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The Buffalo News Summer Jazz Series: George Caldwell with Saxophonist Bobby LaVell

Sunday, July 17, 2016

2 pm EDT

George Caldwell. Photograph courtesy the artist

FREE 
Delaware Stairs

Pianist George Caldwell hails from Clarksdale, Mississippi. After a brief stint with Clifford Jordan, Caldwell followed Mulgrew Miller into the piano chair of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, leading to seven years with The Count Basie Orchestra, under the direction of Frank Foster. Some of the many great artists he has shared the bandstand with include Dizzy Gillespie, Cab Calloway, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, Quincy Jones, Joe Williams, George Benson, Kenny Garrett, Art Blakey, Savion Glover, Lou Rawls, Lionel Hampton, George Coleman, Louis Smith, Joe Newman, Roy Hargrove, Bobby McFerrin, Max Roach, and Jon Faddis.

A sampling of Caldwell's discography includes five discs with the Basie organization: The Count Basie Orchestra Live at El MorroccoBasie's BagJoe Williams and The Count Basie Orchestra Live at Orchestra HallJazzin' with Tito Puente, and The Count Basie Orchestra live at The Manchester Craftsmen's Guild w/ the New York Voices, for which the band won a Grammy. His arrangements and original compositions were featured on Craig Bailey's A New Journey, Lewis Nash's Rhythm is My Business, Hank Crawford's South Central, and Bill Easley's First Call.

Caldwell studied at Memphis State University and Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He was awarded a Ralph Bunche Fellowship for Master’s work at Rutgers University and has garnered many prestigious awards throughout his career.

In Buffalo, Caldwell leads a quintet of top-tier musicians performing original compositions and standards from the American songbook. He is also compiling material for a recording that will include his own compositions, as well as his arrangements of tunes from the American standard songbook.

Bobby LaVell grew up in the blues city of Memphis under the musical tutelage of his father Robert "Honeymoon" Garner and other great mainstays of the region. After attending the University of Memphis, he set off to New York City to pursue his dreams. He has been a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra for more than ten years and continues to be a top call sideman in many recording and touring acts. LaVell has been featured with Jimmy Heath, Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, Slide Hampton, and a host of others.

About the Series

The Buffalo News Summer Jazz Series concerts take place on the museum’s Delaware Stairs overlooking Hoyt Lake on five Sundays at 2 pm, from July 10 through August 7, with a rain date on August 14. Admission is free. Bring the whole family to enjoy this summer tradition! View All Concerts in the 2016 Series

Parking

Limited parking is available in the museum’s parking lot on Elmwood Avenue. Parking is $5 for visitors and $3 for Members. Please bring your parking ticket into the museum to have it validated at the Admissions Desk. There is also parking available on the roads surrounding the Albright-Knox. Please take care to adhere to all parking regulations. Violators will be ticketed and/or towed. View Alternate Parking Map (PDF)