Philly Jazz Group To Perform At BCCC Thursday Night

Bucks County Community College will host Ben Schachter’s QuadraPhillya at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Newtown campus as part of its Bucks Live! series.

The Philly-based jazz quartet features Ben Schachter on saxophone, John Swana on EVI (electronic valve instrument), and Leon Boykins and Matt Scarano, both on drums.

Tickets for Ben Schachter’s QuadraPhillya are $20 general admission; $10 for seniors and alumni; $5 for children, students, and Bucks college employees; and free for Bucks students with current ID.

In addition, a limited number of VIP tickets are available for $25, which includes a pre-concert reception with hors d’oeuvres, two glasses of wine or beer, a meet and greet with the performers, and reserved seating.
VIP ticketholders must be age 21 or older. The reception begins at 6 p.m.

Schachter will share that passion with a free master class from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, on “The Music of Thelonious Monk.” The class, which is open to students and community members alike, will be held in the Kevin and Sima Zlock Performing Arts Center.

“I have long been fascinated by the music of this great master,” Schachter said.“I have studied, analyzed, taught, interpreted, arranged, adapted and performed this music for years.”

Schachter is “one of the sharpest improvisers in modern jazz,” according to All About Jazz. The Philadelphia native has recorded and performed in the U.S., Europe, and Asia with a litany of jazz artists, including Sam Rivers, Dave Holland, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Uri Caine, and many more. As a composer, Schachter has been recognized with grants from the American Composers Forum, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Pew Fellowships in the Arts.

When he’s not performing, composing or recording, Schachter is a much-sought-after teacher. He holds degrees from Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. He’s an Assistant Professor and coordinator of the graduate program in Temple University’s renowned Jazz Studies department, where he has taught since 1993. He has also been on faculty at Berklee College of Music, The University of the Arts, and numerous other colleges.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Zlock Performing Arts Center, which is equipped with audio-loop technology for the hearing impaired and is located in the Gateway Center on the campus at 275 Swamp Road, Newtown. Parking is free.

Pictured above is Schachter.

Image courtesy Bucks County Community College