Mulgrew Miller & Wingspan
9:45–11:00PM, Absopure Waterfront Stage
When pianist Mulgrew Miller was named director of jazz studies at William Paterson University in 2006, he celebrated the appointment with a concert dedicated to pianist and composer James Williams (his “dear friend and brother”), who held the director’s position at WPU until his death in 2004. Fittingly, Miller used the occasion to also reconvene Wingspan, an ensemble he has led intermittently for more than 20 years. Effectively capturing the significance of the group, The New York Times noted, “[Miller is] a pianist with an earthy style and a particular gift for the blues. But in this ensemble he pursues an airier sensibility with help from sharp accompanists like the vibraphonist Steve Nelson and the trumpeter Duane Eubanks.”
Over two decades, Wingspan, also the title of an original Miller composition, has released two critically acclaimed albums—the self-titled 1987 debut and The Sequel (2002), both on MaxJazz. Writing about the latter album, All About Jazz noted, “Miller’s compositions are melodically pleasing, harmonically enterprising, rhythmically strong, and best of all, they swing. The quintet confronts each of them with the proper measure of adeptness and enthusiasm, proving time and again that this reunion was more than “Just a Notion,” as one of Miller’s tunes avers.”
The current configuration of Wingspan features the piano master himself, Steve Nelson (vibes), Duane Eubanks (trumpet), Steve Wilson (alto saxophone), Ivan Taylor (bass) and Rodney Green (drums).
