New England Jazz Hall Of Fame To Honor Five New Inductees On May 17, 2009

CAMBRIDGE, MA. (Top40 Charts/ New England Jazz Hall Of Fame0 - Five newly-elected members will be inducted into the New England Jazz Hall of Fame on Sunday, May 17. Following the induction ceremony, the New England Jazz Alliance (www.Nejazz.org), which operates the Hall, will present a musical tribute to its late Board member and co-founder Leo Curran, a noted jazz advocate and inspiration to young musicians.

The inductees are pianist Dean Earl, trumpeter Joe Gordon, and tenor saxophonist Jimmy Mosher in the General category; clarinetist Edmond Hall and trumpeter Max Kaminsky in the Historical category. To be eligible for membership, musicians must have spent a considerable portion of their careers in New England, made significant contributions to jazz, and have been deceased for more than five years.

The all-star group who will perform in the second half of the ceremony each has a personal connection with Curran. A lifelong resident of Milford, Massachusetts, Curran co-founded the Milford Youth Orchestra, which performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, among other places. Curran traveled with the Stan Kenton band from 1948 to 1955 and was road manager for its legendary 1958 'Road Show' tour.

Musicians scheduled to perform in the Curran tribute include Grace Kelly, alto saxophone; Tony Lada, trombone; Ted Casher, tenor saxophone and flute; Mike Renzi, piano, Dave Zox, bass and Bobby Tamagni drums.

The ceremonies begin at 3pm at the Cambridge Family YMCA, 820 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tickets are $15 at the door ($10 for seniors and students). Advance tickets are $12 ($10 for seniors and students). Call 617-846-7418 to order.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Leo Curran Scholarship Fund, which will assist a young musician from New England in attending the Vermont Jazz Center summer program.

The New England Jazz Hall of Fame was established in 2001 by the all-volunteer New England Jazz Alliance (NEJA). The Hall's traveling exhibit and web site, www.Nejazz.org, tell the story of jazz in New England. This year's inductees are the third group to be so honored. The voting college is a 'who's-who' of jazz, and includes national and regional writers, performers, critics, educators, promoters, advocates and fans.