Randy Brecker
UPDATED March 10: The Arlington Jazz Festival, in its 11th year, has scheduled a wide variety of musical events, presented over a four-day stretch in several venues around the town, from Thursday, April 7, through Sunday, April 10.
This year’s headlining concert, held at the Regent Theatre on the final day of the festival, showcases legendary multi-Grammy award-winning jazz trumpeter/composer Randy Brecker performing with Grammy winning drummer/composer Mark Walker and his World Jazz Ensemble, which features French pianist Alain Mallet, Peruvian bassist Oscar Stagnaro, Colombian percussionist Ernesto Diaz and Puerto Rican saxophonist Edmar Colon.
Dan Fox, founder of the annual jazz festival, has had success in scheduling both virtual and live performances, with on-site live events abiding by the current health-and-safety protocols in place.
The Regent Theatre has also risen to the occasion during these unprecedented times, by being a safe and risk-free venue for all on-site events. All necessary protocols will be in place for the festival.
Tickets are on sale: $20 to $50. Presented by Arlington Jazz.
Background
Brecker’s musical background has helped shape the sound of jazz, R&B and rock for well over four decades. His trumpet and flugelhorn performances have graced hundreds of albums with a wide range of artists, including his work with his brother Michael Brecker, along with James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Parliament/ Funkadelic, Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Jaco Pastorius and Frank Zappa.
Brecker and Walker have worked together on several albums, including Steve Khan’s Backlog, Caribbean Jazz Project’s Birds of a Feather, and the upcoming release by guitarist Akio Sasajima, Silence Between the Notes.
The concert in Arlington will focus on a combination of Walker’s originals heard on his album You Get What You Give, and a jazz repertoire reimagined with an Afro-Latin sensibility, informed by his work with Paquito D’Rivera, Michel Camilo, Oregon, Caribbean Jazz Project and Lyle Mays.
Brecker’s own Latin interpretations can be heard on records such as his “Randy in Brasil” along with his work on “The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock.” James Nadal of “All About Jazz” cited Brecker’s contributions to Khan’s "Latin Genetics" cut on his Backlog album as Brecker “playing with a genuine street carnival approach.”
In other words, this Jazz Fest musical rendezvous between Brecker and Walker guarantees an evening that will really cook, defying the audience to stay put in their seats. Way too much rhythmical energy will be generated to stay sedentary.
The Arlington Jazz Festival also continues to champion the vibrant jazz scene that flourishes beyond the local city limits. An abundance of local talent will be on full display at this year’s Festival, performing in several different venues around the town.
Performances include:
Jesse Williams Group (w/Cassandra McKinley, Bruce Bears, Mark Teixeira, and Williams); El Eco (w/Guillermo Nojechowicz, Marco Pignataro, Fernando Huergo, Anastassyia Petrova and Milena Casado); Tom Ferrante's Saxafras (w/5 saxes and rhythm section); and The Samba Jazz Project (w/Dan Fox, Anna Borges, Ian Coury, Yulia Musayelyan, Fernando Huergo, Alexei Tsiganov and Rafael Barata).
Arlington Jazz Festival basic listing info.:
Arlington Jazz Festival. 11th Annual featuring headliner Randy Brecker with Mark Walker and his World Jazz Ensemble. All festival concerts held Thurs.-Sun., April 7-April 10, in various venues around the town of Arlington. Admission prices vary depending on event. For further details: arlingtonjazz.org,arlingtonjazzfestival@gmail.
Arlington Jazz Festival schedule in detail below:
Please refer to arlingtonjazz.org/2022-
Festival headliner concert:
Sunday, April 10, 7:00-9:00 pm:
Mark Walker's World Jazz Ensemble featuring Randy Brecker. With opening act Arlington High School Jazz Band, led by Tino D'Agostino. Tickets: $25-$50. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St, Arlington, MA 02474. For advance concert tickets (proof of vaccination needed to enter the Regent Theatre): regenttheatre.com,
Other Festival events, listed chronologically:
Thursday, April 7, 8:00 pm-10:30 pm
Jesse Williams Group w/Cassandra McKinley (vocals), Bruce Bears (piano), Mark Teixeira (drums), Jesse Williams (bass). Menotomy Grill & Tavern (menotomygrill.com), 25 Mass. Ave, Arlington 02474. No cover.
