Walton Arts Center Announces 2018-19 Starrlight Jazz Series

Jazz Lovers subscription packages are now available for 2018-19 Starrlight Jazz Series at Walton Arts Center. The new season features George Brooks' ASPADA; the John Patitucci Electric Guitar Quartet; Alfredo Rodríguez and Pedtiro Martinez Duo; Larry Fouldings, Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart Trio; and Benny Green Trio with Veronica Swift.

The five-show package is $130 per person for stadium seating and $215 per person for cabaret seating. Subscribe before May 14 and pay no subscription package fees. Subscriptions can be purchased in-person at Walton Arts Center's Box Office, by calling 479.443.5600 or online. Single tickets will be available this summer.

George Brooks' ASPADA

Oct. 12, 2018

Drawing on the musical traditions of their homelands in India, Africa, Europe and America, four world-renowned musicians weave a global tapestry for the new millennium. Led by saxophonist and composer George Brooks, who is widely acclaimed for successfully bridging the worlds of jazz and Indian classical music, the group includes South Indian virtuoso percussionist, Selvaganesh, and global bass master, Kai Eckhardt, who together create the rhythmic foundation that supports the group's creative vision. Osam Ezzeldin, a leading jazz musician in North Africa, rounds out the quartet on the keyboard. Bristling with East meets West polytonality and rhythmic intrigue, ASPADA provides a rare opportunity to observe musicians from diverse musical backgrounds conversing in a new musical language.

The John Patitucci Electric Guitar Quartet

Dec. 1, 2018

Two-time Grammy Award®-winner and fifteen-time Grammy nominee, John Patitucci received world-wide acclaim for his many recordings with Chick Corea's Elektric Band and Akoustic Band. His eclectic tastes have pushed him to explore various genres as both a musician and a composer, but it's his work with jazz luminaries, such as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and McCoy Turner, that skyrocketed his first solo recording to the top of the Billboard Jazz charts. Widely regarded as one of the world's greatest bassists, Patitucci's latest band finds fresh inspiration in his love of funk and jazz, utilizing two electric guitarists, Adam Rogers and Steve Cardenas, as well as virtuoso Brian Blade on drums and John on his signature electric bass.

Alfredo Rodríguez and Pedrito Martinez Duo

Feb. 8, 2019

Over the past decade, pianist Alfredo Rodríguez went from being a young, local Cuban artist to being discovered by Quincy Jones and becoming a globally recognized Grammy®-nominee with three critically acclaimed albums to his name. Pedtiro Martinez has helped expose the rich musical history of Cuba to a wider audience by recording or performing with Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and Sting, among others. As a founding member of the highly successful Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat band, Yerba Buena, Pedrito was named "Percussionist of the Year" by the Jazz Journalists Association three years in a row. Together, these two artists are leading the new wave of Cuban jazz music - with a seductive, buoyant, powerful sound that will leave you wanting more.

Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings & Bill Stewart Trio

March 15, 2019

Guitarist Peter Bernstein, organist Larry Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart make up one of the best organ jazz trios of the past two decades. Jazz enthusiasts recognize the trio for charting new ground with hard-swinging, yet thoughtful music. Drawing mainly on jazz standards, and a few original pieces, they re-imagine the organ jazz trio in a quiet, sensual and grooving presentation. The respect these musicians have for one another comes through in the subtle and intricate manner of their musical conversation on stage. Peter's warm, feather-light touch and fluid improvisation with Larry Goldings' warm hum, and Bill Stewart's polyrhythmic and melodic focus, create a vivid combination of synergistic playing that lets each soloist float across the tunes.

Benny Green Trio with Veronica Swift

April 19, 2019

Benny Green holds the history of jazz at his fingertips. After decades of playing with no less than the most celebrated artists of the last half century, it's no wonder Green has been hailed as perhaps the most exciting hard-swinging, hard-bop pianist of his time. At age 23, Veronica Swift is recognized around the country as one of the top young jazz singers on the scene. An adept lyrical interpreter with tremendous tonal command, Swift has the keen ability to make everything she touches her own. Join us for a hot performance that combines the sophisticated know-how of an established jazz master with the complex sounds of his inventive band-mates, and the riffs and scats of tomorrow's jazz royalty.

Visit waltonartscenter.org for tickets and more information.

Walton Arts Center is Arkansas' largest and busiest performing arts presenter. Each year more than 195,000 people from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma and beyond attend more than 400 public events at Walton Arts Center, including performances, rehearsals, community gatherings, receptions, weddings and more. Approximately 45,000 students and teachers participate annually in arts learning programs at Walton Arts Center, and almost 200 volunteers donate 21,000 hours of time each year to its operations. Walton Arts Center presents entertainers and artists from around the world including Broadway musicals, renowned dance companies, International Artists, up-and-coming jazz musicians and more. As a non-profit organization, Walton Arts Center enjoys the generous support of public sector funding, corporate sponsorship and private donors, allowing audience members to pay on average only 45% of the cost of programs offered. To learn more about Walton Arts Center, visit www.waltonartscenter.org.