3rd Thursday Jazz

3rd Thursday Jazz is going virtual for 2020! Fans of all ages are invited to free online jazz events on the third Thursdays of each month from August to November.

This season will feature Taylor Pace in August, Duane Durrett Quartet in September, José M. Aponte in October and Rachella Parks Washington in November. Program details:

November

Rachella Parks-Washington

In November's 3rd Thursday Jazz presentation, Rachella Parks-Washington will be performing a mixture of music including jazz standards, original music and excerpts from her CD, "Meditative Inspirational Suite." Her emotional, reflective, hopeful music is truly inspirational and uplifting for listener.

She will be joined by Nate Young (piano/vocals), Kermit Wells. (keyboards), Daniel Tcheco (drums) and Jared Durham (bass).

Concert premieres virtually Thursday, November 19 on YouTube

October

Dr. José M. Aponte

October’s 3rd Thursday Jazz performance is also a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Dr. José M. Aponte will perform and discuss Latin and African influences on jazz.

José M. Aponte is a native from Carolina, Puerto Rico, with a B.M. in Percussion from the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico, an artist diploma from The Musicians Institute of Technology in Los Angeles, California, and a M.M. from the University of North Texas Jazz Studies Program. José is a principal lecturer at the University of North Texas in the Percussion and Jazz Studies departments, where he teaches drumset and Latin percussion. In addition to his private lesson studio work, José is the director of UNT’s Afro-Cuban Ensemble, Brazilian Ensemble, and Latin Jazz Lab Band.

Concert premieres virtually Thursday, October 15 on YouTube

September

Duane Durrett Quartet

No stranger to the 3rd Thursday Jazz series, the Duane Durrett Quartet is back for 2020 with a “Traces of Bird” concert. All music in the concert was influenced by American jazz saxophonist and composer Charlie (Bird) Parker, and the group will honor his musical genius with this concert.

Durett on drums will be joined by Drenda Barnett (vocals), Kelly Durbin (piano), Quamon Fowler (sax) and Lou Harlas (bass).

Concert premieres virtually Thursday, September 17 on YouTube

August

Taylor Pace

The 2020 3rd Thursday Jazz Concert Series concert kicks off strong with a familiar face. Taylor Pace headlined a concert in the 2019 series, and returns as the lead act for this year. Pace is one of the four musicians who helped launch the Amplify 817 music streaming service hosted by the Library, which offers a curated collection of Fort Worth-only musicians for free.

In this concert, Fort Worth native Pace invites us into his creative process as he performs 9 of his original jazz compositions ranging in style from Blues to Fusion and Jazzy Soul. The concert will feature Fulton Turnage (sax), Mauricio Silva (guitar), Cory Hamilton (bass) and Steve Williams (drums).