ANNAPOLIS—Take a musical journey through the Jazz, Swing and Big Band Era with noted Baltimore musician and bandleader Whit Williams at a concert by his “Now’s the Time Music” Big Band at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts on Sunday, April 27 at 7 pm. Tickets for this concert are $25; $20 for Maryland Hall members.
Williams’ 18-piece band will perform music by notable jazz artists such as Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk and others who made the big band sound of the 30s, 40s and 50s so memorable. The concert will showcase both popular classic songs as well as highlight the impact of newer inspirations on music like be-bop. Among the songs on the concert’s play list are “Little Rootie Tootie” by Thelonius Monk; “Just One of Those Things,” by Cole Porter; “A Night in Tunisia,” by Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli; Dexter Gordon’s “Fried Bananas;” “Parker’s Mood” by Charlie Parker; and "Caravan" composed by Juan Tizol and first performed by Duke Ellington in 1936, to name just a few.
Thomas "Whit" Williams has been an influential figure for musicians from the Baltimore-Washington area since the early 1950's. A noted saxophonist, Williams has performed with many great artists such as: Lionel Hampton, Sarah Vaughn, Nancy Wilson, Joe Williams, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Sammy Davis Jr., Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle, The Supremes, The Temptations, Hank Crawford and many more.
In 1981, Whit Williams started and is the sole proprietor of the "Now's The Time Music" Big Band. The artistic mission of "Now's The Time Music" is to promote an appreciation for Jazz and other Afro-American styles of music through education programs and concert performances.
The Maryland State Arts Council provided underwriting for this concert through a Maryland Touring Grant. Additional support comes from Maryland Hall corporate sponsors: The Helena Foundation, AT&T, Inovalon, Inc., Comcast, Wells Fargo, ARINC, Verizon, Bay Ridge Wine and Spirits, Severn Savings Bank, Loews Annapolis Hotel, M&T Bank, Sandy Spring Bank and Towne Transport.
For more information or to order tickets, contact the Maryland Hall Box Office at 410-280-5640 or visit www.marylandhall.org. Box office hours are Monday - Friday from noon – 5 pm. Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts is located at 801 Chase Street, Annapolis.
