“Gershwin: A Birthday Celebration Performance" at the Sound Conservatory -- September 28.
Saturday, September 28, 6:30 p.m.
Sound Conservatory, 504 17th Street, Moline IL
Boasting an array of stunning tunes that capture the spirit and brilliance of one of the all-time-great American composers, Gershwin: A Birthday Celebration Performance will be presented at Moline's Sound Conservatory on September 28, the special encore performance (of the September 14 concert) dedicated to the genius responsible for timeless works including 1924's Rhapsody in Blue, 1928's An American in Paris, the songs "Embraceable You" and "Fascinating Rhythm," and the opera Porgy and Bess.
In this celebration of the legendary talent who passed away in 1937 at the mere age of 38, audiences are invited to experience the lively and soulful interpretations of Gershwin standards, including beloved favorites such as "Summertime" and "I Got Rhythm," brought to life by the talented Kendrick Jazz Trio. Music lovers will then immerse themselves in the intricate and dynamic Three Piano Preludes as performed by Sound Conservatory’s own pianist Alex Gilson, showcasing Gershwin's masterful blend of classical and jazz elements. And finally, guests are sure to be mesmerized by Andrzej Kozlowski's rendition of the famed "Rhapsody in Blue, a masterpiece that seamlessly fuses classical sophistication with jazz's exuberant spirit.
The band leader for the Kendrick Trio, Corey Kendrick is a pianist, composer, recording artist, and educator currently living in Davenport, as well as Director of Instrumental Music at Moline's Black Hawk College. Praised by Downbeat Magazine’s John Ephland as a “very accomplished, highly gifted jazz pianist” with “a patient, maturing voice,” Kendrick has a skillful touch that is both immediately recognizable and deeply expressive. Kendrick released his debut album Rootless in June of 2016, which JazzTimes.com’s Travis Roger, Jr. called “a debut album that stands among the finest albums of the year.” Rated five stars by Bebop Spoken Here’s Lance Liddle, Rootless quickly climbed the jazz radio charts, reaching numbers four, five, and 35 on the CMJ, RMR, and JazzWeek charts, respectively, and the album was featured on PRI’s syndicated program Jazz After Hours.
Pianist and cellist Alex Gilson has always enjoyed a rich and varied musical life, from playing cello in orchestras to accompanying church choirs or playing in a jazz band. While in middle school, he became entranced by the emotional tones of the cello and started taking lessons from the principal cellist of the Symphony of South East Texas. Then, Gilson learned to play Pachelbel on an organ and found his calling. Gilson attended the University of North Texas for both organ performance and jazz studies degrees, after which he studied at the Eastman School of Music for his Masters in organ performance and literature.
Pianist and Sound Conservatory owner Andrzej Kozłowski was born in Gdynia, Poland, and in 1992, he and his family emigrated to the United States permanently. After studying piano with renowned pianist and composer Zaven Khatchadourian, with whom Kozłowski continued his studies until his teacher's sudden passing in 2003, the young musician went on to continue his music-education studies at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University, and shortly afterward moved on to study piano performance at the Juilliard School.
Gershwin: A Birthday Celebration Performance will be performed in Moline on September 28, admission to the 6:30 p.m. concert event is $12-40, and more information and tickets are available by visiting SoundConservatory.com.
