"Hangin' With the Giants," a high-energy, interactive program that introduces jazz greats and their music to children, takes the stage on Sunday, Feb. 27, at 3 p.m. at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Two additional performances, part of the Quick Center's ArtsBound Schoolday Series, will take place on Monday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. and noon.

Aimed at children in kindergarten through fifth grade, the engaging program merges animation with live music and narration, giving young people a look at the names, faces and music of some of the great jazz masters. Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk are among the musicians and composers who will be featured in the performance.

Created by JazzReach, a 10-year-old New York City-based group that fosters jazz appreciation for all ages, "Hangin' With the Giants" promotes the inclusiveness and accessibility of jazz. The show is staged like a late night talk show with animated likenesses of Armstrong, Monk and others appearing as guests. In addition, the performance includes live music segments and narration and plenty of audience participation.

Metta Quintet, JazzReach's resident ensemble, will provide the live music for the performances. The seasoned band includes JazzReach founder/drummer H. Benjamin Schuman, a graduate of Berklee College of Music, who has played with Junior Cook, Cecil Page and Brad Mehldau and pianist Helen Sung, a semifinalist in the 1999 Thelonious Monk Jazz Piano Competition, who has played with Wynton Marsalis, Jon Faddis, Wayne Shorter and the Charles Mingus Big Band.

The ensemble's alto saxophonist, Mark Gross, another Berklee grad, has toured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Lionel Hampton's band and performed on Broadway in "Five Guys Named Moe." Bassist Joshua Ginsburg has toured internationally and has played regularly in the New York City with Eddie Henderson, Doug Rainey, George Colligan and others. Trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley has performed and recorded with Ellis Marsalis, the Duke Ellington Big Band, Lauryn Hill and the Saturday Night Live Band, and tenor saxophonist Keith Loftis has played with Clark Terry, Benny Carter and Joe Williams, among others.

JazzReach has presented its programs across the country to rave reviews from families, teachers and students.

"The presentation seamlessly blended live and recorded music, spoken word and video on a program that kept the audiences undivided attention from start to finish," wrote a programmer for the Albany, N.Y. venue, The Egg. "Helping young people learn and connect with the history and art of jazz is an essential element of arts education in the 21st century and JazzReach has created the perfect vehicle to accomplish this important goal."

Tickets for "Hangin' With the Giants" are $15 for adults and $10 for children for the Sunday performance. The Monday performances are geared to school groups and study guides are available. Tickets for those performances are $7. For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit www.quickcenter.com.

Posted On: 02-02-2005 10:02 AM

Volume: 37 Number: 154