Jazz Pianist Dan Nimmer & Bassist David Wong Play in Summit May 7

Virtuoso jazz pianist Dan Nimmer of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Wynton Marsalis Quintet joins with celebrated bassist David Wong for an Afternoon Music concert at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 7, in the sanctuary of Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit, 4 Waldron Avenue (at Springfield Avenue).

Nimmer will be playing his fluid, swinging interpretations of jazz standards as well as some of his own compositions. He and bassist Wong are long-time collaborators usually heard in a trio setting with drums. This is a rare chance to hear them together in the intimate format of Beacon's jewel-box sanctuary. The audience will meet the artists at a reception after the show.

Ticket availability is limited, so jazz fans are advised to purchase soon. Tickets are $25 online and $30 at the door. Students are welcome free. To buy online (or reserve free student tickets), go to Afternoon Music's website, www.afternoonmusic.org.

Often compared to his heroes Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner and Art Tatum, Nimmer is a Wisconsin native who began playing the piano by ear when his family inherited an instrument. He got interested in jazz after studying classical piano and began playing at clubs around Milwaukee when in high school. As a student at Northern Illinois University, he found frequent gigs at clubs in Chicago and, based on his success there, left for New York a few years later.

At the age of 23, he auditioned with Wynton Marsalis for the empty piano chair in the jazz orchestra, got the job and has been playing ever since with the orchestra and with various Wynton Marsalis ensembles. His recent gigs include shows with the quintet in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan and a trio appearance in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

JazzTimes' Tom Wilmeth praised Nimmer's full-hand choral work and his emphasis on melody. "He never let his considerable chops dominate a piece for the sake of show. Here is a pianist who respects the song."

Bassist David Wong was born in New York City and graduated from the Juilliard School in 2004. Even before graduating, he performed as part of the Eric Reed Trio, both internationally and at US venues including the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and with Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is currently bassist with the Heath Brothers quartet and with Roy Haynes' Fountain of Youth Band and has recorded with Benny Green and Dan Nimmer, among others.

Wong is featured on "Linger Awhile" with Samara Joy, 2023 Grammy winner for the Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album. He has performed with Bill Charlap, Clark Terry, Illinois Jacquet and Christian McBride.

For the past 40 years, Afternoon Music has been presenting excellent concerts of classical music and jazz at affordable prices for Summit and Union County area residents. We aim to explore the wide diversity of chamber music showcasing many New Jersey artists and composers. Afternoon Music's artistic director is Misa Iwama, Beacon's Director of Music Ministry.

Afternoon Music is a supporting organization of Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit. Donations are tax-deductible. The program is funded in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through a grant administered by the Union County Division of Cultural & Heritage Affairs.

For further information, call Afternoon Music at (908) 248-2773.