Vibraphonist Gary Burton, top student quintet, to perform with Metheny; Song to Give Away Pair of Roundtrip Airline Tickets

	Press: to inquire about photo availability and usage, please e-mail us.
	Pat Metheny
	Farnsworth Blalock Photo

The first half of the April 30 concert will be devoted to the performance of the music written and performed by the quintet — and produced by Metheny — throughout the week. Metheny is expected to perform with the quintet that night.

The second half of the concert will feature Metheny performing with his longtime friend and mentor, five-time Grammy winner and vibraphone master Gary Burton. The two have been friends for nearly 30 years – Metheny got his first major exposure as a member of Burton's band in the late 1970's – and this will be a rare chance to hear the two virtuosos, in duets, and supported by a top student rhythm section. Burton will retire from Berklee in August, after 33 years at his alma mater.

The student quintet chosen to record and perform with Metheny has been rehearsing their compositions under Gary Burton's direction throughout the semester, in preparation for the recording and concert. Some of the finest musicians at the college today, they are: Vadim Neselovskyi, piano, Dortmund, Germany; Christian Scott, trumpet, New Orleans, LA; Esperanza Spalding, bass and voice, Portland, OR: Mike Tucker, tenor saxophone, Cambridge, MA; and James Williams, drums, Seaside, CA.

Press: to inquire about photo availability and usage, please e-mail us. Pat Metheny (left) and Gary Burton Farnsworth Blalock Photo

The concert is the last in this year's eight-event Song's Nothing Conservatory About It concert series. Please note: Tickets for the show are available to purchasers of series tickets only; some series tickets are still available. Series tickets allow admission to the Metheny concert, as well as the series' April 20 Gospel show – Hallelujah! Amen! An Evening of Gospel Music – and are $75 for adults ($95 for preferred seating), $55 ($75 preferred) for seniors, and are available at the Berklee Performance Center Box Office, 136 Massachusetts Avenue, in Boston or online. For more information on the entire series, visit Song's Nothing Conservatory About It on the web.

The event is sponsored by Song, Delta Air Lines' new low-fare subsidiary. A pair of roundtrip tickets to anywhere Song flies will be given away to one lucky member of the audience. Berklee is pleased to welcome Song as sponsor of the Nothing Conservatory About It Concert Series.

The series' media sponsor is WGBH-FM 89.7, and the April 30 show will be hosted by Boston's jazz radio godfather, Eric Jackson of "Eric In The Evening."

Song's Nothing Conservatory About It Concert Series
Admission to the Pat Metheny show is available to season ticket holders only. Remaining concerts include:

April 26 – Hallelujah! Amen! An Evening of Gospel Music
Berklee's Reverence Gospel Ensemble makes a joyful noise. Come, listen to them testify, and maybe see the light yourself. Tickets $10, $15 preferred.

April 30 – Pat Metheny in Concert
Visiting Professor Pat Metheny is producing a record for a Berklee student group. This group performs the first half of the show. Then, Metheny and special guest Gary Burton play a set with student musicians. Tickets available with season ticket package only.

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music was through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over half a century, the college has evolved constantly to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing over 70 countries, and a music industry "who's who" of alumni, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today — and tomorrow.

Song is an innovative low-fare service, which will provide non-stop flights between the Northeast and key Florida leisure destinations, plus Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Juan, with over 142 daily flights on 36 Boeing 757 aircraft. All Song flights are operated by Delta Air Lines. Song tickets can be purchased by visiting flysong.com.

For editorial information, or digital photos of Pat Metheny or Gary Burton, the media may contact:

Rob Hayes
Office of Public Information
rhayes@berklee.edu

-or-

Nick Balkin
Office of Public Information
nbalkin@berklee.edu