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July 14th Would Have Been Late Drummer's 71st Birthday
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Saxophonist Andy McGhee, with drummer John Ramsay in background. |
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Trombonist Phil Wilson, saxophonist Andy McGhee, and drummer John Ramsay pay tribute to the late Alan Dawson. |
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BOSTON, August 9, 2000 - On Friday, July 14, 2000 -- Alan Dawson's birthday -- Berklee College of Music hosted a concert sponsored by the Boston Jazz Society that paid tribute to the great jazz drummer who passed away in 1996. Dawson was a major figure on the Berklee faculty for nearly 20 years – from 1957 until 1975 – instructing and mentoring young drummers such as Terri Lyne Carrington '83, Keith Copeland '73, and Kenwood Dennard '76, now himself a member of the Berklee percussion faculty. Mr. Dawson was also teacher to acclaimed jazz drummers Akira Tana and the late Tony Williams.
Hosted by WGBH radio's Eric Jackson,the memorial concert was held in Berklee's David Friend Recital Hall, 921 Boylston Street, Boston. Proceeds from the $50 tickets benefited the Dawson Scholarship Fund, which awards a scholarship annually to a promising jazz student. For more information on the Boston Jazz Society's other Alan Dawson events, call (617) 445-2811.
During the 1970's, Mr. Dawson and other Berklee faculty comprised the house band at Lulu White's, a former jazz club in Boston's South End. The memorial concert reunited that band, which featured Phil Wilson on trombone, Andy McGhee on tenor saxophone, Ray Santisi on piano, and the late John Neves on bass. At the tribute, Berklee alumnus Marshall Wood '83 took the place of Mr. Neves, and in the drum seat was percussion faculty member John Ramsay.
In addition to the live performance, the event also featured a premiere video screening of "Salute to Alan Dawson Benefit," highlights from a 1996 memorial concert held at the Berklee Performance Center. Hosted by WGBH's Ron Della Chiesa, the event was headlined by internationally acclaimed percussionist and composer Max Roach and featured inspired performances by many of Alan Dawson's friends and colleagues, including pianist James Williams, jazz tap masters Jimmy Slyde and Josh Hilberman, and vocalist Shawnn Monteiro. Twenty-five jazz artists participated in the 1996 tribute to Alan Dawson, all donating their time to help launch the scholarship fund in his name.
Founded in 1973, the Boston Jazz Society is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to jazz appreciation. Through its sponsorship of lectures, seminars, concerts and tributes, it promotes jazz education and assists in performances and fund-raisers for other social, cultural and education groups.
Founded in 1945, Berklee College of Music has been advancing careers in contemporary music for more than 50 years. The world's largest independent college of music, Berklee has a multi-cultural enrollment of more than 3,000 students, 40 percent of whom are international. The college's alumni include some of the most respected figures in contemporary music, including many multi-Grammy award winners.
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For editorial information, please contact:
Toni Ballard
Office of Public Information
(617) 747-2247
Fax: (617) 247-8788
tballard@berklee.edu
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