Presented in partnership with BluePort Jazz
Kenny Barron Trio Kenny Barron, piano Kiyoshi Kitagawa, bass Savannah Harris, drums
Friday, Feb. 9 | 8 PM Soka Performing Arts Center at Soka University of America
Kenny Barron, piano Honored by The National Endowment for the Arts as a 2010 Jazz Master, Kenny Barron has an unmatched ability to mesmerize audiences with his elegant playing, sensitive melodies and infectious rhythms. The Los Angeles Times named him “one of the top jazz pianists in the world” and Jazz Weekly calls him “The most lyrical piano player of our time.” The Philadelphia native started playing professionally as a teenager with Mel Melvin’s orchestra and Philly Joe Jones. He moved to New York City at 19 and freelanced with Roy Haynes, Lee Morgan and James Moody, after the tenor saxophonist heard him play at the Five Spot. Upon Moody’s recommendation Dizzy Gillespie hired Barron in 1962 without even hearing him play a note. It was in Dizzy’s band where Kenny developed an appreciation for Latin and Caribbean rhythms. After five years with Dizzy, Barron played with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Buddy Rich. The early seventies found Kenny working with Yusef Lateef who Kenny credits as a key influence in his art for improvisation. Encouraged by Lateef, to pursue a college education, Barron balanced touring with studies and earned his B.A. in Music from Empire State College. By 1973 Kenny joined the faculty at Rutgers University as professor of music. He held this tenure until 2000, followed by faculty positions at Juillard and Manhattan School of Music, mentoring many of today’s talents including Jonathan Batiste,
David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard and Regina Bell. In 1974 Kenny recorded his first album as a leader for the Muse label, entitled Sunset To Dawn. This was to be the first in over 40 recordings as a leader. His duo album with Stan Getz during the late 1980s, People Time, led to the first of 13 Grammy nominations received for his recordings. Barron’s latest recording, The Source (Artwork Records), released January 2023, marks only his second solo piano in his career. Without Deception, his 2020 follow up with bassist Dave Holland to The Art of Conversation (Impulse) was noted as one of the top releases of the year. The 2016 CD, Book of Invention (Impulse) was Barron’s first trio outing in 20 years and marked the first recording ever with his band mates bassist Kiyoshi
ABOUT THE ARTISTS Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake. In 2018 Barron released Concentric Circles featuring his quintet. Barron consistently wins the jazz critics and readers polls, including Downbeat, Jazz Times and Jazziz magazines. The famed Spanish ceramist Lladro honored Mr. Barron with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and he was awarded
an Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater SUNY Empire State in 2013 and from Berklee College of Music in 2011. In 2009 he received the Living Legacy Award from Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation and was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame and won a MAC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. He is a seven-time recipient of Best Pianist by the Jazz Journalists Association.
Kiyoshi Kitagawa, bass Bassist and composer Kiyoshi Kitagawa is an integral part of today’s jazz scene. Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1958, Kiyoshi began playing the guitar at the age of 14. He switched to the acoustic bass at the age of 19. Kiyoshi began his career by playing at various clubs in the Kansai area, and quickly became the most sought-after bassist in Japan. In October 1988, Kiyoshi relocated to New York City. Soon after, he met Winard Harper at Blue Note’s jam session and joined the Harper Brothers. In September 1989, he appeared at the Village Vanguard with the group and their live recording Remembrance: Live at The Village Vanguard was extremely well received. That same year, Kiyoshi went on to work with Andy Bey as well. By 1993, Kiyoshi established himself as a much in-demand bassist on the New York City jazz scene. He has toured and recorded with the alto great Kenny Garrett with drummer Brian Blade as well as the Jimmy Heath Quartet,
which he spent more than ten years as a regular bassist. That same year, he joined Kenny Barron Trio on the recommendation of a legendary drummer Ben Riley and has been working with him since then. Kiyoshi also joined Ben Riley Quartet with Ted Dumber and Steve Nelson as well as Terell Stafford Quartet. In 1996, he formed The Trio with a versatile Japanese pianist, Makoto Ozone. Demand for Kiyoshi’s talents has led to work with legendary musicians including Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Kirkland, John Hicks, Ronnie Mathews, Mulgrew Miller, Steven Scott, Cedar Walton, Steve Wilson, Gary Bartz, Jaleel Shaw, Frank Wess, Eddie Henderson, Mike Rodriguez, Steve Turre, Steve Nelson, Brian Blade, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Victor Lewis, Lewis Nash, Ben Riley, Jeff Watts and The Maria Schneider Orchestra, just to name a few. Kiyoshi has recorded with many of the leading names in jazz and can
