Four jazz legends featured in tribute

Kristen Peterson

Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006 | 12:35 p.m.

As a tribute to Black History Month, jazz legends Ruth Brown, Marlena Shaw, Johnny Pate and Billy Wallace will perform with the UNLV Jazz Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Judy Bayley Theatre.

Under the direction of Pate, the artists will perform music composed or arranged by Pate and pay homage to jazz composers.

"It's Black History Month, and we just thought it might be nice to have four living legends," Pate said Wednesday. "We were there when jazz first began to make its dent.

"We'll all be speaking about some of the early black composers. Billy Wallace will play a solo medley of Duke Ellington compositions. Marlena Shaw is doing something by Freddie Green."

All four artists are Southern Nevada residents. The Grammy Award-winning Brown, a 1992 inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, performs Thursdays at the Bootlegger, and Shaw has been a regular at the "Jazz in the Park" series at the County Government Center Amphitheater.

"It's great to play with big-name performers," said Bruce Paulson, UNLV professor of jazz studies and trombone. "These are important people and great historical people."

Tickets are $5 and $10. For more information, call 895-2787.

Kristen Peterson can be reached at 259-2317 or kristen@ lasvegassun.com.