Washington University Jazz Festival

Washington University Jazz Festival

Co-sponsored by Jazz at Holmes and the Department of Music with major leadership support from Autumn Hill Records

This event will proceed outdoors on Brookings Quad as planned. 

Jay Oliver, William Lenihan, Tom Kennedy, Dave Weckl Quartet

Four friends and long-time collaborators reunite for a special festival concert under the stars bringing their eclectic, fusion sound to the stage. For decades, keyboardist Studio 88 served as a base for the numerous recording sessions and productions that brought musicians together, from coast to coast, fostering unique approaches to making music and record production. This long association created a network of musicians who would collaborate for many years in their creative work in jazz, pop, film music including iconic record releases. An early recording, Contemporary Drummer included all four members of this quartet along with Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, Steve Lukather, Steve Gadd and many others. 

Jay Oliver, a jazz pianist first and foremost who toured at a young age with the great Maynard Ferguson, made his mark in the music industry recording with icons Bonnie Raitt, The Eagles, producer great Jay Graydon, Sheryl Crow and numerous other producers and artists in the studio scene of Los Angeles.  As keyboardist, producer and engineer his first collaborations with Dave Weckl included the legendary recording, Master Plan followed by Hard Wired, and Rhythm of the Soul. Oliver remains an in-demand studio musician, producing in the newly revived Studio 88.

William Lenihan, guitarist, composer has performed with legendary bassist Ron Carter, Bob Brookmeyer, pianist great Marc Copland, Michael Brecker and numerous other iconic musicians in the jazz world over decades. In classical music, William concertizes on the classical guitar and mandolin performing with major symphony, opera and ballet orchestras in Europe and USA. As a studio and theatre guitarist, he recorded numerous film dates in Los Angeles, and performed with luminaries from the golden age of film, the Broadway stage and pop music including Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters and countless others. He remains active on the European festival circuit with new creative efforts of  quartet recordings with Marc Copland, and bassist great Tony Grey.

Tom Kennedy is a major touring and studio musician known throughout the world as one of the great acoustic and electric bassists of jazz. By his late teens, he had already performed with numerous icons such as Freddie Hubbard, Nat Adderly, Sonny Stitt, George Russell. In the contemporary scene Tom has performed and recorded with Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Michael Brecker and many, many others. Kennedy’s virtuosic playing is heard on over 200 recordings, with five solo recordings in release.

Dave Weckl, known as one of the world’s greatest, most innovative and virtuosic drummers, he has performed and recorded for decades with the Chick Corea Akoustic Band and Corea’s Elektric Band. His early days as a studio musician saw him on record dates with George Benson, Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, Madonna and the historic reunion tour of Simon and Garfunkel. The consummate musician, his collaborators include Steve Gadd, Michel Camillo, Anthony Jackson, Michael Brecker, Mike Stern, Makoto Ozone and numerous others in the contemporary jazz world. Weckl set the stage in his generation for a level of virtuosity and expression that continues to inspire drummers throughout the world.

Together these four musicians bring decades of collaborative effort to create a new fusion of jazz, rock and more.

Bach to the Future

Reimagining the classics – music of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart - performed in exciting new ways through the lens of modern jazz, progressive rock, African, and Latin rhythms. Bach to the Future brings an entertaining, whimsical approach to music of the European classical music repertoire, and performed on some of the most interesting cutting-edge instruments including the Drum-itar, the 6-string electric violin and various synthesizers and keyboards.

The performers Rob Silverman - drums, Zendrum Drumitar, Michael Silverman – keyboards, have collaborated with Eric Marienthal, Simon Phillips, Jeff Lorber and numerous others on Autumn Hill Records. The band also includes Tracy Silverman - electric violin, Matt Bollinger – bass.

All attendees are required to complete the health screener within 4 hours of their arrival to campus and be prepared to show the "Cleared for Campus" result to the event staff upon entry. All attendees must wear a mask at all times while indoors. 
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