8 DAYS A WEEK: Your look at Valley Arts Tweet Published January 27. 2022 11:36PM “An Evening with Branford Marsalis,” 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28, Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown. Marsalis, above left, raised in New Orleans, is a son of Dolores, a jazz singer, and Ellis Louis Marsalis, Jr., a pianist-music professor, and brother of Jason Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis and Delfeayo Marsalis, also jazz musicians. Branford Marsalis, who plays soprano, alto and tenor saxophone, led the Tonight Show Band on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (1992-’95). Marsalis performed with Sting, singer-bass player, the Police, on “The Dream of the Blue Turtles” (1985) and performed with him in studio and on tour until 1999. The Branford Marsalis Quartet’s album, “I Heard You Twice the First Time” (1992), received a Grammy Award, Best Instrumental Jazz Album, Individual or Group. Marsalis co-starred in writer-director Spike Lee’s film “School Daze” (1988). Marsalis played with the Grateful Dead (1990-’94). Marsalis wrote the music for the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s play, “Fences” (2010). The quartet, in addition to Marsalis, saxophones, is: Joey Calderazzo, piano; Eric Revis, bass, and Justin Faulkner, drums. Marsalis was guest soloist, Allentown Symphony Orchestra (2016). Tickets: Miller Symphony Hall box office, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown; www.millersymphonyhall.org; 610-432-6715 Mike Dawes, Yasmin Williams, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2, Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling, Bethlehem. Dawes, above, an English guitarist, is known for composing, arranging and performing multiple parts simultaneously on a single guitar. Dawes was named Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World two years in a row (2017, 2018) by Total Guitar Magazine-MusicRadar reader polls. Williams, below, who grew up in Virginia, is an acoustic finger-style guitarist with an unorthodox style of playing. She graduated from New York University with a degree in Music Theory and Composition (2017). Her first album, “Unwind” (2018) was followed up with “Urban Driftwood” (2021). Tickets: box office, ArtsQuest Center, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem; www.steelstacks.org; 610-297-7100 CONTRIBUTED PHOTO CONTRIBUTED PHOTO CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
