PHILADELPHIA MUSIC REPORT PMA Programs      Philadelphia Music Report     Press    Photo Gallery

 

PHILADELPHIA MUSIC ALLIANCE WELCOMES KEVIN EUBANKS

HOME FROM HOLLYWOOD TO CONTINUE CELEBRATION

OF CITY’S CULTURAL LEGACY AS 1ST 2010 INDUCTEE

 

 

LONGTIME ‘TONIGHT SHOW’ BANDLEADER TO RECEIVE

NEXT BRONZE PLAQUE ON PHILADELPHIA WALK OF FAME

 

Germantown Jazz Guitarist-Composer to be Honored at Festive

Induction Ceremony along Avenue of the Arts, Thursday, June 17, 2010

 

Watch this video montage of Kevin Eubanks’ ‘Tonight Show’ Memories

 

PHILADELPHIA (June 10, 2010) –The Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame, a living tribute to Philadelphia’s rich music history and a vital force unifying the city’s diverse cultural communities along the Avenue of the Arts, will welcome home a man who’s been a nightly fixture on late-night television for the past 15 years when longtime Tonight Show band leader KEVIN EUBANKS will be honored as recipient of the 113th commemorative bronze plaque along the Avenue of the Arts. Ceremonies are scheduled for Thursday, June 17 from noon-2 p.m.

 

The induction of this latest Philadelphia music legend furthers the renewed commitment by the Philadelphia Music Alliance (PMA), supported by the Avenue of the Arts, Inc. (AAI), the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, Philadelphia International Records and A Fight for the Cause to shed new light on the City's cultural legacy and incredible contribution to the world of music past, present and future as a major tourist attraction. This agenda to recognize more local music greats in all genres is part of the community based, not-for-profit organization's overall mission to encourage the creation, celebration and historical preservation of Philadelphia music, and the foundation of a renewed commitment to schedule several induction ceremonies each year.  

Eubanks’ return to Philadelphia to be inducted along the Walk of Fame will be his first major honor since stepping down as music director of the Tonight Show band at the end of May to pursue his recording career and work with high school music programs. During his late-night tenure (which included writing the show’s closing theme, “Kevin’s Country”), Eubanks regularly championed his Philly roots, in repartee with host Jay Leno and in wardrobe showcasing various Philadelphia sports teams. Eubanks’ Philly pride, career integrity and dedication to music education combined with his accomplishments as a seasoned and respected jazz musician to make his selection an easy decision for the Philadelphia Music Alliance.

 “Kevin Eubanks is a shining example of the type of stellar recipients who embody the magnitude of the Walk of Fame and its continued impact on the Avenue of the Arts and Greater Philadelphia,” says Joseph Tarsia, vice president and founding member of the PMA. “Not only have his accomplishments had a significant impact in the world of music, but he also is a devoted ambassador of his home town.”  

Karen Lewis, executive director of AAI, said, “We’re excited about the ongoing resurgence of the Walk of Fame as it represents a unique opportunity to recognize Philadelphia legends. And as the premier destination for performing arts, the Avenue of the Arts is the perfect location for this tribute.”  

Adds music icons and original inductees Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, creators of the Sound of Philadelphia:  

 "Philadelphia has created some of the biggest music stars in the world and their music continues to impact people’s lives. The induction of Kevin Eubanks continues to celebrate that legacy in a special way with artists who are clearly among Philadelphia's Music Royalty, and are among the legendary unsung heroes and heroines deserving this honor."  

Eubanks is a gifted musician and prolific composer whose own band, the Kevin Eubanks Quartet, has been evolving for close to 20 years. In his solo career and 18 years on the Tonight Show, he has won over audiences as a consummate guitarist with a laid back style and affability that have made him a household name for TV viewers.

