News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5056 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE JANUARY 29, 2009

Kevin Bales

BALES FEATURED PERFORMER IN STAFFORD SERIES CONCERT

TIFTON - The Stafford Steinway Series will feature Kevin Bales on Feb. 9 on the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

    The Stafford Series Concert will be held in Howard Auditorium at 7 p.m. This event is open to the community at no charge. A reception will be held following the performance.

    Bales is a graduate of the University of North Florida (UNF) and Florida State University (FSU). While still attending UNF he began teaching and has spent 11 years teaching as a fulltime instructor in the American Music Program.

    For the past 15 years, Bales has been a vital and viable part of the southeast jazz scene and performed at nearly every important jazz venue nationally and abroad. He has performed with musicians Wynton Marsalis, Grammy winner Eddie Daniels and the Lincoln Center All-Stars.

    Appearing on over 30 recordings as a sideman, he made his solo debut with 1996's "The First Day." In 2000, he recorded with trumpeter Marcus Printup on Blue Note/Capital records. He currently resides in Atlanta with his family.

    Performing with Bales will be Leon Anderson, Jr., on drums and bass violinist Rodney Jordan.  Anderson is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at FSU. He has worked with artists Judy Collins, Henry Mancini, and the Temptations. Jordan is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies with the FSU faculty. He is featured on the Grammy-nominated album for Best Contemporary Jazz Recording "Ethnomusicology, Volume One" by jazz artist Russell Gunn.

The Stafford Steinway Series is a piano and chamber music performance series specifically designed to present professional artists featuring the Howard Auditorium Steinway grand piano.  This series is made possible by a generous grant from the Stafford Foundation which gave the piano to ABAC as a part of the renovation of the auditorium.  Open without charge to the general public, these concerts show the tremendous expressive capacity of fine piano and piano chamber music in the hands of seasoned professional artists.

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