Jazz legend Joe Lovano to perform at Singletary Center

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By Martha Groppo
features@kykernel.com

World-class jazz is coming to UK. Grammy winner and Carnegie Hall performer Joe Lovano will perform at the Singletary Center for the Arts on Saturday.

Lovano, a saxophonist, will entertain with his five-member performance group “Us Five.” UK students can expect an upbeat performance with some improvisation.  said Summer Gossett, marketing and ticketing director for Singletary.

Lovano’s Web site showcases some of his many accolades, including a New York Times quote touting him as “one of the greatest musicians in jazz history.”

Lovano’s father was a saxophone player known as “Big T,” and Lovano began playing the alto saxophone at age 5, according to his Web site. By age 16, Lovano had switched to the tenor saxophone and was playing professionally. He went on to receive international acclaim and was nominated four times before winning a Grammy in 2000.

Lovano now performs on stage with the four other musicians who make up “Us Five”: James Weidman, piano, Esperanza Spalding, bass, Otis Brown III, drums and Francisco Mela, drums. Gossett expects Lovano’s performance to include music from his most recent record “Folk Art,” though she says the exact program will be “announced from the stage.”

Gossett said, Lovano’s performance is the product of an effort by the Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural center, the Provost Office, and Singletary to “revive the ‘Spotlight Jazz Series’ that used to bring in prominent jazz acts several years ago.”

Jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty’s November performance was also a part of this effort to garner interest in a jazz series, Gossett said. The ticket sale total for the Lovano concert was up to 300 over the weekend, despite competition for audience with the mens basketball game against Vanderbilt.

Gossett views the Lovano concert as a chance for students to be exposed to a different art form:
“I don’t think there is a lot of diversity on campus for students to branch out and see things they may not be familiar with,” Gossett said.

Thanks to Lovano’s musical resume, students have the opportunity to hear from one of the best jazz players available.  Gossett said Singletary’s ability to bring such a famous artist to UK demonstrates the performance venue’s value to the university.

“We have UK Theatre, the symphony, art galleries, etc,, and now the Singletary Center is bringing in top-name acts in all genres of music to illustrate what an educational value the Singletary Center is to campus.”

Joe Lovano will perform Saturday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. Student tickets are available for $15, $20, and $25, and are available for purchase online at www.singletarytickets.com, by phone at (859) 257-4929 or in person at the SCFA ticket office.