 

Eubanks was born into a musical household in the Germantown section of Philadelphia and exposed to world-class music in his formative years. His mother, Vera, is a gospel and classical pianist and organist with a Masters Degree in music education. Vera's brother, Ray Bryant, is a journeyman jazz pianist who has recorded and toured with jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Sarah Vaughn. Eubanks began his musical journey on violin, and with his older brother Robin, an accomplished trombonist, played in small groups around Philadelphia. Kevin studied trumpet before committing to guitar and entering Berklee College of Music in Boston, which has since awarded him an honorary doctorate degree in music. He played with some of the stalwarts of jazz, like Ron Carter, Slide Hampton, Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner, Sam Rivers, and Roy Haynes before forming his own quartet and touring around the world. Eubanks also has taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada, Rutgers University and at the Charlie Parker School in Perugia, Italy. His first album documented a sophisticated, nuanced voice on the guitar, and was so well received that it led to a seven album contract with the GRP label.

 

In 1992, Eubanks moved to the West Coast to assume the guitar spot in the Tonight Show Band, and became the band leader three years later. He has been writing scores for TV movies and feature films, and has devoted himself to his love of volunteer work for charities, particularly The Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Eubanks continues to travel the country with his touring band, and plans to release several CDs by other distinguished artists on his new label, Insoul Music. In March, he was named Artistic Diretor of the Jazz in the Classroom Program for The Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz, where he works with young up-and-coming middle and high school musicians in the Los Angeles public schools. As one of the most accomplished guitarists of his or any generation, Eubanks has deservedly become known to millions through music, TV and what so many artists know so well, "lots of hard work."

 

* * *

Past PMA programs have included a Musical Instrument Donation Program in partnership with the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, an annual piano competition, the Philadelphia International Airport Music Project, Music In The Schools, music education scholarships and grants, a speakers bureau, as well as music business seminars and workshops - all designed to not only encourage our City's continued stellar contributions to the cultural heritage of the world but to fill a void created by shrinking budgets for cultural programs in our City and in our schools.

 

In 2008, the Philadelphia International Airport unveiled an exhibition spotlighting the Walk of Fame and the City's contribution to American music to visitors from all over the world.

 

The Alliance also serves as a resource to students, educators, musicians, city agencies, and other cultural institutions. The PMA has worked with the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, Multicultural Affairs Council, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, Philadelphia Commerce Department, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Franklin Institute, Corporation for the Aging, Trane Stop, University of the Arts and the City Representative's Office on various projects.

 

The Walk of Fame is a stunning demonstration of the great talent that Philadelphia has produced. This talent spans many musical genres and time periods, and includes Leopold Stokowski, Frankie Avalon, the Dixie Hummingbirds, Patti LaBelle, Hall & Oates, Solomon Burke, Marian Anderson, Mario Lanza, John Coltrane, Todd Rundgren, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Teddy Pendergrass and Dick Clark.

 

The Philadelphia Music Alliance was founded in June 1986 as a community based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Philadelphia as a vital contributor to the international music landscape. Established by music executives and concerned citizens in order to recognize the vast impact Philadelphia continues to have on all musical genres, the Philadelphia Music Alliance serves to encourage the creation, celebration and historical preservation of Philadelphia music.

 

www.philadelphiamusicalliance.org

www.avenueofthearts.org

www.rhythm-n-blues.org

www.gamble-huffmusic.com

www.randexpr.com

###

 

 

 

 

Randex Communications is now on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter @randexpr

 

 

 

 

PHILADELPHIA MUSIC ALLIANCE TO CELEBRATE COMMITMENT TO CITY’S CULTURAL LEGACY

MAZE FEATURING FRANKIE BEVERLY TO RECEIVE 107th BRONZE PLAQUE ON PHILADELPHIA WALK OF FAME

R&B Legends to be Honored at Induction Ceremonies along Avenue of the Arts, Friday June 20, 2008

PHILADELPHIA (June 13, 2008) - The Philadelphia Walk of Fame, a vital force in unifying the city’s musical heritage for over two decades, will be welcoming a new inductee next week when Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, one of the best live acts in American soul music, will be honored as recipient of the 107th commemorative bronze plaque along the Avenue of the Arts in ceremonies scheduled for Friday, June 20 from noon-2 p.m.

