USA: THE LINCOLN CENTRE JAZZ ORCHESTRA IS ON THE ROAD WITH PLANS TO TOUR CHINA

Record ID: 388885

  • Title: USA: THE LINCOLN CENTRE JAZZ ORCHESTRA IS ON THE ROAD WITH PLANS TO TOUR CHINA
  • Date: 2nd March 2000
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 11, 2000) (REUTERS) VARIOUS LINCOLN JAZZ ORCHESTRA REHEARSING
  • Embargoed: 17th March 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA5BZUELI47HMCKGYYUR3CBASR4
  • Story Text: The Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra is on the road, with its Ellington Centennial programme.They will tour China, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan and Japan before returning to New York in March.
    Jazz at Lincoln Center is the world's largest not-for-profit arts organization committed to promoting the appreciation and understanding of jazz through performance, education and preservation.
    They are focusing this year on the music of Duke Ellington.
    A year long celebration acknowledging Edward Kennedy "Duke"
    Ellington's unequalled contributions to jazz and the 100th anniversary of his birth.
    The Lincoln Center JazzOrchestra (LCJO) has begun a tour of Asia - debuting in China.Here they hope to involve students in the education programme, and give them an understanding of American jazz.
    Baritone Saxophonist, Joe Temerperly spoke to Reuters during the orchestra's final rehearsals "we're going to go into the schools, we're going to go into colleges and high-schools and just get together with the young people in China hopefully and teach them about jazz and music in general."
    Wynston Marsalis is said to be the most accomplished jazz artist and composer of his generation.He is Music Director for the LCJO and plays trumpet.He wants people to enjoy the 'happy' sing music of Ellington's time "Swinging makes people feel good.These music makes people feel good, I like to swing so of course I like playing this music, and the band loves it.
    The Ellington Centennial is like going to your prom.You can have a good time at other dances, but that prom is something different.And a lot of activity leads to that.And I think this 100 year celebration is a way to assess his music and restate the significance of it."
    The members of the LCJO are most excited about their first visit to China where they will perform in Beijing, Shanghai and Guanghzhou.
    "The bulk of their (Jazz at Lincoln Centre) programmes have to do with Jazz education, through films, or through jazz for young people, or various other things they are developing; so when we go to China, we trying to do an outreach.We're trying to expose people in China and make them more familiar and comfortable listening to jazz music, and educate them to what are the devices that take place in the music because just like in America - its the same thing in China - its an unfamiliarity with the music and the more you familiarize yourself with the music, the more comfortable they will be with it, and the more they will come out here live performances of it - such as what the Big Band is doing on this trip to Asia and China"
    After China the LCJO heads of to play four dates in Australia, two in New Zealand, Taiwan and Japan before heading home for the summer season.
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