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THE PHIL MORRISON-KEN TRIMMINS JAZZ COLLECTIVE
March 17 @ 3:00 pm
The Phil Morrison-Ken Trimmins Jazz Collective will take the stage at the Historic Ritz Theatre on Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 3 pm for a special concert to celebrate the 90th birthday of the one and only Phil Morrison. The concert will feature jazz standards and original compositions with many special guest musicians including a special reunion with Phil’s long-time collaborator, Keith Williams.
A staple of the Golden Isles music scene, Phil Morrison is an award-winning songwriter whose music includes an official song for the Beijing Olympics, the unveiling of the Martin Luther King JR National Memorial Statute in Washington, D.C., the official song for Brunswick and the Golden Isles, “Take Me to the Coast of Georgia” and a tribute song paying homage to the historic event at Ibo Landing on St. Simons Island. Phil uses his international travels and experiences to influence his music. He has spent time in Brazil while working with singer and pianist Freddy Cole (the youngest brother of Nat King Cole), as well as Japan, China and most of Europe when working with Blues great T-Bone Walker. He acquired a great appreciation for all those cultures and their music which he incorporates and celebrates in his own compositions. Much of Phil’s material has social relevance and pays tribute to those who have spent their lives combating social, racial and religious injustice and persecution. He has had his work played around the world.
Dr. Kenneth Trimmins attended and received a Bachelor of Art in Music Education degree from Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia , Master of Music in Classical Trumpet Performance degree from Mercer University, and Doctor of Music in Classical Trumpet Performance degree from The Florida State University. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force where he spent twenty-three years serving as a musical ambassador around the world garnering recognition as a jazz and commercial trumpet player and band leader.
He is currently the concert band director and an assistant professor at Albany State University. As a jazz soloist he has performed in numerous jazz venues including (to name just a few) The Clearwater Jazz Holiday, The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Atlanta Montreux Jazz Festival and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
For this very special concert, Phil and Ken will be performing with a quintet of accomplished musicians: Joe Watts, one of the most soulful singer/pianists on the scene today; amazing saxophonist Jody Espina; Clyde Conner, drummer extraordinaire; percussionist Ekendra Das; and of course, pianist and vocalist Keith Williams. Keith currently lives in Japan and is making this special trip to honor his great friend Phil.
Join Phil and Ken and guests for a wonderful afternoon of great music with the Phil Morrison-Ken Trimmins Jazz Collective on Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 3 pm. Tickets for this concert are $20/person and can be purchased online at www.goldenislesarts.org, or the Ritz Theatre box office, 1530 Newcastle St., Tuesdays – Fridays 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call (912) 262-6934.
