MIDLAND This week, one of the most famous jazz musicians in the country will be performing alongside the West Texas Symphony.
World-renowned jazz saxophonist Brad Leali will be featured at this week’s edition of Pops and Family Series concert which starts at 7:30 p.m. March 4 at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.
Tickets can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/25cvc3h5.
“We’re so excited to have Brad with us here with our orchestra,” West Texas Symphony Executive Director Ethan Wills said. “A lot of the jazz musicians that are really good are really busy working a bunch. We’re really excited that we can get him here and work with our orchestra. It’s a new thing for him and for us to try and do.”
With a unique style and sound which echoes influences of his past, Leali is one of the most notable jazz musicians today.
Saturday’s concert will mark his live debut orchestral performance.
“I know Brad has come to Midland and Odessa in the past but we’ve never had him with the orchestra before,” Wills said. “In fact, this concert is the first time he’s performing live with an orchestra. He’s done a recorded thing before but he’s never done a live concert in this way before.”
It’s safe to say the saxophonist has had an impressive career, touring and recording with so many jazz greats.
That includes several years performing with the Harry Connick Jr. Orchestra and with the Count Basie Orchestra.
He’s performed around the globe with music icons such as Stevie Wonder, Kid Rock, Beyonce, Billy Joel, Vanessa Williams and many more.
Leali was a standing member of the Kennedy Centers Honor Band and performed for Barack Obama’s inaugural celebration.
Currently, Leali is a professor of Jazz Saxophone at the University of North Texas which is considered to be one of the most prolific jazz programs in the country.
When not teaching, he continues with his successful solo career which includes a few music albums.
Getting the opportunity to have Leali perform in West Texas is something the symphony isn’t taking for granted.
“That whole ordeal has been exciting for us,” Wills said. “I know that Brad is an amazing musician so my concern was never that we would have a good show. I knew it would always be a great show. The concern was all the logistics behind the scene.”
Wills says that includes a lot of time going through the details of the collaboration of this performance between the symphony and Leali.
“We’re planning on building a big book and being flexible on how we plan and schedule for things to create a really great show,” Wills said. “We’ve been working on those things for months to blend these two genres in a unique way. I know a lot of great orchestras have utilized jazz artists but they come ‘prepackaged’ so they’re pretty easy to program. For this one, to develop a new program that’s really honoring him as a pure jazz musician but honoring our orchestra musicians to make sure they sound good too has been a really fun and exciting challenge.”
Also joining along on Saturday will be Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Carla Helmbrecht.
“We actually have a vocalist performing on Saturday on one of the tunes at least,” Wills said. “I hope people come out because this music is going to feature a lot of jazz standards and that’s important. A lot of pop tunes are redone in the jazz genre but this is pure jazz standard. If you enjoy listening to any type of jazz, this concert is something that you’re going to want to come to.”
The month of March will mark the beginning of a busy stretch of the season for the West Texas Symphony.
Following this week’s concert, the West Texas Symphony will be working in collaboration with the Midland Festival Ballet’s Regional Dance America Southwest Festival next week.
Later this month, the WTS will be holding a special concert in Odessa for “Downtown Classics” at 7:30 p.m. March 24 at Ector Theatre.
“We’re very excited and nervous. In the month of March alone, we’re doing three big performances,” Wills said. “That’s important. We do at least 17 events every year but we do eight main stage concerts, at least in a season. These next three are three big ones.”
