The Performing Arts Center will present internationally renowned jazz musician and Georgia native Wycliffe Gordon on Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. in Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall. Gordon and his quintet will perform Hello Pops!, a tribute to the legendary Louis Armstrong.
Tickets for the concert are $20-$35 with discounts for UGA students. The concert changed dates, as it was originally scheduled for Jan. 24.
Gordon has earned a reputation as one of the top trombonists of his generation, winning the Jazz Journalists Association Award for trombonist of the year in 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Gordon is a veteran member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and has been a featured guest artist on Billy Taylor’s Jazz at the Kennedy Center series.
“Just [Wycliffe Gordon’s] presence is a creative experience,” said Wynton Marsalis.
Born in Waynesboro, Gordon was first introduced to music by his late father, Lucius Gordon, a classical pianist and teacher. Wycliffe Gordon’s interest in the trombone was sparked at age 12 by his elder brother who played the instrument in the junior high school band. A year later, an aunt bequeathed the Gordon family her jazz record collection, which led to Wycliffe Gordon’s passion for jazz music.
In Hello Pops!, the Wycliffe Gordon Quintet performs the music made popular by the famed Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. In his notes to the recently released CD of the show, Gordon writes, “We cover the music of Louis Armstrong that had the most influence on me as a jazz musician. From the Hot Fives through the All Stars (plus a few originals) this is a complete look at the music from the man we love and call Pops.”
The Performing Arts Center will offer a pre-concert lecture at 7:15 p.m. with George Foreman, PAC director. He will be joined by Joshua Bynum, assistant professor of trombone.
Tickets can be purchased online at pac.uga.edu or by calling the Performing Arts Center box office at 706-542-4400.