Friday, April 8, 8:00pm-11:00 pm
El Eco with Marco Pignataro (sax), Fernando Huergo (bass), Guillermo Nojechowicz (drums), Anastassyia Petrova (piano) and Milena Casado (trumpet). Morningside Music Studio Jazz Combo will open. Arlington Center for the Arts (acarts.org), 20 Academy St., Arlington 02474. [Proof of vaccination needed to enter ACA.] $20 cover; tickets available for purchase online only: brownpapertickets.com/event/
Saturday April 9, three separate shows, within the 3 pm-9:30 pm timeframe
Each event is ticketed separately and only available online. All held at:
Arlington Center for the Arts (acarts.org), 20 Academy St., Arlington 02474
[Proof of vaccination needed to enter ACA.]
1) Morningside Music Studio Jazz Ensembles, 3:00 pm-5:00 pm
$5 cover; tickets only available online: brownpapertickets.com/event/
2) Tom Ferrante's Saxafras, 5:30 pm-7:00 pm
With 5 saxes and rhythm section. Morningside Music Studio Teen Jazz Combo opens. $10 cover; tickets only available online: brownpapertickets.com/event/
3) The Samba Jazz Project, 8:00 pm-9:30 pm
With Dan Fox (trombone), Anna Borges (vocals), Ian Coury (bandolin), Yulia Musayelyan (flute), Fernando Huergo (bass), Alexei Tsiganov (piano), Rafael Barata (drums). Morningside Music Studio Jazz Combo opens. $20 cover; tickets only available online: brownpapertickets.com/event/
Further information pertaining to the Festival and its presenter Arlington Jazz (arlingtonjazz.org):
The Festival, which receives organizing and production assistance from Arlington-based Morningside Music Studio (morningsidemusicstudio.com), under the direction of Dan Fox (danfox.com), has this solid mission: to raise awareness and appreciation of jazz through the confluence of top performers, local rising ensembles, and student groups, while also fostering a sense of community and an appreciation that Arlington and surrounding towns outside of Boston are cultural destinations. Morningside’s motto: “keep the groove in your life.”
The nonprofit Arlington Jazz Festival, held annually in April (also recognized as National Jazz Appreciation Month), is supported in part by a grant from the Arlington Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Further information:
Further background information:
Performer/composer Brecker has helped shape the sound of jazz, R&B and rock for more than four decades. His trumpet and flugelhorn performances have graced hundreds of albums with a wide range of artists, including his work with his brother Michael, along with James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Parliament/Funkadelic, Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Jaco Pastorius and Frank Zappa. See more at randybrecker.com.
Walker is a multi-Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning drummer, composer, author and professor of percussion at Berklee College of Music. He has also served on the faculty at Drummers Collective in New York City and has conducted master classes, clinics, and workshops in South America, North America and Europe, as a solo artist and with such groups as Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera Quintet, the Caribbean Jazz Project, Sakesho, Lyle Mays Quartet, Chucho Valdes and Bill Watrous. Learn more at markwalkerlessons.com.
The nonprofit Arlington Jazz is coordinated with assistance from Arlington-based Morningside Music Studio (morningsidemusicstudio.com) under the direction of Fox, a town resident, who is a multi-instrumentalist and music educator.
The Arlington Jazz Festival has been held annually since 2012, usually in April, known internationally as Jazz Appreciation Month. Since 2018, Arlington Jazz has also embarked on presenting a series of additional workshops and concerts throughout the year. Many of the events are either free or for minimal admission cost.
The 2022 Arlington Jazz Festival is funded in part by the Arlington Cultural Council, a local agency that is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Arlington Jazz also relies on generous donations from its growing fan base.
May 19, 2020: 'Couples in Jazz,' 9th town festival, held online
This news announcement was published Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, and updated March 10, to add the full lineup.
