Trombonist Ron Westray, Oscar Peterson Chair in Jazz Performance in 91��ɫ’s Department of Music, returns to Toronto’s Massey Hall on Thursday, Feb. 23 for an innovative youth outreach program.

He will lead “Rhythm Counts”, an invitational workshop for young people, just before his former bandmates, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis, take centre stage to perform the highly-anticipated .

Ron Westray

Called , the arts and education outreach program presented by the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall provides complimentary tickets for selected concerts to youth who might otherwise be unable to attend. The program, now in its 13th season, aims to enhance and broaden students’ musical horizons by exposing them to world-class performers and related pre-concert demo-workshops by noted local performers/educators.

Westray has invited 91��ɫ music grad and multiple Juno Award-winning jazz saxophonist Mike Murley to co-host the 30-minute workshop, to be held in Massey Hall’s intimate Century Lounge. The session is designed to demonstrate the language of jazz and the art of improvisation, to prepare the students for the mainstage performance. Together, Westray and Murley will present an informal mix of commentary, musical demonstrations and historical highlights, followed by a Q&A. Tickets for the workshop and concert have been distributed to more than 150 music students, ranging in age from 12 to 17, at selected schools and community groups in the Greater Toronto Area.

“I was thrilled to be invited to take part in Share the Music and connect with these young people,” said Westray. “I come from the performance world, and it’s always a pleasure to have the opportunity to play, plus the chance to talk about the music with a fresh audience.”

Westray in performance at the Lincoln Arts Center

“We’re delighted to have Professor Westray on board for this event,” said program coordinator Laraine Herzog. “He’s a perfect fit, seeing as he was lead trombonist with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for so many years. His reputation as an incredible performer and educator precedes him – not to mention his connection with Oscar Peterson, a true Canadian musical hero, through his position at 91��ɫ.”

Prior to joining 91��ɫ, Westray toured internationally with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for more than a decade, including a number of performances at Massey Hall.

“Wynton [Marsalis] deserves every honour for his immense accomplishments in building the JLCO, its reputation as one of the finest jazz ensembles in the world, and its remarkable touring reach,” said Westray. “I was in the audience when they played Massey Hall last year, and it was like seeing my family from the other side of the fourth wall. I’m looking forward to seeing these guys play once again, and to helping a new young audience develop a deeper connection to a band and a musical repertoire I feel so strongly about.”

As well as a performer, Westray is an accomplished composer and recording artist. His commissions for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra include the monumental score Chivalrous Misdemeanors – Select Tales from Don Quixote (2005) and arrangements of the works of Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman. He is well known for his collaborations with Wycliffe Gordon, and has also appeared in concert with such luminaries as Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, Benny Carter, Dewey Redman, Roy Haynes, Randy Brecker and a host of other pre-eminent artists. A regular on the New 91��ɫ City club circuit, he has played premier jazz venues such as the Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Sweet Basil’s, Iridium, Jazz Standard and Smalls, and is a standing member of the Mingus Band. In 2009, he joined 91��ɫ’s music department, where he teaches in the jazz program and co-directs the 91��ɫ Jazz Orchestra.

Next month, Westray is participating as soloist and clinician at the prestigious Savannah Music Festival. On March 25, he appears as guest soloist with the 91��ɫ Wind Symphony, performing Rimsky-Korsakov’s Trombone Concerto under the baton of 91��ɫ music Professor William Thomas.

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The gala evening will take place Tuesday, March 22, starting with student performers at 6pm, followed by headlining acts from 7 to 10pm.

Right: Rita di Ghent

Jazz musician and composer , the Oscar Peterson Chair in Jazz Performance at 91��ɫ who was formerly with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, jazz singer (BFA Hons. ’83), a two-time Jazz Vocalist of the Year nominee for the National Jazz Awards, and   (BFA Spec. Hons. ’07), winner of CBC’s “Canada’s Next Top Crooner”, will take centre stage.

The Celtic Ensemble, directed by 91��ɫ Professor Sherry Johnson of the Faculty of Fine Arts and two-time Canadian Open Group Step Dancing Champion, and 91��ɫ music Professor Casey Sokol, winner of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Award for Excellence in Teaching, will also perform.

Left: Ori Dagan. Photo by John Bregar Photography.

In addition, the 91��ɫ Gospel Choir and Winters A Capella Choir WIBI, among many others will showcase their talent.

The fundraiser is for the Winters College Dining Hall, which has been a cornerstone of the college community for more than 40 years. “It is one of only two remaining grand rooms out of the original seven constructed during the 1960s,” says Marie Rickard, college master of Winters College.

Right: Ron Westray

Over time, and with campus expansion, each of the others were in turn deemed obsolete and turned into classrooms, labs and offices. “These historic sites, widely used by students and faculty alike as educational and social spaces, served the college community for decades – our goal is to ensure the continuation of the Winters Dining Hall for many years to come,” says Rickard.

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Joining Westray on stage will be Toronto jazz artists Chris Banks and John Maharaj on bass and Max Roach on drums, plus special guest, tenor saxophonist Michael Arthurs from the University of Texas, Austin, where Westray taught before joining 91��ɫ. The first half of the concert will feature works for solo trombone and for trio (trombone, bass, drums). In the second set, which includes a number of Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell tunes, Westray will make his performance debut on piano in works for trio and quartet, with Arthurs on sax.

