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Top drummers from r&b, funk, and jazz to play at the Berklee Performance Center, Saturday, December 11
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John Blackwell with his daughter, Jia Kennie Blackwell |
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BOSTON, November 23, 2004 — Drummer John Blackwell, known all over the world from touring and recording with Prince and Patti LaBelle, will return to his alma mater to host a very special benefit concert to establish the Jia Kennie Blackwell Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of his daughter, Jia, who drowned this summer. Many of Blackwell's drummer friends will perform, making the event an unforgettable night of funk, r&b, and jazz. The event is produced by Berklee College of Music and Sabian, with support from Vater Percussion, Inc.
"4 Ever in Our Hearts, A Tribute to Jia Kennie Blackwell" takes place Saturday, December 11, at 8:00 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center, 136 Mass. Ave, Boston. Tickets go on sale Saturday, November 20, at 10:00 a.m. at the Berklee Performance Center Box Office and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $10.00. Visit www.berklee.edu or call 617-747-2261 for more information.
Berklee Piano Department Assistant Chair Jetro Da Silva will direct an all-star faculty and student band that will be joined by Blackwell and his guests. Scheduled to appear are:
Terri Lyne Carrington – Medford native; drummer on the Arsenio Hall Show; Grammy-nominated CD Real Life Story; produced Dianne Reeves' Grammy-nominated That Day.
Vinnie Colaiuta – drummer on recordings with Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell, Bryan Ferry, Sting, Bill Evens, Chick Corea, and solo projects.
Dennis Chambers – drummer with Santana, Mike Stern, the Brecker Brothers, Funkadelic, and solo recordings.
Dom Famularo – Drummer with the Buddy Rich Big Band, B.B. King, Lionel Hampton and others; world-renowned clinician and educator.
Marcus Williams – Drummer with Isaac Hayes and Oteil Burbridge.
Jeff "Tain" Watts – Drummer on stage and CD with Geri Allen, Ricky Ford, Robin Eubanks, Betty Carter, McCoy Tyner, Gary Thomas, and Branford Marsalis.
After leaving Berklee in 1995, Blackwell moved to Los Angeles where he joined Patti LaBelle's band, appearing on her Grammy-winning CD and DVD Patti LaBelle-Live! One Night Only. When Prince heard Blackwell's drumming at a Labelle tour stop in Minneapolis, he asked him to join the New Power Generation. Blackwell was on Prince's Musicology tour this summer when he learned that his daughter had accidentally drowned. He and his wife, Joann, decided to memorialize their daughter with a scholarship to support outstanding female musicians at Berklee. A portion of the proceeds from the concert will also be used to promote water safety.
Contributions to the Jia Kennie Blackwell Memorial Scholarship Fund can be made by calling 617-747-2569.
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.
For editorial information or digital photos, the media may contact:
Allen Bush
Office of Public Information
(617) 747-2658
abush@berklee.edu
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