Omaha, Neb. (Oct. 26, 2021) – North Omaha Music & Arts (NOMA), a new creative arts academy for the youth of our community, will present a concert and Master Class featuring legendary musicians JD Allen, Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits. Executive Director, Dana Murray, is bringing together these top musicians as they share their talent and vision for NOMA. The concert will be performed at The Jewell (1030 Capitol Ave, Omaha, NE 68102, inside Marriott plaza level) on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for the concert are available on The Jewell website.
The Master Class will take place at the NOMA building (2510 N 24th St., Omaha, NE 68110, formerly the Love’s Jazz building) on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for aspiring musicians of all ages in the Omaha community to learn from established artists about their dedication to music and what to expect from a career in the industry. This will be a casual and personal experience in an intimate environment to get expert knowledge from top music artists who will also be a part of the NOMA faculty.
- JD ALLEN: JD Allen is a prolific band leader with 14 albums to his credit. Allen’s apprenticeship, anchored by his lengthy tenure with Betty Carter, occurred largely in New York, where he worked with legends Lester Bowie, Ron Carter, Louis Hayes, Frank Foster Big Band, Winard Harper, Cindy Blackman, Butch Morris, Wallace Roney and Geri Allen. His most recent album, a solo saxophone masterwork, “Queen City,” was released on July 9, 2021.
- ERIC REVIS: Eric Revis is a Grammy Award-winning bassist and composer. Along with an ongoing association with Branford Marsalis, he has collaborated with such distinctive voices as Jason Moran, Abbey Lincoln, Steve Coleman, Lionel Hampton, and McCoy Tyner. He co-founded Tarbaby, alongside Orrin Evans and Nasheet Waits, as well as Options, featuring Waits and Bennie Maupin. In 2020, Revis issued “Slipknots Through a Looking Glass,” his first release on Pyroclastic Records, which earned 4 1/2 stars from DownBeat and the number-three spot on NPR Music’s 2020 Jazz Critics Poll.
- NASHEET WAITS: Nasheet Waits is a renowned jazz drummer/music educator, and was inspired by his father, legendary percussionist, Frederick Waits. Waits graduated with honors from Long Island University, where he studied with legendary percussionist Michael Carvin. He was also mentored by Fred King and Max Roach, who spotlighted Waits’ formidable talent by hiring him as a member of the famed percussion ensemble M’BOOM. He has worked with jazz notables like Jackie McLean, Greg Osby, Wallace Roney, Jacky Terrasson, David Murray, Dave Douglas, Geri Allen and Jason Moran. Waits also co-leads Tarbaby with bassist Eric Revis and pianist Orrin Evans.
About NOMA: North Omaha Music & Arts (northomahamusic.org) is a new creative academy offering equitable opportunities for the youth of the Omaha community. Located at the former Love’s Jazz & Arts building, NOMA is focused on creating a premier facility for music and arts education by industry-leading professionals. Its vision is to help shape the next generation of artists and the future of the North Omaha community. North Omaha Music & Arts has applied for and expects to receive notification of its acceptance as a tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) in the coming months.