JazzBuffalo Hosts Event To Celebrate The Work Of Phil DiRe

JazzBuffalo is hosting a free event to commemorate the legendary jazz artist Phil DiRe on Sunday, June 25. The celebration will take place in Slee Hall at the University of Buffalo.

Before passing in May 2021, DiRe wrote and composed a collection of original music titled Legacy. Attendees will receive a free copy of the project at the event. A concert with many of DiRe’s fellow musicians and friends will also take place. 

The performing ensemble will be under the direction of George Caldwell, and will feature the likes of Tim Clarke, Preston Brown, Risk Strauss, Wendell Rivera, Nelson Rivera, Sabu Adeyola, and John Hasselbeck Jr.

 

Jazz Musician Phil DiRe pays a gold tenor saxophone on stage.

Throughout the years DiRe had the opportunity to share the stage with artists like Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Gerry Mulligan, and Dizzy Gillespie. Despite his success as a studio musician and as a member of the White House Jazz Quartet, DiRe was best known for the impact he had on others’ lives. 

Phil DiRe was a pioneering force in Buffalo, founding the Buffalo Jazz Ensemble in the early 1970s. With the direction of DiRe, Buffalo was able to establish the non-profit Association for Jazz Performance. The organization looked to finance a series of concerts in parks, a cultural center, and a school in the city. Buffalo became one of the first cities in the nation to receive city, state, and federal funding for jazz performances. 

Phil DiRe
Phil DiRe performing before an audience at the steps of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in 1975

Thanks to the contributions of DiRe, Buffalo has fostered some of the great jazz musicians over the years. The jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra, and artists Joe Ford and Sabu Adeyol all emerged in the city as a result of Buffalo’s commitment to the genre.

As DiRe began to age, he moved down to Florida where he continued to play and enjoy music. Between performing at reunion shows and for his friends, Phil DiRe recorded Legacy while in Florida. 

Tickets and information here.

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