Series generously supported by Merit Medical Systems
	Jazz at the Sheraton Reaches For Stars By Rebecca Cline Howard Deseret News music critic Dave Brubeck. Ray Brown. Russell Malone. They’re big names in jazz - really big - and they’re just a taste of what’s coming this year for the 2002-03 season of the Jazz at the Sheraton series. “I’d say Brubeck is the No. 1 highlight,” said Gordon Hanks. “He and his wife are probably two of the most special people you’ll ever meet in your life. With the thing that he’s done in his life and the honors he’s been given, and the influence he’s had on jazz - and music as a whole - he is one of the most down-to-earth, sweet, terrific people in the world.” “But the Ray Brown concert,” Michael MacKay added, “that’s going to be something. You get Christian McBride, John Clayton and old man Ray Brown together, and I don’t know if there’s going to be enough cement in that foundation to hold! And if you’re looking for a groove, ole’ James Moody, he can lay one down and have fun. And I think that Russell Malone on his own - talk about music that’s accessible!” Hanks concurs. “Russell Malone is going to be a brilliant concert, because Russell Malone plays blues, jazz and gospel, and he is another one of these gentlemen that really connect.” Others include Tierney Sutton, the Kenny Barron Quintet, Joshua Redman and Lewis Nash. Hanks and MacKay are GAM Foundation producers, and they are understandably excited about the artists they have lined up. And with a roster that touts some of the jazz world’s finest musicians, they have reason to be excited. But what makes Hanks and MacKay different from other producers is that the Jazz at the Sheraton series is nonprofit. “We view this as a community-enhancement project,” says MacKay, “and all of the decisions we’ve made have been made in that context. We’re not promoters.” Hanks said that when the series was started, they realized there were three things they really wanted to accomplish: “We wanted to bring in great jazz, we wanted to be able to have young people come to this concert and have a really intimate experience with the artist, and we wanted to bring in artists that were user-friendly, that interact with the audience, and that we like.” At every concert, a third of the tickets are given away to music students involved in active jazz-education programs throughout the state. Hanks estimates that 35-40 schools are involved this year, from Ogden to Cedar City and ranging from elementary to college. And MacKay says the response has been quite positive - not only from the students, but also from the artists. “Take Clark Terry, for example,” said MacKay. “He’s got oxygen up there on the stand and he’s exhausted, and he’s got these kids hanging around him. He’s signing autographs back there in his wheelchair. There was a kid there and he didn’t have a ticket, so Clark pulls out his handkerchief and signs his autograph on his handkerchief.” Then there was the time the late Gene Harris came to perform, and a young jazz-guitar student came before the concert and was told he could hang around as long as he helped set up chairs. MacKay said that after the sound check, he looked up onstage, and there was Harris, encouraging the student. MacKay said that every artist who comes wants to come back - and most are happy to do it for a significantly lower rate than they normally charge. “Once they understand what we are, it breaks all barriers down,” added Hanks. “Now my relationship with the agents and the artists and their managers is really friendly. It becomes ‘How do we make this work,’ not ‘How do I negotiate the best deal for my artist.” “That’s what’s fun about this,” said MacKay. “It’s just a downright, nice, decent, human experience that we’ve got going on down there. There’s no profit agenda, thus there are no decisions that are made based on our need to generate a profit. Our hope is that enough people will buy season ticket and enough people will come to the concerts that we can keep this going.” In addition to the regular season, this year, the GAM Foundation will be introducing a new program. Thanks to the financial backing of John Purdue, a new set of concerts will be introduced in Abravanel Hall, separate from the regular series, with big-name artists who are able to fill the larger venue. In August, Dave Brubeck will be the first. All proceeds from these concerts will go to a scholarship fund for the University of Utah jazz studies department. Season tickets to the Jazz at the Sheraton series are available at the Holladay Pharmacy (278-0411). Tickets to the Dave Brubeck concert will be sold through ArtTix at 801-355-ARTS or 1-888-451-ARTS, at ArtTix outlets or online at www.arttix.org.