From an invitation by the committee to celebrate David’s 80th birthday in November. The committee asked that this be passed on to everyone.
If you don’t know David, Google him, learn about him, watch his videos, download his music. Or just click on the links provided here. He’s an amazing, multi-talented, multi-genre-ed musician, world respected! Music Without Borders
David was a regular at the Kerrville Folk Festival, where I worked year-round as assistant to producer Rod Kennedy. He conducted orchestras during classical festivals also produced there, and shared the stage with folk greats Peter Yarrow, Bob Gibson, Pete Seeger, and performed scat, blues, jazz, American Indian, and so many more styles of music, songs and instruments he learned on tour in Africa and Europe, and scores he’d written for various movies, and so much more.
David gave me a written reference years ago that I cherish among all others: “Mary Jane’s love of music borders on passion, her friendship is timeless, and her skills at organization beyond compare. If she tells you she can do something, she will get it done. If she can’t do it, she has the good sense to tell you so.”
David Amram
David Amram: The First 80 Years, the movie trailer
Help raise money for Clearwater (founded by Pete Seeger) and The Woody Guthrie Foundation by joining us Thursday, Nov. 11, 7:30 pm at Symphony Space, for a historic musical event, David Amram, The First 80 Years, presented by Mark Morganelli’s Jazz Forum Arts.
Celebrating the 80th birthday of David Amram, the acclaimed composer, whom the Washington Post called “one of the most versatile and skilled musicians America has ever produced,” the concert will feature: the New York premiere of Amram’s Symphonic Variations on A Song By Woody Guthrie; the first ever concert performance of excerpts from Amram’s classic film scores Splendor In The Grass & The Manchurian Candidate; a screening of the finale of the recent production of 12th Night — his 1968 opera, with a libretto by Joe Papp; filmed birthday greetings from Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Willie Nelson and members of the New York Philharmonic; live appearances by Keir Dullea, John Ventimiglia, Malachy McCourt and members of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting; the Queen’s College Orchestra, conducted by Maurice Peress and David Amram; the Brooklyn Conservatory Jazz Ensemble, directed by Earl McIntyre and the Jazz & Gospel Choirs, directed by Renee Manning; Candido, Bobby Sanabria, David Broza, John McEuen (of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Josh White Jr., Larry Kerwin & The Imani Winds; the first public screening of highlights from Lawrence Kraman’s feature documentary, David Amram, The First 80 Years
The curtain rises at 7:30 pm on Nov. 11 at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th St., 212-864-5400. For more details on the concert, click here. For tickets, here. For more about David Amram, here.
My friend Paisley is going. Wonder if I’ll fit in her suitcase! Probably not, since she used to go on our (Kerrville Festival) festival trips to Isle Mujeres carrying only a backpack!