Billy Kilson Quartet: A Tribute Concert to Legendary Jazz Drummer & Teacher Alan Dawson

Association of Black Citizens of Lexington presents the Billy Kilson Quartet. Multiple Grammy award winning drummer, Billy Kilson headlines this celebration of Alan Dawson. Alan was a teacher who mentored and inspired Billy. In addition to teaching at the Berklee College of Music, Billy tours internationally. He has performed with several famous musicians including Dave Holland, David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock, Ahmad Jamal, Ron Carter, Burt Bacharach, Glady’s Knight, Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Botti and Sting. The Billy Kilson Jazz Quartet features Bill Pierce on Saxophone, Ron Mahdi on Bass, Russ Hoffman on Piano, and Billy Kilson on Drums. They will perform arrangements written by Alan Dawson and some favorites from Alan's discography. The Lexington High School Jazz Combo will open for the Billy Kilson Jazz Quartet. Founded in 1984, the group has performed extensively all over the country and in Europe, including the Monterrey Jazz Festival, the Montreax Jazz Festival, the Jazz Educators Network Conference, and the Charles Mingus Jazz Festival in New York. Honors include top prizes at the Mingus Festival, the UMass Jazz Festival and the UNH Jazz Festival. Don’t miss this spring's must-attend jazz concert! Pre-Concert Discussion at 6:30 with Billy Kilson and John Ramsay. John is the former head of percussion at The Berklee College of Music who studied with Alan Dawson, Max Roach, and Art Blakey. John has also written two books, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messages, and The Drummer’s Complete Vocabulary as Taught by Alan Dawson. John teaches in the Lexington home studio where Alan taught Billy and him. Proceeds support ABCL scholarships. Background on ABCL Black History Portrait Banner Honoree Alan Dawson Alan Dawson was a legendary drummer and educator, known for his work with the top artists in jazz as well as for his 18-year association with Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Born in Marietta, Pennsylvania, George “Alan” Dawson was raised in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. A longtime resident of Lexington, Mr. Dawson was a cofounder of the Concerned Black Citizens of Lexington in the early 1970s. While stationed at Fort Dix, Mr. Dawson played with the Army Dance Band from 1951 to 1953. Following his discharge from the Army, he toured Europe with Lionel Hampton. Over several decades, Mr. Dawson played with many jazz legends including Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, and Quincy Jones. Mr. Dawson’s teaching was inspirational. One of Mr. Dawson’s first students was a young Boston drummer named Tony Williams. According to Mr. Williams, “Mr. Dawson didn't only teach me to play the drums, he taught me how to conduct myself as a musician and as a man.” Former student and 2021 NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington calls Mr. Dawson "one of the greatest drummers and one of the greatest teachers in the world". Ms. Carrington is the Artistic Director and Founder of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Osami Mizuno, a jazz drummer and educator from Japan, created and named a drum school and record label in honor of his drum instructor Alan Dawson.

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Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/1623451-0

Website: https://go.evvnt.com/1623451-2

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