Jazz pianist Larry Willis performs with ECSU Collegians Jazz Ensemble
Kesha Williams October 30, 2008
The Collegians Jazz Ensemble at Elizabeth City State University welcomed jazz pianist
and composer Larry Willis as a guest performer for their concert on November 11 in
the K. E. White Graduate and Continuing Education Center.
Willis' career recordings of jazz, rock, pop, Afro Cuban and more spans from the mid
1960s to the current decade. He's played with jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie,
Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Art Blakey and Shirley Horn. Willis also spent seven years
as the keyboardist for the 40-year-old jazz rock band, "Blood, Sweat and Tears." Fans
cherish over 300 recordings that reflect Willis' keyboard mastery. Willis is also
credited with composing and arranging music for orchestras and big bands. He joined
the ECSU Collegians Jazz Ensemble for a tribute to Duke Ellington. The concert is
free. For more information, contact ECSU Professor Douglass Jackson, 335-3377.