Kenny Barron Trio be heard on numerous albums. A partial list includes Pete Minger’s Look To The Sky, Jimmy Heath’s You Or Me, Kenny Garrett’s Triology, Makoto Ozone’s The Trio, Three Wishes, Dear Oscar, No Strings Attached, Terell Stafford’s Fields Of Gold, Andy Bey’s American Song, Miki Hayama’s Prelude To A Kiss, Wide Angle, Will Sellenraad’s Balance, Jon Faddis’ Teranga, and Kenny Barron’s Images, The Traveler. In addition to being a highly dependable sideman, Kiyoshi has shown his manifold talents to be a composer as well as an arranger. As a leader, Kiyoshi has released five albums in Japan on the Atelier Sawano label, including Ancestry (2004), followed by Prayer (2005), Live at Tsutenkaku (2006) which is released as a DVD, and Live in Japan (2007), all featuring Kenny Barron and Brian Blade. His latest release was I’m Still Here (2007) featuring Danny Grissett and Brian Blade. Besides these trio albums, his interest in expanding the full potential of the instrument has led
Kiyoshi Kitagawa © Eddie Michel
him to record solo albums. His live recording of solo performance at the Big Apple jazz club in Japan was released in 2000 followed by studio recording of Solo 2 in 2007, both from Music Information Records. Kiyoshi Kitagawa currently resides in Brooklyn, NY where he remains active as a member of Kenny Barron Trio/Quintet, Jon Faddis Quartet, Ben Riley’s Monk Legacy Septet and his own group.
Savannah Harris, bass Savannah Harris is a New York City-based drummer, composer, and producer. Raised in Oakland, California, by musician parents, she gravitated towards the drums at age two. Steeped in a jazz tradition, Savannah’s more recent work reflects her versatility. She’s recorded with indie and experimental artists Helado Negro, Kate Davis, Justin Allen, and Standing on the Corner. Her
jazz recordings include releases from Peter Evans, María Grand, and Or Bareket. She’s performed with Jason Moran, Ambrose Akinmusire, Kenny Barron, Terence Blanchard, Billy Childs, Christian Scott, José James, and Georgia Anne Muldrow. Currently, she’s been working extensively with Nick Hakim and Roy Nathanson, Aaron Parks, Melanie Charles, Or Bareket, Peter Evans, and Joel Ross. In 2019,
ABOUT THE ARTISTS Savannah was awarded the Harlem Stage Emerging Artist Award, and she received her master’s in jazz performance from Manhattan School of Music. She was featured twice in the January 2021 issue of Modern Drummer as both a featured artist and a contributing writer. In October of 2021, she debuted her solo piece With Inner Sound, Truth commissioned by Issue Project Room as a tribute to composer Ruth Anderson. Savannah was also featured in Sixteen Journal’s “JAZZ” edition, with portraits shot by photographer James Brodribb.
Savannah Harris in concert at the AMR in Geneva on November 8, 2019
BluePort Jazz Dr. Jim Merod
Dr. Jim Merod is a professor of American Literature at Soka University and has a Ph.D. from Stanford University. Merod has been heavily involved in the jazz scene for more than 20 years as a recording and mastering engineer, working with legendary jazz and blues musicians such as Tito Puente, Joe Lovano, Tommy Flanagan, Sarah Vaughan, Eddie Palmieri, Wynton Marsalis, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Tolu, Los Lobos, Ozomatli, and Luciana Souza. Merod helps cultivate the culture of jazz at SUA through BluePort Jazz’s partnership with Soka Performing Arts Center. Merod’s contribution to the jazz world is not limited to his engineering work. He is also the co-author of legendary composer-saxophonist Benny Golson’s autobiography. Through his founding of BluePort Sound recording studio and BluePort Jazz record label, Merod has established himself as an important figure in the jazz community. His dedication to jazz has helped make Elario’s Jazz Club, in La Jolla, California, one of the premier jazz venues on the west coast. Aside from his work in the music industry, Merod has also been a teacher, critic, and writer. He attributes his intellectual growth to his influential teachers at
Princeton, Middlebury College, and Stanford, such as R. P. Blackmur, Walter Kaufman, William Arrowsmith, Harold Bloom, David Halliburton, Bliss Carnochan, and his friend and colleague at Cornell, A. R. Ammons. With his vast experience in both academia and the music industry, Jim Merod has left a remarkable impact on the world of jazz and is highly respected for his contributions to the genre.
