All concerts begin at 8pm and take place in Johnson Theatre of the Paul Creative Arts Center
Tickets can be purchased at www.unharts.com and at the PCAC Box Office one hour before the performance. Tickets are $12 General Admission and $10 for students and seniors.
Concerts will not be available via livestream.
Stephane Wrembel with special guest Jean-Michel Pilc
Concert 278
Friday, September 13
Stephane Wrembel is quite simply one of the finest guitar players in the world. The breadth and range of his playing and compositions are unmatched. This prolific musician, composer, educator, and musical director has released a steady stream of music since 2002 truly making his mark as one of the most original guitar voices in contemporary music.
Joel Ross Quartet
Concert 279
Friday, October 11
Joel Ross has amassed a dedicated following by creating music you have to lean into. That doesn’t make it any less palatable, but across the vibraphonist’s recorded output — 2019’s KingMaker, 2020’s Who Are You?, and 2022’s The Parable of the Poet — the compositions were somewhat complex, and ushered the virtuosity of his band’s live performance to a studio setting. For nublues, his remarkable fourth release as a leader for Blue Note, Ross challenged himself to create an album with a greater degree of accessibility — still intricate and adventurous, but with a strong emphasis on melody, ballads, and the blues. On purpose, nublues feels familiar, like you’ve already heard these songs in Greenwich Village somewhere. Though there are covers on this LP (John Coltrane’s “equinox” and “central park west”; Thelonious Monk’s “evidence”), this collection of newly written material exemplifies the bandleader’s evolution.
Endea Owens and the Cookout
Concert 280
Friday, November 15
Known as one of Jazz’s most vibrant emerging artists, Endea Owens is a Detroit-raised Recording Artist, Bassist, and Composer. She has been mentored by Jazz Icons the likes of Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Ron Carter. She has toured and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Jennifer Holliday, Diana Ross, Rhonda Ross, Solange, Jon Batiste, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Cyrus Chestnut to name a few.
The Hot Sardines
Concert 281
Friday, January 31
Fueled by the belief that classic jazz feeds the heart and soul, THE HOT SARDINES are on a mission to make old sounds new again and prove that joyful music can bring people together in a disconnected world. In the talented hands of the New York-based ensemble, music first made famous decades ago comes alive through their brassy horn arrangements, rollicking piano melodies, and vocals from a chanteuse who transports listeners to a different era with the mere lilt of her voice. On French Fries & Champagne, The Hot Sardines’ new album for Universal Music Classics, the jazz collective broadens its already impressive palette, combining covers and originals as they effortlessly channel New York speakeasies, Parisian cabarets and New Orleans jazz halls.
Giacomo Smith American Quartet
Concert 282
Friday, April 4
Italian born, American raised clarinetist and saxophonist, Giacomo Smith, has made London his home for over a decade. He initially moved to the ‘Big Smoke’ for a year, intending to return to his home of New York. Upon witnessing the talent and creative spirit of London’s vibrant jazz scene, he never left. Since then, Smith founded Kansas Smitty’s House Band and Bar with creative partner Jack Abraham, performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and debuted a clarinet concerto composed for him by renowned composer and arranger, Guy Barker. He has performed as a soloist at the Royal Albert Hall, the Irish National Concert Hall, the Salle Pleyel, and at many other venues across the UK and Europe. Smith has also produced records for Jamie Cullum, Zara McFarlane, actor Damian Lewis, Jas Kayser, and Joe Stilgoe.
John Pizzarelli Trio
Concert 283
Friday, May 2
World-renowned guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli has dedicated many of his albums to the great songwriters and performers who have helped to establish the Great American Songbook and the pop music canon: Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Richard Rodgers, and Duke Ellington, to name a few. With his new album, Pizzarelli and his remarkable new trio cast a wider net to explore other sources for the most immortal songs of the past century: the Broadway stage and the silver screen.
The Traditional Jazz Concert Series is made possible by a generous gift from the estate of Ms. Dorothy C. Prescott. Ms. Prescott, in collaboration with the UNH Music Department, inaugurated the Series in 1979 as a way to promote the enjoyment and understanding of the art of jazz. The Series features musicians of regional, national and international prominence and has become an important tradition at the University of New Hampshire. Learn more.
