EVENTS
Off the Grid with Howard Wiley Quartet
INTERSECTION FOR THE ARTS & OFF THE GRID |
WHEN: September 21, noon–2 pm |
WHERE: 5th & Minna St |
DETAILS: Howard Wiley – saxophone; John Turk – keyboards; Ron Belcher – bass; Danny Spencer – drums
Howard Wiley’s grandfather, Sam Wiley, played saxophone in Count Basie’s Orchestra, and gave constant advice to the young musician growing up in Hercules, CA. Wiley’s debut recording, The Businessman (Sax Records, 1995) was produced shortly after his 15th birthday by Steve Savage and Jim Nadel, founder of The Stanford Jazz Workshop. While still in high school, Wiley received the Thelonious Monk Scholarship, Downbeat Blues/Pop/Rock Instrumentalist award for best soloist, and the MVP Award for the Grammy All-American Jazz Band. In recent years, Wiley has also had the great fortune of being able to learn from, perform with, and befriend two living jazz legends – saxophonists Bill Stewart (who has performed with Lionel Hampton, Sonny Stitt, and Gene Ammons) and Jules Brussard (who has performed with Charles Mingus, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vincent, and Carlos Santana). Through Wiley’s ongoing relationships with these two men whose mentoring abilities have become indispensable to his growth as a musician and composer, Wiley has directly and intimately learned tradition, understanding, and historical perspective of jazz music. He has performed at the San Francisco Jazz Festival, the North Beach Jazz Festival, the Stanford Jazz Festival, the Fillmore Jazz Festival, and the Huntington Beach Jazz Festival, and has been the recipient of a Meet The Composer Commissioning Music/USA commission and a recording grant from The Aaron Copland Fund for Music. Wiley’s second recording, Twenty-First Century Negro, was independently released by High Cotton Productions in 2002. Inspired by his early years attending church and the continuing and deepening influence of the blues, gospel, and spirituals on his musical performance and compositional writing, Wiley has been composing for and performing with his newest ensemble – The Angola Project – which investigates the roots and legacies of African American prison spirituals, encompassing folk, blues, and gospel, with a focus on the songs and stories from the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, LA from the 1950s onward. He released his third recording, The Angola Project, in 2007, and his fourth recording, Twelve Gates to the City, in 2010, which has received critical reviews nationwide.
Intersection for the Arts curates live music and theater performances to appear at Off The Grid's lunch market at 5th and Minna St. Join us for this one-of-a-kind food and art experience.
