A memorial service for Bob Brookmeyer, the great jazz composer and valve trombonist who died in December, will be held in New York on Wednesday.
Here are the details, courtesy of Bill Kirchner, who is coordinating the event:
It will be held at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (East 54th St. between Third and Lexington Avenues) in New York City on Wednesday, April 11, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. A reception will follow immediately afterward at the church.
That evening, Bob’s music will be played by the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (for which he wrote for over forty years) and two specially-assembled smaller groups. There will also be a number of distinguished speakers: (in alphabetical order) Darcy James Argue, Greg Bahora, Dave Bailey, Bill Crow, Ed Dix, Jim Hall, Bill Kirchner, Jim McNeely, Dick Oatts, Jimmy Owens, John Snyder, Michael Stephans, and Terry Teachout. In addition, there will be an audio tribute by Clark Terry, and a video presentation by Maria Schneider, Ryan Truesdell, and Marie Le Claire.
If you want a seat, come early–we’re expecting a crowd.
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The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra plays Bob Brookmeyer’s arrangement of Fats Waller’s “Willow Tree” live in 2008: