MTSU’s Jazz Artist series opens Sept. 17 with pianist Stevens, drummer Lillard

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The first concert of the MTSU Jazz Artist Series will feature pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and drummer Art Lillard and include music from the new “Keepers of the Flame” album.

The concert will be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building, 1439 Faulkinberry Drive.  A parking map is available at https://bit.ly/MTSUParking.

Jamey Simmons, MTSU Jazz Studies professor — Jamey Simmons

The program will feature arrangements of standard jazz tunes by Duke Ellington, the songwriting team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, as well as original compositions and arrangements by Lillard and Stevens.

“The concert will showcase the sound of two musicians that have played together since 1972 and represent music-making at its best,” said Director of Jazz Studies Jamey Simmons. 

Tickets are $10 for the public and free for MTSU students, faculty and staff. Discounts for area band students and educators are available.

Tickets are also available in the lobby of the Wright Music Building before the concert. Only cash or checks will be accepted. For reserved tickets, call 615-898-2724 or email James.Simmons@mtsu.edu.

“The exciting thing for us as teachers is to bring in musicians that have a long-term commitment to the music and show our students what it’s like to have a creative life that explores all kinds of possibilities,” said Simmons.

Featured as a part of the sextet will be East Tennessee trombonist Rick Simerly and MTSU faculty members Don Aliquo (tenor sax), Jack Aylor (bass), and Simmons (trumpet).

Sextet members will give a free and open masterclass for the public on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 4:20 p.m. in Saunders Fine Arts room 101 in the MTSU School of Music.

About Stevens, Lillard

Asheville-based pianist Michael Jefry Stevens is known as one of the preeminent band leaders, composers and improvisers in jazz, and drummer Art Lillard has maintained a reputation as a drummer in the jazz and musical theater scene on the East Coast for over five decades.

The Lillard-Stevens collaborations have featured dynamically creative compositions since its inception in Boston in the 1970s. After both moved to New York City, they continued working in the 80s with some of the most engaging musicians on the jazz scene, recording three recordings: “Forgotten Wish,” “Original Music for Sextet,” and “Living Green World Blues.”

Pianist Michael Jefry Stevens will perform with drummer Art Lillard at the first concert of the MTSU Jazz Artist Series on Sept. 17 in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music building on Middle Tennessee State University’s campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Submitted photo)

In the 90s, Stevens and Lillard parted ways to pursue road gigs and European touring, but post-pandemic, the two reunited, recording “Keepers of the Flame” in 2022 in Asheville, North Carolina.

“As the trumpet player on the recording, I enjoyed the variety of musical moods and compositional approaches that the group utilized. This will be a concert that is full of surprises,” said Simmons.

Drummer Art Lillard will perform with pianist Michael Jefry Stevens during the first concert of the MTSU Jazz Artist Series on Sept. 17. in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music building on Middle Tennessee State University’s campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The two will perform work from their new album “Keepers of the Flame.” (Submitted photo)

More Jazz Artist Series concerts

Mark your calendars for other concerts in the series this academic year, with the second MTSU Jazz Artist Series concert scheduled for Feb. 6, 2025.

The third concert is part of the MTSU Illinois Jacquet Jazz Festival, set for March 29, 2025. It includes a full day featuring performances of school ensembles and MTSU groups, jam sessions, educational sessions and the 5:15 p.m. headline concert featuring dynamic Latin jazz saxophonist Miguel Zenon.

Dedicated to the memory of tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet, the festival seeks to educate, inspire and entertain audiences in the middle Tennessee area. For information, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/music/jazzfest.php.

For more information about the MTSU Jazz Artist Series, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/music/jazzseries.php.

— DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)   