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An Evening with Ellis Marsalis
Considered by many to be the premier modern jazz pianist in New Orleans, Ellis Marsalis will perform a solo show to benefit the Margaret Walker Alexander National Research Center on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. in Rose E. McCoy Auditorium on the campus of Jackson State University.
Both an archive and museum, the Center was founded by Margaret Walker Alexander in 1968 and seeks to honor her artistic and academic legacy through the preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of 20th Century African-American history and culture. Located in historic Ayer Hall at Jackson State, the Center is free to the public and, thus, depends on its annual fundraiser, now in its 17th year, to meet its operating needs, according to Dr. Robert Luckett, director of the Center.
Tickets are $25 general admission/$50 special reserve/$10 student and are on sale through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com; all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Mississippi Coliseum box office and BeBop Records locations; and the Alexander Center. Corporate sponsorship packages are available.
Having appeared on numerous national programs, including NBC’s Today with Bryant Gumbel, the Tonight Show with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, and ABC’s Good Morning America, Marsalis continues to be active as a performing pianist and has several recordings on the CBS/Sony label. His wife, Dolores, and their six sons—Branford, Wynton, Ellis III, Delfeayo, Miboya, and Jason—comprise one of the most accomplished musical families in the country.
Marsalis will also present a “Master Class” for JSU and local high school music students on the day of the show from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. in the F. D. Hall Music Center at JSU. This class is sponsored by the music department, chaired by Dr. Darcie Bishop.
Ms. Nettie Stowers and businessman Milton Chambliss, both of Jackson, will serve as co-chairs for this event.
