Événement

DocFest Annual Benefit Concert featuring Everette Harp & Michael Rojas

Parking, food and lodging info can be found on website: https://docfestjazz.org/december-28-docfest-2019-presents/

DocFest annual Benefit concert will take the form of a reception/concert/jam session, to be held in the Denney Theatre on the campus of (Kinder) HSPVA. Concert headliner will be world-renowned saxophonist Everette Harp from Los Angeles.

Raised in church and weaned on gospel and soul music, the Houston born saxman on his first two Blue Note recordings, Everette Harp (1992) and Common Ground (1994), was already leaning this way, combining dynamic funk edges and urban textures into the mix. His popular 1997 tribute to Marvin Gaye's 1971 watershed album What's Going On combined the best of his two worlds, modern-day contemporary jazz and the classic soul he grew up with. 1998's Better Days further solidified his place among the chart-toppers of smooth jazz. While on his previous albums, Harp sought to push the envelope stylistically and show off all of his abilities as writer, arranger, producer and player (even of straight-ahead jazz), For the Love strips away the diversions and focuses purely on Harp's ability to convey powerful emotions via lyrical playing, beautiful melodies, and sensuous rhythms.

Also, incredible pianist Michael Rojas, based out of Nashville, will perform with his group. He was voted the top Piano/Keyboard Player of the year multiple times, which is quite an achievement in Nashville!

Net proceeds will be donated to the Helen and Bob Morgan Jazz Scholarship Fund at New York's New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, this scholarship having been endowed by the Morgans, with assistance from SBC Foundation, in 1999. A "Morgan Scholar" must be a graduate of HSPVA, and is selected each year by New School admission officer(s) and the current HSPVA Director of Jazz Studies. Both Chris Walker and Robert Glasper are alumni of the New School, and, to date, six HSPVA alumni have significantly benefited from the Morgan Scholarship Fund.