"Giant Steps Over Philly" Rescheduled

Philadelphia’s oldest non-profit jazz education and advocacy organization, The TraneStop Resource Institute, Inc., invites the public to come out to the Awbury Arboretum in Germantown on September 23, 2006 from 1 to 8:30 PM and celebrate the 80th birthday of Philadelphia’s most noted jazz musician, arranger, composer and cultural humanitarian - John William Coltrane. This free outdoor concert is part of the John Coltrane Jazz Festival – “Giant Steps Over Philly”, and is hosted by State Representative John Myers and State Senator LeAnna Washington.

This concert was rescheduled from September 2nd due to in-climate weather which provided the TraneStop the opportunity to merge this festival with its annual celebration of Coltrane’s birthday. The event will still have two stages with international recording artist Billy Paul headlining the John Myers Blues Stage and internationally recognized jazz legend Archie Shepp headlining the John Coltrane Jazz Stage.

Both headliners are Philadelphia natives and both have connections to the late John Coltrane, who has influenced generations of musicians across racial lines, musical genre and geographical boundaries. Both headliners have embraced the opportunity to pay tribute to this jazz legend. Billy Paul recalls that as a young performer (he began performing at 11 years old) he graced the same stage with Coltrane and Charlie Parker along with other great jazz legends who influenced his style.

For Archie Shepp this is a particularly exciting homecoming for a number of reasons. First, he has the opportunity to pay tribute to a musician he loved, admired and who influenced his radical political style of ”black art music” (nee African American classical music). Secondly he gets to see his family and performed in the Germantown community in which he was bred. (Archie often laments the fact that this music is no longer readily available within the community as it was in its developmental stages.) He also is delighted to be able to return the favor to Representative John Myers, because Archie credits John Myers’ father (a former leader in his community) w ith putting him on the path of becoming a professional musician.

Joining legends Billy Paul and Archie Shepp in this homecoming celebration of John Coltrane are; 1) on the John Myers Blues Stage at Haines and Ardleigh from 1-7PM - Fiidla’s Philly Blues Funk Experiment featuring Owen ‘Fiidla’ Brown, the Phyllies Intruders and The Lou Taylor Urban Collective and 2) on the John Coltrane Jazz Stage, off 800 East Washington Lane near Chew Avenue from 2-8:30PM - the Pioneers Quintet with Archie Shepp, James Spaulding, Stanley Cowell, Jymie Merritt and Allen Nelson; the Philadelphia Homecoming Brigade Quintet with Willie Williams, Papo Vazquez, Sumi Tonooka, Don Moore and Vincent Ector; the Search for the New Land Quintet with Duane Eubanks, Stanley Wilson, Ronnie Burrage, Jymie Merritt and Sid Simmons and the Tenor Love Quintet with Charles Bowen and William Thorpe on Tenor Sax, Tyrone Brown, Sid Simmons, Byron Landham and featuring Ella Gahnt on vocals.

For information:

215-438-3178 or 215-380-4747