Javon Jackson, Jazz Saxophonist, Joins Fairfield University’s Jazz Ensemble Concert on Thursday, Dec. 7. | Press Releases

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (Nov. 30, 2017) — International recording artist and educator, Javon Jackson, will bring his tenor saxophone to the Fairfield University Jazz Ensemble concert on Thursday, Dec. 7 at the Fairfield University Gonzaga Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the performance are $5 and will be available for purchase at the door.

Directed by Brian Q. Torff, the University’s Music Program Director, the 11-piece Jazz Ensemble will perform jazz classics with their signature twist. Highlighting the work of renowned artists Irving Berlin and Keith Jarrett, along with ensemble pianist and student leader Joey Barbieri ‘20, the concert will also feature performances by Torff and guest artist Jackson.

Jackson came into international prominence touring and recording with the legendary drummer Art Blakey as a member of his band, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Symbolizing a new generation of musicians that blended tradition with neo-jazz, Jackson went on to release 14 recordings as a band leader and tour and record over 135 CDs. Jackson is a highly sought after jazz educator, having served as Assistant Professor of Jazz at Long Island University and in the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College. He is currently the Director of the Jackie McLean Institute at the University of Hartford.

Jackson currently serves as a Jazz Panelist for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. He is also a member of JEN (Jazz Education Network) and lends support as JENerations Jazz Festival Artist and Clinician Coordinator.

Pictured: Members of the Fairfield University Jazz Ensemble.

Fairfield University is a modern Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.