Local 802 AFM and The Council for Living Music Announce

JAZZ MENTORS 8

“Social Justice, Diversity and Entrepreneurship in Jazz”

Esteemed panel featuring Lakecia Benjamin, Ulysses Owens, Jr., Rudresh Mahanthappa and Michael Leonhart lead Jazz Mentors panel focusing on politics, exploitation, diversity and artistic engagement

Free and open to the public

On February 13, Local 802 American Federation of Musicians and The Council for Living Music will host the eighth installment of JAZZ MENTORS, a series of interactive panel discussions designed to connect up-and-coming musicians with some of New York City’s premier jazz artists to discuss the business components of developing a career in music. Headlined by jazz luminaries Lakecia Benjamin, Ulysses Owens, Jr., Rudresh Mahanthappa and Michael Leonhart, Jazz Mentors 8: “Social Justice, Diversity and Entrepreneurship in Jazz,” will discuss issues of exploitation, race, diversity and artistic engagement in today's political climate. This panel will guide young and emerging musicians through an open discussion about our civil liberties and the impact of race-gender diversity in music business practices, as well as explore the vitally important and often misunderstood intricacies of the business and career management aspects of professional life in the music industry.

Ms. Benjamin, Mr. Owens Jr., Mr. Mahanthappa and Mr. Leonhart will draw upon their own career experiences while sharing advice, insight and guidance with emerging musicians, thereby addressing a neglected aspect of musicians’ career development. The informal setting allows for a free flowing exchange between the audience and artists, encouraging full audience participation and interaction.

Who:

• Saxophonist and band-leader Lakecia Benjamin has shared the stage with some of the most prominent artists in the world today, including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots, Macy Gray and many more. A native born New Yorker from Washington Heights, Ms. Benjamin brings a soul and funk sound to her band, Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad Meters. She is currently a featured musician for Gregory Porter as well as a featured musician and arranger for comedy star Craig Robinson and the Nasty Delicious, and has had the honor of performing at the White House at President Obama's inaugural ball.

• Drummer, percussionist and Grammy winner Ulysses Owens Jr. has ascended to be one of New York City's premier drummers, establishing himself has as a leader of today's jazz generation. Known for his fiery, textural and complex style, Mr. Owens has performed and recorded with some of the most important musicians in the world, including as a member of the Christian McBride Trio, as well as with Wynton Marsalis, Mulgrew Miller, Joey Alexander, Dianne Schuur, Renee Fleming, Rob Wasserman and many others. Mr. Owens has also established himself as a producer and leader of music education. His non-for-profit organization, Don't Miss a Beat, Inc., combines music and art with a focus on academic achievement, civic engagement and on empowering inner city students to strive for their dreams.

• Saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa is known today for his unique blend of music and multi-cultural traditions and styles, cultivating progressive jazz and south Indian classical music in a fluid and forward-looking form reflecting his own experience as a second generation Indian-American. Mr. Mahanthappa's work has received many accolades, including being awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and two New York Foundation for the Arts fellowships, as well as being named the Alto Saxophonist of the Year four of the past five years in Downbeat Magazine's International Critics Polls and for five years running by the Jazz Journalist's Association.

• Grammy winner Michael Leonhart has emerged as one of the most imaginative musicians of the day, known throughout the world as a trumpet player, producer, arranger, film composer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. His career has included performing and recording with some of the most important ensembles and musicians in the world, including with Steely Dan, James Brown, Ringo Starr, Brian Eno, Paul Simon, A Tribe Called Quest, Raekwon, Alicia Keys, Steven Tyler, Bobby McFerrin, Wynton Marsalis, Bette Midler, Yoko Ono, Sharon Jones and the Dapkings and many more.

About Jazz Mentors

Unlike the performance, practice and technical components of becoming a successful musician, a strong knowledge, understanding and appreciation for the financial and business requirements of building a career is often overlooked by young intending to build a career. Though this knowledge is essential to succeed in the industry, it is often ignored or under-appreciated in our musical training institutions. The JAZZ MENTORS series is designed to combat this shortfall, and is an important component of Local 802's efforts to support the growth and cultivation of New York City's diverse and unmatched music environment.