The Washington Square Music Festival completed its sixty-third season at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery with “A Tribute to Duke Ellington & New York City”. Ron Wassermon, arranger and double bass player led the New York Jazzharmonic Trad-Jazz Ensemble seamlessly through an enjoyable evening of ragtime through jazz presented in three parts: Jazz Before Duke (music from 1881-1917), Duke’s Early Hits (music from 1903-1929) and Mature Duke (music from 1930-1942).
Ensemble members: Joe Boga: trumpet; Jay Rattman: sax/clarinet; Corey Wallace: trombone; Nick Russo: banjo/guitar; Arcoiris Sandoval: keyboard; Jay Sawyer: drums; Ron Wasserman: bass/leader; Guest Vocalist: Queen Esther; Special Guest: Amadi Azikiwe: violin.
Peggy Friedman, Executive Director and Lutz Rath, Artistic Director, work tirelessly year in and year out to bring to the community unique programming performed by acclaimed artists, ranging from classical, and baroque to 21st century works by US and international composers, jazz, Latin and international music.
All concerts are free to the public and are held outside in Washington Square, weather permitting. The Washington Square Music Festival is a not-for-profit entity solely dependent upon grants and donations. See www.ws-mf.org.
Photos by Maria Passannante-Derr.