UPCOMING
“Player for player, there’s no better working band in jazz”
The Cookers
featuring Billy Hart, Cecil McBee, David Weiss, Donald Harrison, Craig Handy, Eddie Henderson & George Cables
Presented in partnership with BluePort Jazz
SATURDAY, FEB 24, 2024, 8 PM SOKA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
TICKETS & INFORMATION HERE soka.edu/pac tickets@soka.edu 949-480-4278
Soka Performing Arts Center Mission Statement
Our mission is to Engage, Educate, and Elevate the Human Spirit Soka Performing Arts Center strives to elevate humanity through transcendent experiences. Come experience our exquisite acoustics. Come to expand your understanding and appreciation of music. Come to forge community and emotional connections through the shared experience of live music.
Listen. Feel. Transform.
ABOUT SOKA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Soka Performing Arts Center is located on the beautiful hilltop campus of Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo. Our facility includes the 1,032seat Concert Hall featuring world-class acoustics designed by master acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, designer of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, among many others. We also have an intimate 350-seat Black Box Theatre that allows for multiple seating configurations including club seating with bistro tables. More than 750 performances have taken place since the center’s dedication on May 27, 2011. The 2023-24 season marks our twelfth season presenting first-class programming in our world-class concert hall. We are continuing to expand our programming and outreach with the addition of a Children’s Concert Series, Blues Festival, and the only Great Pianists Series on the West Coast. From classical and jazz to world and contemporary music, the Soka Performing Arts Center has become a prized space for artists and audiences alike. We are proud to be the home of the Pacific Symphony Chamber Orchestra. Our Sundays @ Soka Series with Pacific Symphony continues to be one of our most popular series year after year. Our presentations with other Orange County arts organizations have enabled us to reach further into our community to offer arts education and programming. Our partnership with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County includes our PSOC Series, which brings superlative artists to our stage. We also partner with PSOC for our Outreach Program, bringing over 7,000 school children to Soka Performing Arts Center to experience live performances with outstanding musicians. With its world-class acoustics and first-class performances, Soka Performing Arts Center is quickly becoming one of the cultural jewels of Orange County.
SOKA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER DONORS
OUR SUPPORTERS
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE ($75,000+) Dr. Kenneth & Sandra Tokita Sam & Lyndie Ersan CONCERTMASTER ($10,000+) Ms. Emi Maeda STAGE CHAMPION ($5000+) Anonymous STAGE BENEFACTOR ($1000+) John and Sue Prange Terumi Saito Jochen Schumacher Scott A Shuping GOLD CLEF ($500+) Jeffrey Hendrix Jane A. Lynch Alex & Sandy Scott SILVER CLEF ($200+) Lorraine Leiser Anson and Marilyn Wong BRONZE CLEF ($25+) Raquel Bruno Sammy Chang Judy Kaufman Jeannette Pease Thomas Prigorac Jonia Suri Naomi Uchiyama Joseph Whitaker Joyce M Wrice Taro Yamanashi
List current as of 02/05/2024 The Soka Performing Arts Center deeply appreciates the support of its sponsors and donors, and makes every effort to ensure accurate and appropriate recognition. Contact Renee Bodie, General Manager at (949) 480-4821 to make us aware of any error or omission in the foregoing list.
