David Newman performed as a studio musician with artists such as Hank Crawford, Aretha Franklin, Aaron Neville, and Herbie Mann. Texas great ‘Fathead’ Newman met Ray Charles while touring in the 40s. He later played with the Ray Charles Band for 12 years. Newman has appeared on David Sanborn's Night Music, David Letterman, and Saturday Night Live. The Washington Post calls his most recent CD, I Remember Brother Ray, a "sincere, evocative and soulful homage" to the late Ray Charles.

Performing with Newman will be UTD faculty member Kelly Durbin on piano, as well as popular local musicians James Gilyard on bass and Andrew Griffith on drums.

About the performers….

David Newman (saxophone)
David "Fathead" Newman David Newman was born in Corsicana,Texas on February 24, 1933. His family soon moved to Dallas, where they settled and David stayed through graduating Lincoln High School. After school, David found gigs in local bands. He received a scholarship to Jarvis Christian College and attended studying theology and music. After two years of college, David decided to go on the road full time with Buster Smith (Charlie Parker's mentor). The band played lots of one-nighters and dance halls, touring Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and sometimes California. On one of those tours, David met Ray Charles. Ray was working as a sideman with another group on the night's roster. They immediately bonded, both musically and as friends. When Ray started his own band, he called on David to be part of his group. In 1954, David began a twelve-year association with the Ray Charles Band. David began as the baritone player and soon became the star tenor soloist. In 1959, David recorded his first album as a leader titled, "Fathead: Ray Charles Presents 'Fathead'" on Atlantic records. It included Newman's dramatic and now famous rendition of Hard Times. He returned to Dallas for a short time and led his own bands. Then David Newman moved to New York City where his career took off in many directions.
Newman recorded many albums for Atlantic records, as well as Warner Brothers and Prestige. During this time in NYC, David gigged with Lee Morgan, Kenny Drew Sr., Billy Higgins, Kenny Dorham and so many other of the great jazz musicians hanging out on the New York scene. He gigged around the east coast with his own quartet, and soon began touring Europe and Japan as a leader. As a studio musician, he was very busy working on lots of recording projects with the likes of Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin, Hank Crawford, Aaron Neville, just to name a few. After meeting at a studio session, David joined forces with Herbie Mann during "The Family of Mann" era. Cal Tjader (later Roy Ayres) was part of this outstanding group. It was now time for David Newman to focus on his personal choices and let the public know more about the music that he chose to play. In 1980, Newman, determined to pursue his own musical identity, recorded several mainstream jazz albums for the Muse label. Artists such as Cedar Walton, Jimmy Cobb, Buster Williams, Louis Hayes, and other fine NY musicians, helped round out the rhythm sections. David returned to Atlantic Records in the late eighties to record several albums. One of he recordings was done live at the Village Vanguard in NYC, featuring Stanley Turrentine and Hank Crawford. Newman's next recordings were on the Kokopelli label. This was a new label owned by Herbie Mann. David recorded a beautiful CD in tribute to Duke Ellington, titled Mr. Gentle, Mr. Cool. David produced the next one on Kokopelli, titled Under A Woodstock Moon. The late nineties brought David to the High Note label where he has recorded six successful CDs. The most recent, I Remember Brother Ray, was released in January 2005 and has risen to number one.
David Newman has appeared on many television shows including Saturday Night Live, David Sanborn's Night Music, David Letterman, and various featured news segments. David appeared in Robert Altman's film Kansas City and did a national tour with the Kansas City Orchestra, for Verve Records.
(Taken from: http://www.davidfatheadnewman.com/)

Kelly Durbin (piano)
Kelly Durbin is a faculty member at The University of Texas at Dallas, where he directs the Jazz Ensemble and teaches classes in music theory, MIDI, jazz history, and jazz keyboard. He holds a Master of Music degree from The University of North Texas College of Music. Durbin has enjoyed long tenures with the Marchel Ivery Quintet, the James Gilyard Ensemble, and the Wayne Delano Quartet. He has performed at numerous jazz concerts, festivals, and workshops and given a lecture on jazz at the Dallas Museum of Art. His professional credits include work with The Woody Herman Orchestra (directed by Frank Tiberi), David "Fathead" Newman, James Clay, Cornell Dupree, Chuck Rainey, Billy Hart, Louis Hayes, Ed Soph, Lynn Seaton, Hank Crawford, Sebastian Whittaker, and Roseanne Vitro. Durbin was the music consultant and pianist for the Hollywood film "Daddy's dying, Who's got the will?" and can be heard on recordings by James Gilyard, Chuck Willis, Wayne DeLano, and Freddie Jones.

James Gilyard (bass)
James Gilyard, jazz bassist, composer, producer, and lecturer, has over 39 years of performing experience in the clubs and other venues of Texas and Oklahoma. He graduated from Langston University in 1967 with a B.A. in education and took postgraduate studies in Human Relations at the University of Oklahoma. He retired from a 27-year career as a HR professional with a Fortune 500 company to pursue a music career. He is a solid, sensitive accompanist and has performed with many well known artists including Red Garland, Sonny Stitt, Barney Kessell, Dewey Redman, Roseanne Vitro, James Clay and Billy Hart, to name a few. He has recorded four albums for Generativity, Ltd. and was one of five nominees for “Jazz Artist of the Year” in the 1996 Dallas Observer Reader’s Poll. Gilyard was also selected “Sammons Jazz Artist of the Year” for 1998 by the Sammons Center for the Arts, and is now the Artistic Director for the Sammons Jazz series.

Andrew Griffith (drums)
Andrew Griffith is a graduate of The University of North Texas. Andrew is also a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the Dallas Arts Magnet High School with a rich history of turning out talented young players whose musical maturity is well beyond their chronological age. For 13 years, Griffith has been a vital part of the Dallas jazz scene. Linda Jones of Guide Live, called him “a fixture in the rhythm sections of notable Dallas jazz veterans who trusted him to keep time while they played their tunes.” He has performed with Whitney Russell, Fred Sanders, Roger Boykin, Marchel Ivery, Joey DeFrancesco, Jack McDuff, James Gilyard and Roseanne Vitro.