Some good news from New Orleans

Ceremony To Herald Return Of The Cove Friday

For the first time since Hurricane Katrina, the Cove, the hub of student life at the University of New Orleans for decades, will reopen at a ceremony on Friday, December 2. Governor Bobby Jindal, Senator Mary Landrieu, University of Louisiana System President Randy Moffett, and UNO Interim Chancellor Joe King will speak at the ribbon cutting which will begin at 2:30 p.m. Special musical performances will be given by professor emeritus Ellis Marsalis and UNO jazz faculty members Victor Atkins, Roland Guerin, Steve Masakowski, Ed Petersen, Brent Rose, Brian Seeger, and the Director of the New Orleans Jazz Institute, Irvin Mayfield.

The Cove was originally built in 1973 as a “food and recreation center” and quickly became the center of UNO campus life. In 1990, UNO jazz studies director Ellis Marsalis turned The Cove into a living laboratory where UNO students performed with national and international jazz artists. Jazz at the Sandbar grew to become part of UNO’s academic and cultural fabric. UNO is proud to announce the return of one of its greatest treasures which has been shuttered since Hurricane Katrina.

The $4.7 million, 16,400 square-foot facility will offer a food court, indoor and outdoor seating, a bar, and a state-of-the-art music venue which will house the famed Sandbar. The project was funded by a combination of federal, state, and private money including donations from UNO alumni and the UNO Student Government Association.
UNO Jazz Ambassadors to Perform at Prestigious Event in New York

UNO student Barry Stephenson, a composer and bassist in the Jazz Studies program, has been named this year’s recipient of the ASCAP Foundation’s Louis Armstrong Scholarship. Stephenson will be presented with the award at the annual ASCAP Foundation Awards Ceremony Wednesday, December 7, in the Allen Room of the Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

The scholarship is supported by the ASCAP Foundation and the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc. and includes a $3,000 cash award.

For the first time, the ASCAP Foundation has invited UNO to provide the jazz segment of the evening’s musical showcase. Joining Stephenson on bass for the performance will be fellow graduate students Allen Dejan, Jr. on saxophone and Jamison Ross on drums, as well as Jazz Studies professor Brian Seeger on guitar.

The invitation-only event, hosted by ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams, honors a wide variety of scholarship and award recipients, all of whom benefit from programs of The ASCAP Foundation. Last year’s honorees included singer Tony Bennett and his wife Susan Benedetto. The ASCAP Foundation supports a variety of professional development, music education, and recognition programs. ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, is one of the largest performing rights organizations in the world.
Music Department Gets $1,000 Grant For Jazz At The Sandbar

The University of New Orleans Department of Music is the recipient of a $1,000 grant from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation to support the Jazz at the Sandbar series in the spring of 2012. The funding comes from the Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Community Partnerships Grants program.

Founded by Ellis Marsalis, the Jazz at the Sandbar program presents up to 16 concerts each year at UNO, pairing well-known jazz professionals with UNO student ensembles to give budding jazz artists the opportunity to play with musical legends. Now in its 21st year, Jazz at the Sandbar offers regular high-quality jazz concerts on campus and provides a lively meeting place for students, faculty, and the New Orleans community. Jazz at the Sandbar is, in fact, the only regular provider of live jazz in the neighborhoods of Lakeview, Gentilly, and New Orleans East. In the spring of 2012, Jazz at the Sandbar will return to its original home in The Cove, the newly renovated student dining and entertainment facility.

The Jazz & Heritage Foundation provides funding to local arts and educational groups for programs that reflect the foundation’s mission of promoting Louisiana’s musical culture.

“There are so many groups working hard to support the culture of our region, and we are privileged to be able to assist them in a direct and meaningful way,” said Don Marshall, the Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s executive director. “This is another great example of how the foundation uses the proceeds from Jazz Fest to benefit our community.”
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