CREATE YOUR OWN SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE
This season, we have made exciting updates to our subscription and renewal program, providing you with even more flexibility in our season packages*. With our enhanced program, you now have the power to curate your very own unique experience. • 15% Discount for a 3 performance package • 18% Discount for a 4 performance package • 20% Discount for a 5+ performance package *full details online at soka.edu/pac
OUR PARTNERS • Blueport Jazz • Philharmonic Society of Orange County • Pacific Symphony • San Diego Symphony • Parnassus Society
SOKA PAC MANAGEMENT TEAM Renée Bodie General Manager & Artistic Director John Morgan Box Office Manager Jarmil Maupin Technical Services Manager Jenski Nguyen Stage Manager Madeline Webb Lighting Technician Hiroyuki Connor Miki Internal Events Manager Jaime Spataro Marketing & Communications Manager Joe Nicholls Marketing & Communications Assistant Steve Baker Interim Production/House Manager
SokaPAC @SokaPAC SokaPerformingArtsCenter @SokaPAC Website soka.edu/pac
SOKA UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA BOARD OF TRUSTEES Soka Performing Arts Center resides on the beautiful campus of Soka University of America. We thank the SUA Board of Trustees and the SUA Leadership Council for all of their support.
SUA BOARD OF TRUSTEES Steve Dunham, JD Chair Vice President and General Counsel Emeritus, Pennsylvania State University | Baltimore, Maryland Tariq Hasan, PhD Vice Chair Chief Executive Officer, SGIUSA | New York, New York Andrea Bartoli, PhD President, Sant’Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue | New York, New York Matilda Buck Benefactor | Los Angeles, California Lawrence E. Carter, Sr, PhD, DD, DH, DRS Dean, Professor of Religion, College Archivist and Curator, Morehouse College | Atlanta, Georgia Andy Firoved CEO, HOTB Software | Irvine, California Jason Goulah, PhD Professor of Bilingual-Bicultural Education and Director, Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education, Director of Programs in Bilingual-Bicultural Education, World Language Education, and Value-Creating Education for Global Citizenship, College of Education, DePaul University | Chicago, Illinois Clothilde V. Hewlett, JD Commissioner of Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, State of California | San Francisco, California Lawrence A. Hickman, PhD Director Emeritus, The Center for Dewey Studies and Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, Illinois
Kris Knudsen, JD Attorney | Wilsonville, Oregon Karen Lewis, PhD Sondheimer Professor of International Finance and Co-Director, Weiss Center for International Financial Research, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Luis Nieves Founder, Chairman Emeritus AUL Corp, Benefactor | Napa, California Gene Marie O’Connell, RN, MS Health Care Consultant, Associate Clinical Professor, University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing | Corte Madera, California Adin Strauss General Director, Soka Gakkai International-USA | Santa Monica, California Yoshiki Tanigawa Benefactor, Soka Gakkai | Tokyo, Japan Edward M. Feasel, PhD President, Soka University of America (ex-officio member) | Aliso Viejo, California
SUA LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
SUA LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Edward M. Feasel, PhD President Chief Academic Officer Professor of Economics
M. Robert Hamersley, PhD Dean of Faculty Professor of Environmental Biogeochemistry
Archibald E. Asawa Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Chief Financial Officer Chief Investment Officer
Hyon J. Moon, EdD Dean of Students Title IX and Section 504 Deputy Coordinator for Students
Katherine M. King, PHR Executive Vice President of University Community Chief Human Resources Officer Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator for Faculty, Staff and Others Michael Weiner, PhD Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Professor of East Asian History & International Studies Kevin Moncrief, PhD Vice President for Mission Integration Bryan E. Penprase, PhD Vice President for Sponsored Research and External Academic Relations Professor of Physics and Astronomy Tomoko Takahashi, PhD, EdD, LHD Vice President for Institutional Research and Assessment Dean of the Graduate School Professor of Linguistics and Education David Welch, JD Vice President University Counsel
Michelle Hobby-Mears, MBA Associate Dean of Students Director of Student Activities Andrew Woolsey, EdD Dean of Enrollment Services Martin Beck, MA Executive Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications
CONCESSIONS
Concessions A wide variety of wine, beer, soft drinks and freshly prepared snacks will be available before the concert and during intermission in the lobby.
Artist Drink Pick Caipirinha We asked the artists for their favorite drink pick to feature at concessions! The Caipirinha was chosen by Kenny Barron and will be available for purchase before the performance and during intermission
Click here for menu and to order Pre-order your concessions for intermission and skip the line ahead of time!
Concessions provided by FPG Events