The induction of these R&B legends signifies a renewed commitment by the Philadelphia Music Alliance (PMA), in harmony with the Rhythm & Blues Foundation and the Avenue of the Arts, Inc. (AAI), to shed new light on the City’s cultural legacy and incredible contribution to the world of music – past, present and future. This agenda to recognize more local music greats is part of the community based, not-for-profit organization’s overall mission to encourage the creation, celebration and historical preservation of Philadelphia music.

Spearheading that commitment is pioneering record producer and songwriter and newly inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Kenny Gamble, co-architect of the world-renown Sound of Philadelphia. One of the original task force Philadelphians to establish the PMA and a current member of its executive committee, Gamble’s philanthropic leadership role in revitalizing the city’s music scene extends to expanding the vision of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation through its 2005 relocation to the City of Brotherly Love, one of the nation’s oldest and most prolific music capitals.

"The Walk of Fame represents the diversity of talent that was in Philadelphia and that is in Philadelphia," says Gamble. "From Mario Lanza to Chubby Checker to the Stylistics, the diversity is unbelievable. Frankie Beverly and the members of Maze were born and raised in Philadelphia, and it’s a tribute to have them immortalized on the Walk of Fame. Philadelphia has one of the greatest musical heritages of any city – from Pearl Bailey to John Coltrane to Marian Anderson, and continuing with artists like the Hooters, Will Smith, Amos Lee, Santogold, and the Roots. It’s essential that we continue to recognize the legacy of that musical diversity."

Combining a Philadelphia soul sound with a strong appreciation of Marvin Gaye, Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly is a distinctive R&B group with a charismatic leader that has been packing houses in major concert facilities around the world since releasing their self-titled debut album 30 years ago. Beverly’s smooth, distinct voice is instantly recognizable, and Maze’s laid-back, bass driven musical arrangements differ from most other soul acts, with a signature sound provided in part by original members McKinley "Bug" Williams and Roame Lowry, especially vivid on the 1981 classic "Live in New Orleans." Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly has placed 28 singles and 13 albums on the Billboard R&B charts.

The Philadelphia Music Alliance is poised to continue to usher in this glorious new chapter in its esteemed history by furthering the charitable programs started by Gamble and other founding music executives such as Joe Tarsia (Sigma Sound Studios) and Larry Magid (Electric Factory Concerts/Live Nation). PMA Chairman William F. Kennedy Jr. says the organization is delighted to acknowledge the contributions of Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly to the worlds of pop and urban music.

"And we look forward to working with the new City administration to educate, celebrate and grow the music community here," says Kennedy. "Every decade of our musical history is represented by creative and successful Philadelphia area talent, and we will continue to recognize the past and encourage the future for all genres of musicians here."

Past PMA programs have included a Musical Instrument Donation Program in partnership with the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, an annual piano competition, the Philadelphia International Airport Music Project, Music In The Schools, music education scholarships and grants, a speakers bureau, as well as music business seminars and workshops - all designed to not only encourage our City's continued stellar contributions to the cultural heritage of the world but to fill a void created by shrinking budgets for cultural programs in our City and in our schools.

The Alliance also serves as a resource to students, educators, musicians, city agencies, and other cultural institutions. The PMA has worked with the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, Multicultural Affairs Council, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, Philadelphia Commerce Department, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Franklin Institute, Corporation for the Aging, Trane Stop, University of the Arts and the City Representative's Office on various projects.

The Walk of Fame is a stunning demonstration of the great talent that Philadelphia has produced.  This talent spans many musical genres and time periods, and includes Leopold Stokowski, Frankie Avalon, the Dixie Hummingbirds, Patti LaBelle, Hall & Oates, Solomon Burke, Marian Anderson, Mario Lanza, John Coltrane, Todd Rundgren, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Dick Clark.

The Philadelphia Music Alliance was founded in June 1986 as a community based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Philadelphia as a vital contributor to the international music landscape. Established by music executives and concerned citizens in order to recognize the vast impact Philadelphia continues to have on all musical genres, the Philadelphia Music Alliance serves to encourage the creation, celebration and historical preservation of Philadelphia music.


www.philadelphiamusicalliance.org / www.randexpr.com
 


   Walk of Fame: S. Broad Street between Walnut and Spruce Streets      215-557-7372       info@philadelphiamusicalliance.com        make a donation       links