Genius of Miles Davis & Dizzy Gillespie to Kick Off The Nash's 'JAZZ Meets POETRY' Series

The genius of jazz masters MiLes Davis and Dizzy Gillespie will be celebrated in words and sounds as poets and jazz musicians converge on The Nash stage Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 pm for the first show of The Nash's new JAZZ Meets POETRY series. The Nash is located in downtown Phoenix on Roosevelt Row at 110 Roosevelt, Phoenix AZ 85004.

The series places poets and jazz musicians on the same stage to make art that is expressive, interactive, and unforgettable. Jazz musicians will improvise and accompany poets as they perform works based on the evening's theme. The series kicks off September 28 with a Tribute to MiLes Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.

"Gillespie and Davis were two of the great trumpet players in jazz history," said Jeff Libman, Vice President of The Nash Board of Directors. "Both were members of Charlie Parker's quintet, the most important bebop group. Their styles were totally different from one another. Gillespie was fiery and virtuosic, and Davis tended to play more sensitively and with great nuance. Their sounds are iconic and instantly recognizable."

A script by Leah Marché, co-founder of BlackPoet Ventures and co-producer of the acclaimed Cool Like That: A Tribute to MiLes Davis, will serve as a guide for some of the Valley's premier performance poets.

"We constantly look for ways to merge spoken word poetry and music," said event co-producer Mike Pfister, a musician and an ASU English professor, of his partnership with Marché and The Nash. "I am impressed by the wonderful talent our arts community offers as well as the arts organizations like The Nash that are willing to explore new opportunities for engaging audiences."

Jazz and poetry have a long history that these events seek to embrace. "Beginning with the birth of blues and jazz at the start of the twentieth century, jazz poetry can be seen as a thread that runs through the Harlem Renaissance, the Beat movement, and the Black Arts Movement-and it is still vibrant today. Jazz poetry is a literary genre in which the poet responds to and writes about jazz. Like the music itself, jazz poetry encompasses a variety of forms, rhythms, and sounds. From early blues to free jazz to experimental music, jazz poets use their appreciation for the music as poetic inspiration." (Poets.org)

Presented by The Nash and Marche-Pfister Productions, JAZZ Meets POETRY events will be held throughout the year, each with a new theme, showcasing different voices, talents and styles.

Upcoming events include tributes to: Donny Hathaway (Oct. 26); Civil Rights (Jan. 19); Women In Jazz (March 22); and Gil-Scott Heron (April 26). A JAZZ Meets POETRY Roundtable will be held April 15.

Events start at 7:30pm (doors at 7) with the exception of the April 15th JAZZ meets POETRY Roundtable (12:30pm).

Tickets are available online at TheNash.org. Advance tickets $15/$8 students; day of $20/$10 students.

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JAZZ Meets POETRY SERIES at The Nash:

JAZZ Meets POETRY: MILES & DIZZY

SEPTEMBER 28 AT 7:30 PM

Tickets: $15 adults/$8 students (advance); $20 adults/$10 students (at the door)

The Nash

110 E. Roosevelt Road, Phoenix, AZ 85004

www.thenash.org | 602-795-0464

Alex Price (trumpet); Reid Riddiough (guitar); Vincent Theifain (bass); and Caleb Michel (drums).

Davis and Gillespie birthed Signature Sounds with the wah-wah mute and angled trumpet bell, respectively. Davis went on to take multiple musical directions in his five-decade career, while Gillespie -- who ushered in the era of bebop - infused Afro-Cuban, Caribbean and Brazilian rhythms in his music.

JAZZ Meets POETRY Miles & Dizzy - which falls on the date of Davis death and marks Gillespie's upcoming centennial birthday (Oct. 21) -will uniquely capture stories of the two legends in a part-theatre, part-concert concept.

JAZZ Meets POETRY: A TRIBUTE TO DONNY HATHAWAY

OCTOBER 26 AT 7:30 PM

Tickets: $15 adults/$8 students (advance); $20 adults/$10 students (at the door)

The Nash

110 E. Roosevelt Road, Phoenix, AZ 85004

www.thenash.org | 602-795-0464

Featuring House of Stairs

With a body of work that encompasses jazz, blues, soul and gospel, the 70s composer lived a short life but left a lasting legacy of music and arrangements. Experience why Donny Hathaway is considered your favorite singer's favorite singer.

JAZZ Meets POETRY: A TRIBUTE TO CIVIL RIGHTS

JANUARY 19 AT 7:30 PM

Tickets: $15 adults/$8 students (advance); $20 adults/$10 students (at the door)

The Nash

110 E. Roosevelt Road, Phoenix, AZ 85004

www.thenash.org | 602-795-0464

Take a journey through civil rights, yesterday to today, through the work of jazz greats and poetic commentators of our time.

JAZZ Meets POETRY: WOMEN OF JAZZ & POETRY

MARCH 22 AT 7:30 PM

Tickets: $15 adults/$8 students (advance); $20 adults/$10 students (at the door)

The Nash

110 E. Roosevelt Road, Phoenix, AZ 85004

www.thenash.org | 602-795-0464

Celebrate the voices of women in jazz and poetry.

JAZZ Meets POETRY: JAZZ & POETRY ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

APRIL 15 at 12:30

Tickets: Check website for Ticket info

The Nash

110 E. Roosevelt Road, Phoenix, AZ 85004

www.thenash.org | 602-795-0464

April is Jazz Appreciation Month and National Poetry Month! Join in this community conversation about the history and future of jazz and poetry.

JAZZ Meets POETRY: WE JAZZ JUNE

JUNE 14 AT 7:30 PM

Tickets: $15 adults/$8 students (advance); $20 adults/$10 students (at the door)

The Nash

110 E. Roosevelt Road, Phoenix, AZ 85004

www.thenash.org | 602-795-0464

Inspired by poet Gwendolyn Brooks, WE JAZZ JUNE returns to The Nash as a finale to the JAZZ Meets POETRY series. In addition to giving tribute to Brooks, this show will spotlight the work of a legendary poet through poems, song, music and more!

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Recognized by Downbeat Magazine as one of the top jazz venues in the United States, The Nash is named for "the most valuable player" in jazz (Modern Drummer Magazine), Phoenix native Lewis Nash.

Located in the heart of downtown Phoenix on "Roosevelt Row, The Nashbrings a full calendar of live performances and ensures the future of the iconic art of jazz through its educational and outreach programs.

The Nash hosts classic jazz and new music concerts; performances by student musicians, local pros and touring artists; weekly jazz jam sessions; workshops; master classes; and clinics. Educational programs are offered ranging from one-on-one private lessons to combo labs, guided listening, jazz in film, jazz camps and more.

Internationally acclaimed jazz drummer Lewis Nash, named the most valuable player in jazz by Modern Drummer Magazine, was described by Ira Gitler of The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz as "Perhaps the most talented drummer of his generation." Lewis grew up in south Phoenix and by the early age of 10 years old began playing drums. At age 21 he moved to New York City, where he became the drummer of choice for an incredible array of artists - from jazz masters to the hottest young players of today. His 30-year career includes performance on 10 Grammy award-winning albums and an impressive discography of over 400 recordings with jazz legends such as BetTy Carter, Tommy Flanagan, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner, Hank Jones, Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins, Ron Carter and Clark Terry, as well as such contemporary jazz artists as Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Joe Lovano and Roy Hargrove.

A highly respected educator and clinician, Lewis joined the faculty of the ASU School of Music in January 2017 as the Bob and Gretchen Ravenscroft Professor of Practice in Jazz.