Jazz gala will help bring music to schools

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Classical music, jazz, and bluegrass come together tomorrow at 8 p.m. in a concert titled Classical Tangent, featuring members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and performers from Berklee College of Music.
Jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal performs at Rockport Music’s gala benefit Jazz On The Rocks —Take 2 on Saturday at the Shalin Liu Performance Center.

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October 20, 2011

Jazz gala will help bring music to schools

By Gail McCarthy Staff Writer The Gloucester Daily Times Thu Oct 20, 2011, 12:23 AM EDT

Two Rockport Music events this weekend will present two very different types of music, one in a concert and the other in a gala benefit.

The high-profile Rockport Music gala benefit is Saturday, Oct. 22, and features celebrated jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal and his trio. The event raises money for Rockport Music's education and community initiatives, which include programs in the Cape Ann public schools, reaching out to hundreds and hundreds of children. The organization holds many free community music events as well.

As part of Rockport Music's efforts to bring in new performers, this Friday night's show will give local audiences an opportunity to hear a musical group that combines the talents of musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra as well as the faculty of Berklee College of Music. The group, Classical Tangent, performs tomorrow night at 8. These Tanglewood favorites present a program that bridges the gap between classical and folk music, including other genres such as Celtic, bluegrass and ragtime. Tickets start at $19.

Saturday's gala, called "Jazz on the Rocks — Take 2," will be at the Shalin Liu Performance Center at 37 Main St. in Rockport. Jamal is described a consummate showman who has wowed audiences for decades. He received the National Endowment for the Arts American Jazz Masters Award and also was named a Duke Ellington Fellow at Yale University. The gala also features a live auction, and a pre-concert cocktail and hors d'oeuvres reception.

Tickets are $200 each and may be purchased by calling Sara Young at 978-546-7391 x106 or by email to syoung@rockportmusic.org.

Tony Beadle, the executive director of Rockport Music, said this event is the organization's second jazz gala.

"We're so fortunate to have Ahmad Jamal perform," he said. "We're grateful and very excited about this event."

Looking ahead, Beadle said the organization is continually evaluating Rockport Music events as they look to provide music that appeals to various audiences.

"We strive to present performances that are unique," he said.

A live auction takes place at the gala, hosted by Rockport Music Trustee Bill Hausman, which includes a full day of tuna fishing and two tickets to a Boston Lyric Opera opening night performance with a dinner and post-performance party at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston.

If someone is unable to attend the gala, they can still take part in the online auction at: www.biddingforgood.com/rockportmusic. Although the gala is Saturday, the online bidding remains open until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26. The online auction has a variety of items from Red Sox tickets to a one-week stay at Pinecone Lodge in Beaver Creek, Colo.

For details, visit www.rockportmusic.org

Gail McCarthy may be contacted at 978-283-7000 x3445 or gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com.