PENNY W. STAMPS SPEAKER SERIES

Unless otherwise noted, all programs take place on Thursdays at 5:10 pm at the historic Michigan Theater, located at 603 E. Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor, and are free of charge and open to the public.

April 5, 2012

Shelly Berg

Follow the Sun

All Music Guide calls jazz pianist Shelly Berg “one of the finest pianists around…playing modern jazz.” Shelly's CD, Blackbird (Concord), reached #1 in US jazz radio (Jazzweek) and garnered Record of the Year. He has collaborated with jazz vocalists such as Patti Austin, Nancy Wilson, Bobby McFerrin, Kurt Elling, and Dionne Warwick, and performed/recorded with jazz legends including Ray Brown, Peter Erskine, Jon Faddis, Woody Herman, James Moody, Arturo Sandoval, Clark Terry and Bill Watrous, to name a few.

Shelly's composing and orchestrating for television and film includes Fudge, CBS's A League of Their Own, Dennis Miller Live, Almost Heroes, For Your Consideration, and Men of Honor. He has orchestrated for Chicago, Kiss, Carole King, Richard Marx, Joe Cocker, Elliott Smith, Lou Rawls, Steve Miller, and most recently was a featured orchestrator on Ray Sings, Basie Swings (a Ray Charles/Count Basie Orchestra collaboration) and Arturo Sandoval's A Time for Love. Shelly is currently dean of the Frost School at Miami University.

With Support from the Department of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation at the School of Music, Theater, and Dance.