Urban Classical Jazz The Music of Ed Bland

A much-anticipated classical jazz program was designed by Joseph Vaz, grandson of Atwill and the late Doris Gwaltney with a grant from Smithfield Events. Pianist, Joseph Vaz is a music doctoral student at the CUNY Graduate Center in NY City who will bring with him an ensemble of New York professionals, cellist, Audrey Chen; flutist, Rebecca Moranis, and world-famous clarinetist, Charles Neidich, to perform pieces by the late husband of Smithfield native and author, Mary Batten Bland. Mr. Bland, a Chicago Jazz artist later became a composer who refined his musical style through the fusion of early 20th century Western European music culture with the juxtaposition of traditional African-American jazz, gospel roots, and complex rhythmic patterns of West Africa drumming.