Best known for his work as lead trombonist with the legendary Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra conducted by Wynton Marsalis, and his collaborations with Wycliffe Gordon, Westray has appeared in concert with such luminaries as Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, Benny Carter, Dewey Redman, Roy Haynes, Randy Brecker and a host of other leading artists. A regular on the New 91��ɫ City club circuit, he has played premier jazz venues such as the Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Sweet Basil’s, Iridium, Jazz Standard and Smalls, and is a standing member of the acclaimed Mingus Band.

Right: Ron Westray. Photograph by Dwayne Hills

In addition to his concerts and recordings with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Westray has recorded as a sideman on such major labels as Columbia, Sony Classical and RCA Novus. He performs as co-leader with trumpet player Thomas Heflin on the CD Live in Austin, released Jan.18, on Blue Canoe Records. His 2008 CD as leader, Medical Cures for the Chromatic Commands of the Inner City, garnered a No. 1 listening rating on Emusic.com.

As a composer, Westray’s personal catalogue includes dozens of original compositions and arrangements for big band and mixed ensembles. Among his numerous commissions for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra are his monumental score, Chivalrous Misdemeanors – Select Tales from Don Quixote and arrangements of the works of Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman. His charts were recently published by Walrus Music. His bibliography includes reviews and citations in Down Beat, Jazz Times, The New 91��ɫ Times and The New 91��ɫer.

Westray joined the faculty in 91��ɫ’s Department of Music in fall 2009 as the Oscar Peterson Chair in Jazz Performance. The Chair, commemorating Canadian jazz icon Oscar Peterson, was established with a $4-million endowment from the Government of Ontario, along with a $1-million endowment for Oscar Peterson Scholarships to support talented students from underprivileged backgrounds studying music at 91��ɫ.

Westray teaches performance, composition, history and theory in 91��ɫ’s renowned jazz program, and co-directs the 91��ɫ Jazz Orchestra with Al Henderson.

This is the final performance in the 2010-2011 Faculty Concert Series, spotlighting faculty artists in 91��ɫ’s Music Department. Tickets are $15, or $5 for students and seniors. For tickets, contact the Box Office at 416-736-5888.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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91��ɫ to the Power of 50, which launched publicly in 2006, raised $207 million, exceeding its $200-million goal. Students, donors and other campaign supporters joined representatives from 91��ɫ and the 91��ɫ Foundation for a celebratory fête to mark the occasion. Featured performers included Latin jazz artist Amanda Martinez (IMBA ’99) and Ron Westray, 91��ɫ’s Oscar Peterson Chair in Jazz Performance.

"I would like to thank all of our generous donors who supported the 91��ɫ to the Power of 50 campaign," said 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. "This highly successful fundraising effort will continue to support our presence as a leading Canadian university for interdisciplinary research and teaching."

Among the campaign's highlights were campaign’s success is due to the more than 30,000 donors who contributed to it. Over the course of the campaign, 44 gifts of $1 million or greater were received. Research-related successes include:

• More than 640 new student scholarships, awards and bursaries were established through the leadership and generous support of Chancellor Emeritus Avie Bennett and many other supporters. University and government matching programs augmented the impact of many of the gifts.
• The Sherman Health Sciences Research Centre, made possible by a $5-million gift from philanthropists Barry and Honey Sherman. Scheduled to open in September 2010, the centre will house 91��ɫ’s and laboratory space for kinesiology and psychology researchers, as well as a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine.
• New chairs and professorships, including the , named for the first black female member of Parliament. The chair will study issues affecting schooling in today’s urban environments to improve teaching methods and student outcomes.

Campaign co-chairs Tim Price and Bill Hatanaka (BA Comb. Hons. ’77) are impressed with the campaign’s success and believe it is the stepping stone to realizing 91��ɫ’s potential.

“This campaign has energized the entire 91��ɫ community,” says Hatanaka. “As 91��ɫ continues to expand its groundbreaking programs and research, the momentum we’ve built will only grow, and the impact the University and its graduates make will resonate even louder.”

Right: Campaign co-chairs Bill Hatanaka (left) and Tim Price

“91��ɫ to the Power of 50 has strengthened our relationships with the community,” adds Price. “91��ɫ, and the entire region, can gaze back with pride and look forward with anticipation at what’s to come.”

While the main component of the campaign was major giving, the 91��ɫ Foundation acquired pledges of $12 million for planned gifts, such as bequest intentions in wills, and garnered support from more than 2,400 91��ɫ faculty, staff and retirees through the Family Campaign, led by Professor Ron Pearlman, University Professor Emeritus Ross Rudolph and the late Nancy Accinelli, co-president of the 91��ɫ Retirees Association.

A group of accomplished alumni, the 50 to the Power of 50 Group, served as ambassadors to help raise the campaign’s profile. Chaired by Ivan Fecan (BA ’01), president & CEO of CTVglobemedia and CEO of CTV Inc., the group included such notables as actress (BFA Spec. Hons. ’01), defence attorney Clayton Ruby (BA ’63) and broadcaster (BA ’95).

