National Jazz Museum Announces Their Upcoming Events

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem will be hosting two events for February including: JAZZ FOR CURIOUS LISTENERS : Jazz on Film: Rarities with host Christian McBride and HARLEM IN THE HIMALAYAS: Bassist and Monk Competition Winner Ben Williams. The National Jazz Museum runs the gamut from rare films of Miles, Cannonball, Herbie Hancockandother rare treats hosted by our Co-Director bass great Christian McBride to an evening of brilliant contemporary jazz led by young bass player Ben Williams at the best acoustic venue in Manhattan. 

Jazz for Curious Listeners takes place on February 16th at 7PM at the NJMH Visitors Center (104 E. 126th Street, Suite 2C).  For more information, call 212-348-8300 or register online at http://jazzmuseuminharlem.org/.

Harlem in the Himalayas will be presented on February 19th at 7PM at the Rubin Museum of Art (150 West 17th Street).  Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at door and can be purchased at http://www.rmanyc.org/harleminthehimalayas/. 

Ben Williams, an acoustic and electric bassist, composer, and educator, is a native of Washington, DC, now living in New York City. He recently received a Master's degree from the Juilliard School under the instruction of Ben Wolfe. He is a 2007 graduate of Michigan State University where he received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education with an emphasis in jazz studies under the instruction of Rodney Whitaker and Jack Budrow.

On October 11, 2009, Ben won the most prestigious award in the world for aspiring jazz musicians by winning first place at the 2009 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He was awarded a $20,000 Scholarship and a recording contract with Concord Records. The competition was judged by such iconic bassists as Ron Carter, Dave Holland and Christian McBride. Since the Monk competition, he debuted his band at the Jazz Gallery in New York, which received a great review in the New York Times by Nate Chinen.