Swinging Sophistication - Tribute to the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring Vibraphonist Jon Metzger. Vibraphonist Milt “Bags” Jackson and pianist John Lewis were not cut from the same cloth. Steeped in the blues, Jackson was a heavy swinger and thrived as an improviser. Lewis was a trained musician with a masters degree, who had aspirations of combining jazz and classical. Together with bassist Percy Heath and drummer Connie Kay, as the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) they created a chamber jazz style that highlighted the lyrical tension between Lewis's mannered, but roomy, compositions and Jackson's unapologetic swing. Long known for their complex and iconic compositions and arrangements, the vast majority of the MJQ’s arrangements have never been published, consequently most of their music has never been heard live outside of their own performances. Working over the course of several months Noel Freidline transcribed a full program of the MJQ’s music, including classics such as “Concorde,” “Vendome,” “Softly As In a Morning Sunrise” and “Summertime.”

The performing musicians are all fully vaccinated and request that you respect the health of others and attend in person only if you are fully vaccinated. Face masks will be required for in-person attendees. If you are not vaccinated, we hope you will enjoy the live-stream of this concert.

Cherishing their close family bond, Cynthia Fok Lawing and Gloria Fok Cook have appeared as duo concerto soloists in the US and in their native Hong Kong, and they have taken a successful concert tour of Taiwan. Their concert will be a series of “scene paintings” from Debussy, Smetana, Dvorak, Saint-Saens, and Brahms.