American Drummers Achievement Awards
bill Cosby to Host the First Zildjian
American Drummers Achievement Awards
benefit to raise scholarship funds for young musicians.
The Avedis Zildjian Company will honor four legendary jazz drummers while raising scholarship funds for young musicians on Sunday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Berklee Performance Center during the American Drummers Achievement Awards. The event, which celebrates the 375th Anniversary of the Norwell, MA-based Avedis Zildjian Company, will be hosted by Bill Colby and will honor drummers: Louis Bellson, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones and Max Roach.
Four world-renowned drummers will perform live tributes to the honorees at the Awards. Featured artists include Terri Lyne Carrington in tribute to Roy Haynes, Peter Erskine in tribute to Elvin Jones, Steve Gadd in tribute to Louis Bellson, and Marvin “Smitty” Smith in tribute to Max Roach. They will be performing with an all-star Berklee College of Music Ensemble led by musical director Gary Burton, along with special guest artists.
Film and testimonial appreciations summarizing the careers and contributions of each honored drumming legend will also be part of the tribute, which will be held at the 1,200-seat Berklee Performance Center at Berklee College of Music, 132 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. Berklee is the world’s premier school for jazz and contemporary music.
Tickets are $30 and $20, with student discounts available. $200 Golden Circle tickets include a pre-concert reception, priority seating and a limited-edition copy of a new book on the history of the Zildjian Company. For tickets, call Ticketmaster at (617/508) 931-2000. For special Golden Circle seating, please call 781-237-2277.
“In celebration of The Zildjian Company’s 375th Anniversary this fall, we felt it would be fitting to sponsor the American Drummers Achievement Awards to spotlight our very special relationship with drummers,” said Craigie Zildjian, General Manager, North American and Vice Ghairman of the Board of the Avedis Zildjian Company, and a member of Berklee College of Music’s Board of Trustees. “Not only will we be honoring four legends of jazz drumming, but we will also be featuring performances by four standouts from the contemporary drumming scene each paying tribute in their own personal way.”
All gross proceeds from the event will be used to endow annual scholarships in the names of the honorees at Berklee College of Music. The scholarships will be awarded each year to talented students from diverse communities who would otherwise not have the financial means to pursue their studies.
