'Kenny Burrell: Jazz Master and Mentor' From UCLA Live Debuts Exclusively on KCET's Open Call Series
'KENNY BURRELL: JAZZ MASTER AND MENTOR' FROM UCLA LIVE DEBUTS
EXCLUSIVELY ON KCET'S OPEN CALL SERIES
Airing March 8, live tribute concert
for Kenny Burrell features appearances by music legends B.B. King, Stevie
Wonder, Lalo Schifrin and Dee Dee Bridgewater.
LOS ANGELES, March 6, 2012 - Celebrate the works
of legendary jazz guitarist, Grammy®
Award winner, and director of UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music's Jazz Studies
program Kenny Burrell on Open Call, the
new weekly arts and culture series from KCET, public media for Southern and
Central California.
On March
8, 2012 at 9 p.m., host Suzanna
Guzmàn along with guest Grammy®
nominated artist Dr. Bobby Rodriguez, explore the legacy fostered by jazz
luminary, Kenny Burrell, as a musician and educator.
"Kenny Burrell: Jazz Master and
Mentor" is a 90-minute concert documentary, produced by UCLA that weaves
interviews and archival footage with performances and behind-the-scenes action
at the legendary guitarist's 80th birthday celebration in UCLA's historic Royce
Hall. The accomplished producer, composer and guitarist
takes the reigns and creates an evening that reflects his musical spirit.
Featuring performances by music
superstars B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Lalo Schifrin and Dee Dee Bridgewater, the
concert was presented
by UCLA Live, and photographed as an homage to jazz
album covers from the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, the show features the premiere performance of the Los Angeles
Jazz Orchestra Unlimited (LAJOU) and a standout set from the Jazz Heritage All
Stars. Interviews with Professor Burrell and his peers in Los Angeles and
Detroit tell the story of his commitment to the future of jazz, as a performer,
teacher and founder of Jazz Studies at UCLA.
An apostle of the late Duke Ellington,
Burrell has embraced many of the ideas of the great American composer. Among
those is the quest to elevate jazz to the same level as classical music in the
minds of the American public. Through his work with UCLA students and the
LAJOU, we see Professor Burrell's dedication to creating a flourishing Jazz
culture where future musicians can be nurtured.
Executive producer for the Open Call series is Bohdan Zachary.
Supervising producer for the "Kenny Burrell: Jazz Master and Mentor"
production is Kevin Roderick. The show was produced by Matt
Boatright-Simon and Sebastian Hernandez for UCLA Communications and Public
Outreach.
Open Call is
made possible by Carol and Warner Henry and The Lloyd Rigler-Lawrence E.
Deutsch Foundation.
About Open Call
KCET's Open
Call series showcases Los Angeles' vibrant arts community with a series of
performances from leading Southern California arts institutions and
schools. Hosted by internationally acclaimed
mezzo-soprano opera singer Suzanna Guzmàn, the weekly series includes full-length
performances recorded live in theaters; company and artist profiles; and other
unique works being performed across the Southland. Ms. Guzmàn, a Los Angeles native who has performed all over
the world, sets the stage for viewers in each episode, contributing her unique
insights into the evening's performance.
She encourages directors, artists and other key players in the production
to provide additional commentary that helps tell the story of the organization
and what it is presenting, an advantage not usually available at live events.
About KCET
On-air, online and in the
community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment
of Southern and Central California. KCET currently produces the Emmy®,
duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal Connected, a hard-hitting
prime-time weekly television news program that examines the issues and people
of Southern California. Throughout its 48-year history, KCET has won hundreds
of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming,
its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family
and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website,
kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional
information about KCET productions, Web-exclusive content, programming
schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org.
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