Donnie McCaslin Comes to Walton Arts Center, 2/10

A spark plug in New York jazz circles for the past two decades, saxophonist Donny McCaslin and his band are bringing experimental jazz with David Bowie influences to Walton Arts Center on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 at 7:30 pm as part of the Starrlight Jazz Club Series.

Single tickets start at $30 plus applicable fees and can be purchased in-person at the Walton Arts Center Box Office, by calling 479.443.5600 or by visiting waltonartscenter.org. For downloadable photos, visit the Donny McCaslin Dropbox.

Known for integrating the entire range of sounds that a tenor sax can produce into his repertoire, Donny McCaslin seamlessly transitions from mainstream modern to funky fusion to laid-back balmy ballads, all flavored with his own experimental style. With three Grammy nominations and 11 albums to his name, Donny McCaslin's path to success has been punctuated by impressive collaborations and projects, not the least of which includes being featured on David Bowie's last album Blackstar.

McCaslin's new album, Beyond Now, is inspired by and dedicated to Bowie. Beyond Now, documents "David Bowie's Last Band" as they were processing both their grief and Bowie's distinctive impact.

McCaslin's path to Bowie can be traced back to the 2011 release of his album Perpetual Motion, which took on an electric direction for the first time; and the recommendation of McCaslin to Bowie by a mutual friend. Two subsequent albums, Casting for Gravity (2012) and Fast Future (2015), released with his working band, were directly influenced by electronica artists. Casting for Gravity netted McCaslin a 2013 Grammy nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo.

For more information, visit www.waltonartscenter.org.

Walton Arts Center is Arkansas' largest and busiest performing arts presenter. Each year more than 195,000 people from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma and beyond attend more than 400 public events at Walton Arts Center, including performances, rehearsals, community gatherings, receptions, weddings and more. Approximately 45,000 students and teachers participate annually in arts learning programs at Walton Arts Center, and almost 200 volunteers donate 21,000 hours of time each year to its operations. Walton Arts Center presents entertainers and artists from around the world including Broadway musicals, renowned dance companies, International Artists, up-and-coming jazz musicians and more. As a non-profit organization, Walton Arts Center enjoys the generous support of public sector funding, corporate sponsorship and private donors, allowing audience members to pay on average only 45% of the cost of programs offered. To learn more about Walton Arts Center, visit www.waltonartscenter.org.

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