Albuquerque’s Michael Anthony carries a nickname and an informal title.
Anthony is called Uncle Mike by his advanced students. And he’s known as the Dean of New Mexico Guitarists among a wider circle of students, friends and colleagues.
By way of explaining both appellations, Claudio Tolousse Pérez, his longtime student, said Anthony is “an absolute pool of knowledge beside the fact that he’s an incredible jazz player but experienced in playing other styles of music. He’s an overall mentor and a (great) person, not just in teaching the guitar.”
| If you go WHAT: New Mexico Jazz Festival WHEN: Tuesday, July 19, through July 30 WHERE: At locations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe HOW MUCH: Tickets are available at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe, at the Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, by calling 505-988-1234 or 268-0044 or by visiting www.ticketssantafe.org. For information on festival events visit www.newmexicojazzfestival.org |
On Thursday, July 21, at the Outpost Performance Space, Anthony will lead a trio and be joined by three of his guitar students in opening the Albuquerque segment of the New Mexico Jazz Festival.
Anthony, 70, said he’s honored that he was asked to play in the festival. Perez, John Maestas and Maren Hatch will perform with Anthony in several compositions.
Hatch, who just graduated from the University of New Mexico, studied with him at the University of New Mexico. Pérez and Maestas took classes from Anthony at Manzano High School where Anthony taught in David Ostrovitz’s popular guitar program for 15 years.
“It’s amazing,” Ostrovitz said of Anthony, “the fact that a person with his skills and his background in professional playing was willing to come on a daily basis and work with high school students, to mentor them, to provide them with the tools they needed to realize their full potential as players, to provide the inspiration and to demonstrate what it takes to be great at anything.”
Anthony said he’s been teaching since he was 16, when he was a high school student in Southern California.
“I came to appreciate teaching guitar from my master, Howard Roberts. For me it’s full circle to perform and be able to pass it on. That’s the model I learned,” Anthony said.
The festival officially begins Tuesday, July 19, when vocalist-pianist-composer Mose Allison gives a free concert on the Santa Fe Plaza. The festival will present three events next weekend. Jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be in concert at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in downtown Santa Fe, Maceo Parker is the headliner at the Nob Hill Summerfest on Central Avenue on Saturday, July 23, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will give a concert July 24 at the Lensic.
The free 8 1/2-hour Summerfest is a partnership between the jazz festival, the city of Albuquerque and Nob Hill Main Street Inc.
For last July’s Summerfest, Mayor Richard Berry converted the Nob Hill section of Central into a pedestrian mall with music and vendors.
“I didn’t know what it would be like,” said jazz festival co-director Tom Guralnick. “It turned out to be unbelievable – 20,000 people. This year it should be even bigger.”
Parker will be on the Summerfest main stage at Central and Girard starting at 9 p.m. There also will be stages for bands at Central and Washington and another stage in the former Pulse parking lot at Central and Sierra with continuous music starting at 2 p.m., Guralnick said.
The festival continues with Christian McBride & Inside Straight in concert July 27 at the Outpost; the John Pizzarelli Quartet with special guests Jessica Molaskey and Bucky Pizzarelli performing July 29 at the Lensic; NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston will take part in a “Meet the Artist” event at the Lensic at noon on July 30, and that evening Weston will lead his African Rhythms Quintet, also at the Lensic.
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