en-usCopyright 2009 Philadelphia Museum of ArtSat, 04 Jul 2009 03:00:00 -0500The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest and most important art museums in the United States.http://www.philamuseum.org/ Modern jazz with a sheen of "clean beauty" (Philadelphia Inquirer), The Antfarm Quartet is an all-star ensemble performing original compositions as well as gorgeous covers of Johnny Mandel, Henry Mancini, Lennon/McCartney, Rodgers & Hart, Joe Henderson, Luis Bonfa, Jobim, and more.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=10&et=1&dt=July_2009#6830July 10, 2009 This Philadelphia-based quintet is dedicated to the music of the great Thelonious Monk, celebrating his imagination and swing with their own personal spin.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=17&et=1&dt=July_2009#6831July 17, 2009 Philadelphia tenor saxophone legend Larry McKenna showcases his exemplary saxophone skills with unique interpretations of classic standards.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=31&et=1&dt=July_2009#3970July 31, 2009 Pennsylvania-based Earl Pickens & Family have opened for Marah, Mark Olson, and then-presidential-hopeful Barack Obama. Most recently they have recorded an acoustic interpretation of the classic U2 album, “The Joshua Tree.” Their rootsy, song-by-song take on the original album dismantles and reconstructs each track with upright bass, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, snare drum, and haunting vocal harmonies.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=7&et=1&dt=August_2009#6832August 7, 2009 This South Philly percussionist has been playing drums since childhood, playing his first professional gig when he was eight years old. He has toured Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, and has collaborated with Nina Simone and Patti Labelle. Thompson is currently a visiting resident at the University of Pennsylvania.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=14&et=1&dt=August_2009#6833August 14, 2009 Warren Oree and Jazz Headz showcase some of Philly’s most popular band leaders as one unified ensemble to create a collage of sound that reflects the Philly Jazz Sound that has been heralded worldwide.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=21&et=1&dt=August_2009#6834August 21, 2009 For a young jazz musician growing up in Alaska, Philadelphia seemed like a far-off Valhalla of music; for saxophonist Victor North, getting to Philadelphia was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Now that he has lived here for more than fifteen years, Victor has established himself as a versatile sideman, and has recently begun devoting more time to showcasing his own ensemble.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=28&et=1&dt=August_2009#6835August 28, 2009 Box Five is the brainchild of Philadelphia native Mary Bichner, a composer and performer who combines Mozart-inspired chord progressions with bratty Brit-rock hooks into a musical succotash she likes to call classipop. The eccentric musician breathes new life into the calcified world of "radio-friendly" contemporary music through memorable melodies and solid songwriting. This show will feature a rock band and a string quartet.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=4&et=1&dt=September_2009#6836September 4, 2009 Double bassist and composer Ranaan Meyer has performed throughout the United States solo and with his string trio, Time For Three. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, he has performed with Branford Marsalis and Ari Hoenig, and opened for Carrie Underwood and k.d. lang. Also an avid teacher, Meyer has held adjunct professorships at Princeton University and the University of Delaware; he also holds his own bass camp, Wabass, in Wabash, Indiana. This show will also feature Norma Meyer on piano.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=11&et=1&dt=September_2009#6837September 11, 2009 The Philly 5 represents five of the city's leading jazz musicians, including trumpeter John Swana, tenor sax Chris Farr, vibist Tony Miceli, and the rhythm section of Maddison Rast and Dan Monaghan. For this performance The Philly 5 are joined by vocalist Denise King, whose sophisticated styling brings to mind one of her idols, Sarah Vaughan.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=18&et=1&dt=September_2009#6516September 18, 2009 Born western Cuba, Elio Villafranca was classically trained in percussion and composition at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, Cuba. Since his arrival in the U.S. in late 1995, he has been involved in jazz and Latin jazz scenes on both the East and West Coasts. Inspired by musical genres that developed as a result of the African Diaspora, Villafranca creates original cultural and musical fusions notable for their spirited, groundbreaking innovations. Based in New York City he is resident professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Over the years his Quartet has included Blue Note recording artists guitarist Pat Martino, the Canadian saxophonist Jane Bunnett, and trumpeter Terell Stafford, among other notable instrumentalists. His Quartet has performed in New York City at the Blue Note Jazz Club, Jazz Standard, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and other venues.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=25&et=1&dt=September_2009#6838September 25, 2009