“The generosity of our donors, the wise counsel of our co-chairs and volunteer leadership, and the 91��ɫ community have ensured an outstanding future for 91��ɫ,” says 91��ɫ Foundation President & CEO Paul Marcus. “We are deeply appreciative of, and humbled by, their overwhelming support.”

For more information about the completion of 91��ɫ to the Power of 50, visit the 91��ɫ Foundation Web site.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Performer, composer and educator Ron Westray has been appointed as the Oscar Peterson Chair in Jazz Performance at 91��ɫ.

“We’re excited and honoured to have an artist of Ron Westray’s calibre as the Chair,” said 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. “This Chair will enable us to further advance the quality of education for our fine arts students and carry on the legacy of Oscar Peterson at 91��ɫ.”

Left: Ron Westray

Westray is best known for his work as lead trombonist with the legendary Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO), and his collaborations with Wycliffe Gordon. He has appeared in concert with such luminaries as Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, Benny Carter, Dewey Redman, Roy Haynes, Randy Brecker and a host of other pre-eminent artists.

A regular on the New 91��ɫ City club circuit, he has played premier jazz venues such as the Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Sweet Basil, Iridium, Jazz Standard and Smalls, and is a standing member of the acclaimed Mingus Band. In addition to his concerts and recordings with the JLCO, Westray has recorded as a sideman on such major labels as Columbia Records, Sony Classical and RCA Novus. His latest CD as leader, Medical Cures for the Chromatic Commands of the Inner City (Blue Canoe Records, 2008), garnered a No. 1 listening rating on eMusic.com.

As a composer, Westray’s personal catalogue comprises dozens of original compositions and arrangements for big band and mixed ensembles. Among his numerous commissions for the JLCO is his monumental score, Chivalrous Misdemeanors – Select Tales from Don Quixote (2005), as well as arrangements of the works of Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman. His charts were recently published by Walrus Music. His bibliography includes reviews and citations in DownBeat, JazzTimes, The New 91��ɫ Times and The New 91��ɫer.

The Oscar Peterson Chair in Jazz Performance was made possible by a $4-million endowment announced by the Ontario government in January 2008, along with $1 million to establish music scholarships for talented students from underprivileged backgrounds.

“I want to congratulate Ron Westray on this new appointment. He brings a wealth of talent and experience to the jazz performance program at 91��ɫ and its students. Our government is happy to do its part to honour the memory of Oscar Peterson by helping gifted music students pursue their own dreams,” said Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Barbara Sellers-Young, dean of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Fine Arts, said the Chair, under Westray, will expand and strengthen the program Peterson championed throughout his tenure at 91��ɫ.

“We’re delighted to launch this important new academic initiative with Professor Westray,” said Sellers-Young. “As the Oscar Peterson Chair, he will be working with the jazz faculty in our music department to develop a special student outreach and support program named for Peterson, to encourage talented aspiring jazz artists who might not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue university studies.”

An adjunct professor in 91��ɫ's Department of Music from 1984 to the late 1990s, Peterson was among Canada's most celebrated jazz artists. He was committed to teaching young people and established several student awards in the jazz program. Recipient of an honorary doctor of letters from 91��ɫ in 1982, Peterson was installed as 91��ɫ's eighth chancellor in September 1991 and served the University with distinction until February 1994. He was made an honorary governor of 91��ɫ in 1995 and was a Fellow of McLaughlin College. He died in Mississauga on Dec. 23, 2007.

“The appointment of Ron Westray as the Oscar Peterson Chair in Jazz Performance will give students and faculty in 91��ɫ’s outstanding jazz program the opportunity to learn from an extremely talented and prolific artist. It will also help to ensure that Oscar Peterson’s tremendous legacy lives on through the development of a new generation of jazz artists,” said John Milloy, minister of training, colleges & universities and minister of research & innovation.

91��ɫ offers jazz at all levels of undergraduate and graduate study, including a master and PhD in the field. The curriculum includes instrumental and vocal performance, history, theory, composition and arranging. Performance studies centre on small ensembles, plus jazz choirs and the 91��ɫ Jazz Orchestra. Repertoire spans jazz standards, big band, improvisation and contemporary jazz, enriched by world music traditions including Brazilian samba, Cuban jazz, gospel, West African drums, steel-pan and Afro-American music.

Westray joins colleagues at 91��ɫ who are among Canada’s pre-eminent jazz artists. Almost 40 full- and part-time faculty teach in the jazz program, including percussionist and music department chair Barry Elmes; bassist Al Henderson; saxophonists David Mott, Mike Murley and Kelly Jefferson; pianist Mark Eisenman; guitarist Lorne Lofsky; trumpeter Kevin Turcotte; multi-instrumentalist Sundar Viswanathan; and vocalists Bonnie Brett and Sacha Williamson.

Westray holds a BA in music from South Carolina State University and an MA from Eastern Illinois University. He comes to 91��ɫ from the University of Texas at Austin's Butler School of Music, where he was assistant professor in the Jazz Studies Program.

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