en-usCopyright 2012 Philadelphia Museum of ArtWed, 16 May 2012 03:00:00 -0500The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest and most important art museums in the United States.http://www.philamuseum.org/ Cuban-born drummer Francisco Mela is a favorite among jazz’s elite instrumentalists, including Joe Lovano, John Scofield, and McCoy Tyner, all of whom cite his charisma, sophistication, and life-affirming spirit as an extension of his incredible talents as a composer and drummer.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=18&et=1&dt=May_2012#10004May 18, 2012 Legendary octogenarian guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli joins forces with Charlie Byrd’s longtime drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd and Australian bassist and vocalist Nicki Parrott for a swinging tour of the Great American Songbook.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=25&et=1&dt=May_2012#10005May 25, 2012 Jennifer Dunning of the New York Times has called Brenda Dixon Gottschild’s new book on Joan Myers Brown, the founder of Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company), “a bracing mix of scholarship and unsentimental compassion.”Join us for a conversation between Gottschild and Brown, moderated by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, and a book signing. Following the discussion, Philadanco will perform excerpts from their repertory. The Philadelphia Inquirer raves, “If you like your dance virtuosic, spiritually uplifting and socially conscious, don't miss Philadanco.”http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=1&et=1&dt=June_2012#10006June 1, 2012 Saxophonist Bobby Zankel gets an orchestral sound out of his ensembles, partly by mixing instruments, partly by moving them through composition into improvisation. The effect is sprawling but precise. His music speaks equally to the legacy of the past (Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Charles Mingus) and to the present.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=8&et=1&dt=June_2012#10007June 8, 2012 Singer-songwriter Jessi Teich has immersed herself in jazz and blues since childhood. Raised in a household where rooms were stacked with records and the hi-fi blared the likes of Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughan, Teich began singing short songs of her own, the first sign of her ability to create music.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=15&et=1&dt=June_2012#10008June 15, 2012 Peter Beets is a Dutch pianist with impeccable technique and an incisive sense of swing. He has played with Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Elvin Jones, John Clayton, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, among others.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=22&et=1&dt=June_2012#10009June 22, 2012 Serbian-born jazz guitarist and composer Rale Micic graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has developed a cultlike following with his mix of jazz and haunting melodies from the Balkans. His new release, a guitar trio record entitled 3, has garnered attention from critics and audiences alike.http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/calendar.html?id=29&et=1&dt=June_2012#10010June 29, 2012