Stefon Harris & Blackout to perform at Purdue on Jan. 18

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Vibraphonist Stefon Harris and his ensemble, Blackout, come to Loeb Playhouse on Jan. 18 for an 8 p.m. performance. This performance is presented by Purdue Convocations as part of the Purdue Jazz Festival.

At 7 p.m., join composer, jazz pianist and music educator Judd Danby in the 1869 Tap Room for a discussion about the evening’s performance.

Lauded by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the most important artists in jazz,” vibraphonist Stefon Harris returns to Purdue Convocations — this time with his ensemble, Blackout. So named for their rejection of traditional jazz definitions, Blackout embraces sleek, slinky soul, funk, hip-hop, and go-go — like Stevie Wonder rubbing elbows with George Gershwin and bop icons. It’s among many projects for Harris, in demand as a bandleader, sideman (for Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Ry Cooder, and Common, among others), teacher, and TED Talk thought leader. 

Enjoy this energetic kickoff to the 2019 Purdue Jazz Festival, with a performer The New Yorker called “the standout vibraphonist of his generation.” 

Tickets are $34 for adults and $24 for children 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Stewart Center box office at 765-494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW. Group tickets are also available to groups of 10 more. Call 765-496-1977 for more details or visit https://purdue.edu/convocations/group-sales/

Initiated in 1902, Purdue Convocations was one of the first professional performing arts presenters in the United States. Each year, Convocations offers the region 30-40 performances of widely varying genres: Broadway-style shows, theater, dance, children's theater, world music, jazz, and chamber music, along with rock, pop, country and comedy attractions. With a vision for connecting artists and audiences in artistic dialogue and for drawing in academic discourse, Purdue Convocations aims to promote frequent exposure to and familiarity with human cultural expression in a multitude of forms and media. 

Source: Abby Eddy, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, (765)494-9712, aeeddy@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Publication-quality photos are available at http://www.convocations.org/press