Randy Weston's African Rhythms Quartet to Play Jamaica Performing Arts Center

Pianist and composer Randy Weston will perform with his African Rhythms Quartet on Saturday, July 7th at 7:00 PM, at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center.Born April 6, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York of Jamaican parentage, remarkably Mr. Weston is still performing at full force at 92 years of age. He is a testament to the vibrancy of music as a medium of spiritual restoration.

In 2001, Randy Weston was inducted into the prestigious cadre of NEA Jazz Masters, thereby joining his many contemporaries like Max Roach, Ray Copeland and Cecil Payne. Several of his compositions are cornerstones in the jazz lexicon particularly standards like Hi Fly, and Little Niles.

He has been characterized as "a griot of jazz and its African roots," Weston's piano style is highly distinctive in its qualities: percussive, highly rhythmic, capable of producing a wide variety of moods.

His life work has been in advocacy for connecting worlds of traditions in music. He has impacted jazz composition by pioneering multicultural expression with the piano since the 1950's. He toured 14 African countries with his ensemble in 1967 on a State Department tour, eventually settling in Rabat, Morocco. He later moved to Tangier, opening the African Rhythms Club in 1969. It was in Morocco that Weston first forged unique collaborations with Berber and Gnawan musicians, infusing his jazz with African music and rhythms. Weston notably maintained a fruitful musical partnership with trombonist-arranger Melba Liston forming some of Weston's best recordings. His interest in the African continent was sparked at an early age, and he lectured and performed in Africa in the early 1960s.

He was described as "one of the world's great visionary pianists and composers." Weston has said: "It's so important to teach the history of our music and the origins of our music, which comes directly from the African continent.... Musicians have to be historians, too."

Described as "America's African Musical Ambassador," he has said: "I am truly blessed to have heard and spent so much time with the masters of our music during my rich cultural life of music. I am grateful to be a part of a great spiritual legacy."

An event not to be missed:
Saturday, July 7th, 2018 at 7:00 PM
Randy Weston's African Rhythms Quartet
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
153-10 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432

Tickets and Info: jcal.org (718) 618-6170

$20 General Admission $15 students with ID

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning and Seed Artists are honored to present the legendary Randy Weston.

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