METROPOLITAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA
“THE GOSPEL TRUTH”
WITH GUEST ARTIST BOBBY FLOYD ON PIANO AND ORGAN
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 8 p.m.
“Blues drenched jazz, with a Gospel twist” from Northern Virginia’s own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra
MANASSAS, Va., – Northern Virginia’s own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra presents an evening of down-home sophistication in “The Gospel Truth,” an evening of blues-drenched, hand-clapping American music with a gospel twist, coming to the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas on Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 8 p.m. This performance is Family Friendly: tickets for youth through grade 12 are half price when accompanied by an adult. A pre-performance discussion, free to ticket holders, begins 45 minutes prior to the performance in the Hylton Center’s Buchanan Partners Art Gallery. Prince William Health System is the 2012-2013 Hylton Presents Season Sponsor.
For this performance, Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra teams up with Bobby Floyd, an accomplished jazz pianist and master of 
the Hammond B-3 organ. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Floyd has performed with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony and ProMusica Chamber Orchestra and shared the stage with the likes of Dionne Warwick, Doc Severinsen, Arturo Sandoval, Faye Robinson and many others. He has recorded three albums, “Interpretations,” “Setting the Standards” and “Floyd’s Finest Gift,” and is in the process of producing his fourth album of a live recording from Spain. He maintains an active recording schedule with his own trio, featuring Columbus-based artists Derek DiCenzo on bass and lead guitar and Reggie Jackson on drums.
Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra is composed of some of the finest jazz musicians in the greater Washington, D.C. area. The ensemble features Charlie Young, Luis Hernandez, Marty Nau and Tyler Kuebler on saxophone; Brian MacDonald, Tom Williams and Kenny Rittenhouse on trumpet; Ben Patterson, Matt Niess and Harry Watters on trombone; and Harold Summey, Wade Beach and Rick Whitehead in the rhythm section.
In addition to serving as director of the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Jim Carroll’s illustrious career includes performances
at Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall and the Apollo Theatre. A versatile performer, Carroll has performed with Michael Jackson, Nancy Wilson, Maynard Ferguson, Billy Taylor, Woody Herman and His Thundering Herd, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and many others. Active as an educator, Carroll is the director of Jazz Studies in the School of Music at George Mason University.
“Regarding jazz and blues, it’s been said ‘If you have to ask, you’ll never know.’ Well, I never liked that phrase because it leaves folks out,” Carroll said. “That’s not what jazz is about. Jazz is about bringing everyone from all walks of life, race, color, occupation, age, education and creed together to clap hands, pray, sing, dance and live life. And yes, the blues is major and minor at the same time, just like life is happy and sad at the same time, but … we play and sing the blues so we don’t get the blues!”
The program will be announced from the stage.
The Hylton Performing Arts Center is pleased to recognize Prince William Health System
as the 2012-2013 Hylton Presents Season Sponsor
Tickets for METROPOLITAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA’S “THE GOSPEL TRUTH” are $28, $36 and $44. Family Friendly: tickets for youth through grade 12 half price when accompanied by an adult. Visit the box office (open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or charge by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit HyltonCenter.org. The Hylton Performing Arts Center is located on George Mason University’s Prince William Campus at 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Va., 20110. FREE parking is available in the lot next to the Hylton Center. For more information, please visit HyltonCenter.org. Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/HyltonCenter and follow us on Twitter at @Hylton_PAC.
About the Hylton Performing Arts Center
Dedicated to bringing a world-class performing arts venue to the Prince William region, the Hylton Performing Arts Center was born out of a partnership among Prince William County, George Mason University, the City of Manassas, the Commonwealth of Virginia and individuals and businesses in the private sector. Soaring more than nine stories and boasting a stunning mix of copper, glass and masonry, the 85,000-square foot center is home to two unparalleled performance venues for local arts groups and performers from around the world, as well as university-related activities. Modeled after the intimate European opera houses of the 19th century, Merchant Hall is a 1,123-seat multipurpose proscenium theater, which is encircled by 27 private boxes that rise three levels. The Gregory Family Theater is a flexible, 4,400-square foot space that can be configured for many different types of performances and events. In addition, the Didlake Grand Foyer, with its sweeping staircase, provides an ideal setting for community, corporate and social events. The Hylton Performing Arts Center, the only building of its kind in the area, is sure to quickly become the cultural hub of Prince William County and the surrounding communities and is a shining example of collaboration and commitment to the arts.
About George Mason University
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university. George Mason University – Where Innovation Is Tradition.
