 334-4849, weekdays from noon to 5 p.m., or visit the School of Music on the Web at www.uncg.edu/mus.    ###
 
 

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