LANSING, Mich. — A distinctive guitarist, composer and bandmember with renowned jazz leaders will share his unique sound and finesse with students and community as the eighth annual MSUFCU Jazz Artist in Residence Program continues to roll out its virtual season, December 2-4.
David Stryker is the third guest in the lineup of working musicians, educators and composers conducting multiday residencies focused on jazz music and performance through the MSU College of Music. Stryker’s residency will feature streamed performance and interactive virtual sessions, mirroring the university’s switch to remote learning and performances during the pandemic. He will also perform virtually with the MSU Jazz Orchestras— three 18-member big bands that play the repertoire of the great jazz masters and wide range of soul, swing, blues and gospel.
Remote sessions, video conferencing and interactive webinars will be tailored for different audiences that include MSU jazz studies students, high school students, students at the MSU Community Music Schools in East Lansing and Detroit, and the general public. The three-day residency wraps with a high-energy video performance of Stryker and the MSU Jazz Orchestras that is free and open to the public via the College’s Livestream channel on December 4.
“I've been a fan of Dave's for the last 25 years,” said Randy Napoleon, MSU associate professor of jazz guitar. “What is most amazing to me, is that somehow, he continues to reach ever higher levels of mastery. He is a total inspiration.”
Labeled “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years” by Village Voice, composer and jazz guitarist Dave Stryker has 30 individual CDs to his name. One of his most prominent stints was as a member of legendary saxophonist Stanley Turrentine’s renowned jazz quintet throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Stryker was recently voted into the 2019 Downbeat Readers and Critics Polls for the 10th time.
Stryker grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and moved to New York City in 1980. He established himself in the local music scene and was a member of organist Jack McDuff’s group from 1984-85. He later joined Turrentine’s quintet, and played with the legendary saxophonist at festivals, concert halls and clubs throughout the world from 1986 through the 90s.
Stryker has recorded and published more than 150 original compositions which have been widely covered and recorded. He is an adjunct professor of jazz guitar at Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and at the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University.
The Jazz Artist in Residence series is made possible through an endowment from the MSU Federal Credit Union. Since 2013, the program has attracted high-level talent and serves as a model for jazz studies programs nationwide. All combined, the residencies of the 28 artists to-date included workshops, concerts, events and outreach to more than 35,000 students and adults at non-profit organizations, middle and high schools, and communities across Michigan.
Stryker is the third in the dynamic line-up of MSUFCU Jazz Artists in Residence currently scheduled for the 2020-21 season. He was proceeded by bassist Marion Hayden in November, and is followed by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon in February, and saxophonist Charles McPherson in March. The series kicked-off in September with jazz trumpeter Terell Stafford.
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