Jazz guitarist Mark Whitfield will perform at the Tavern on the Lake in Hightstown on Friday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. Dubbed early on in the New York Times as “the best young guitarist in the business,” Whitfield has played with such artists as Quincy Jones, Winton Marsalis, Ray Charles, and Dizzy Gillespie. He has made multiple recordings with many great artists and multiple solo recordings. The event is hosted by REJS Entertainment.
Whitfield graduated from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music in 1987. Shortly thereafter, he returned to his native New York to embark on a career as a jazz guitarist that afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with legendary artists including Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Carmen McRae, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Shirley Horn, and his teacher and mentor, George Benson....
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Jazz guitarist Mark Whitfield will perform at the Tavern on the Lake in Hightstown on Friday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. Dubbed early on in the New York Times as “the best young guitarist in the business,” Whitfield has played with such artists as Quincy Jones, Winton Marsalis, Ray Charles, and Dizzy Gillespie. He has made multiple recordings with many great artists and multiple solo recordings. The event is hosted by REJS Entertainment.
Whitfield graduated from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music in 1987. Shortly thereafter, he returned to his native New York to embark on a career as a jazz guitarist that afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with legendary artists including Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Carmen McRae, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Shirley Horn, and his teacher and mentor, George Benson.
Warner Bros. released his debut album, “The Marksman,” in 1990. Its success was followed by a recording career producing 14 solo recordings and a myriad of collaborative efforts with some of the most important artists in recent years: Mary J. Blige, Sting, Diana Krall, Christian McBride, Chris Botti, and others.
Along the way, the “Whitfield Family Band” was born (literally, born) and includes Whitfield’s two sons, Mark and Davis. In 1994 the Mark Whitfield Quartet appeared on the Thanksgiving Day broadcast of “Good Morning America.” This performance featured a very special guest drummer, four-year-old Mark Whitfield, Jr. It was obvious even then that this youngster was destined for greatness. Following in his father’s footsteps, he attended the Berklee College of Music and graduated in 2011 with honors. He went on to study for his master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music while simultaneously embarking on a career as a drummer extraordinaire. He has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best young drummers in jazz and was nominated for a Grammy in 2014 as part of the ensemble featured on Kenny Garrett’s 2013 release “Pushing the World Away.” Mark’s younger brother is Davis Whitfield, a prodigious pianist who earned a Presidential Scholarship and graduated from the Berklee College of Music with honors in 2014.
Together, the “Whitfield Family Band” has created an exciting new sound and the group’s debut recording will be released soon.
The April 15th concert takes place at Tavern on the Lake, 101 North Main Street in Hightstown, NJ, in the large private nightclub-like upstairs room. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 7:30 concert. Drinks and dinner can be purchased. Cost of the concert is $20; in advance, $15.
Check out REJS Entertainment’s website: rejsjazz.com. In the past several years, REJS has been featuring acclaimed and upcoming jazz artists. The four REJS partners are Eric Thomas, Rich Jackson, James Freeman, and Jacque Howard. Howard hosts the radio program, “Trenton 365.”
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