Ronnie Burrage

Ronnie Burrage Trio
with Frank Lacy and Essiet O Essiet
CD Release Concert

Tickets: $15

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

RONNIE BURRAGE
Ronnie Burrage is considered one of the best jazz musicians on the world scene today. He has played with Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius and is featured on more than 100 recordings; and has toured on all four continents from Siberia to South Africa to Japan. Ronnie's latest album Blue Noise, may be one of his greatest works.

"Most people who know Ronnie Burrage know him as an exceptionally skilled jazz drummer, who has been one of the most well traveled, busiest, and well regarded, by insiders of the music, but who has never gotten the acclaim he deserves.

His musical biography is dynamic and vibrant. He's worked with the great names in the music, Frank Morgan, Wallace Roney, Jackie & Rene McLean, James Moody, Gary Bartz ,Archie Shepp,Reggie Workman, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton, Woody Shaw, McCoy Tyner, Pepper Adams,Michael Brecker. It is a catalog of jazz greats!

In addition, but also as an organic part of his doing, Ronnie Burrage has been an influential teacher, both privately and in significant institutions. He was Instructor at University of the Arts, Philadelphia 1999-6 and as a confirming expression of his long career as a much sought performer he is now a key instructor at Penn State University , where he leads one of the most dynamic programs of teaching and performing jazz that exists throughout the country.

Prof Burrage is known not only for his virtuoso ability with all forms of percussion, but as an innovative composer and program designer who can put together dramatic musical programs which are deeply educational and altogether entertaining. I am writing these things because I think more people need to know Ronnie Burrage, who has been on the scene, like they say, and has been saying something musically, at a very high level."

Amiri Baraka, Author
Prof Emeritus, SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY

"KU-UMBA" FRANK LACY
The 20th Century has produced many styles of music: Ragtime, Swing, Dixieland, Bebop, Postbop, Fusion, Funk, Blues, Gospel, Rock and Roll, Boogie Woogie, Pop, Afro Beat, Afro Pop, Rap, Hip-Hop, New Age, and, and, and. Frank Lacy is the artist that can perform all of these musical styles to amalgamate his new and own music.

Houston, Texas, born and ghetto raised, Frank is the sixth child of a family of twelve children. His father, a teacher, played guitar with Russell Jacquet, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Johnny Fontenett and Arnett Cobb. His mother is a gospel vocalist.

At the age of 8, young Frank took up piano lessons and began to play the trumpet soon after. While in junior high school, he began to play the Euphonium and the Tuba. To play trombone he started at the age of 16. After musical studies at the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Rutgers University in New York he toured with greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Abdullah Ibrahim, Henry Threadgill, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, The Eurythmics, Carla Bley and Don Pullen. He was member of the first Bobby Watson Horizon Band and at the apex of his career as a sideman he spend a year and a half as musical director of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.

Besides the work with own groups, Frank still tours a lot with Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy and the big bands of McCoy Tyner and David Murray.

ESSIET OKON ESSIET
Essiet Okon Essiet first received critical acclaim more than a decade ago as a member of saxophonist Bobby Watson's post hard bop group Horizon He has long since established himself as one of New York's premier bassist.Born in Omaha,Nebraska,his parents having moved there from Nigeria,West Africa,the family later moved to Wisconsin where Essiet began his musical studies at age 10 on the violin.Four years,later he switched to the bass.As a child,and into his teens,his family moved often.His father worked for the US, as well as the Nigerian government,and his job took the family to many places including Europe,Africa and various cities in the US.His family finally settled in Portland,Oregon where he began studying jazz at the age of 14. Having traveled widely as a youngster with his family,he had an easy time adjusting to life on the road once he turned professional.More importantly,his early exposure to many cultures,languages,folkways and religions,fostered his world view of strength through diversity."Some musicians are purist"says Essiet,"but I like to mix styles.I like many different types of cultures". His first big break came in 1982 when he met Chicago based percussionist Famoudou Don Moye,a founding member of such important collectives as the Art Ensemble of Chicago and The Leaders.Moye asked Essiet to join his quartet and during that same year the bassist met Abdullah Ibrahim,the famed South African pianist.Working with Ibrahim,Essiet toured the globe splitting his time between Europe and the US during the period from 1982 to 1986.Eventually Essiet settled in NYC.Two years later,he joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and remained in the group until the famed drummer/teacher's passing in 1990.During the next decade,the bassist began what has proven to be a significant freelance career. He has performed and recorded with such notables as Benny Golson,Johnny Griffin,James Moody,Freddie Hubbard,Bobby Hutcherson,Cedar Walton,Sam Rivers,George Adams,Pat Martino,Kenny Burrell,Jackie McLean,Frank Morgan,Kenny Barron,Louis Hayes,Ben Riley,Jimmy Cobb,Billy Higgins,Billy Hart,Art Farmer,Abby Lincoln,Dee Dee Bridgewater,Billy Cobham,Bennie Maupin,Al Foster,Eddie Henderson,Steve Turre,Jon Faddis,Bobby Watson,Victor Lewis,Kenny Garrett,Kenny Kirkland,Mulgrew Miller,Jeff "Tain " Watts,Mike Stern,Kevin Mahogany,Kurt Elling,Fort Apache Band,Danilo Perez,Claudia Acuna,Geri Allen,and Ralph Peterson to highlight only a partial list. In 1997,he was asked to join an incarnation of the Blue Note Allstars which included Greg Osby,Javon Jackson,Tim Hagens,Kevin Hays,and Bill Stewart.The Blue Note Allstars embarked on a number of tours including Canadian Festivals,US tours,Europe and Japan.In 2000 he joined Danilo Perez's Motherland project for 2 years touring the US,Europe and Central America. Currently,Essiet leads his own group called "IBO"named after a Nigerian tribe.It is a Nigerian jazz project which mixes jazz harmonies with West African rhythms. Who I'd like to meet: