Ward Virts Concert Series Features the Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble at CSM’s Prince Frederick Campus Feb. 20

Ward Virts Concert Series Features the Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble at CSM’s Prince Frederick Campus Feb. 20

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) kicks off its 2022 Ward Virts Concert Series with a live performance by the Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble this Sunday, Feb. 20 at the college’s Prince Frederick Campus. The two-hour concert begins at 3 p.m.

The Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble is a project dedicated to the writing of original music and the continuance of the jazz tradition. The ensemble challenges themselves to define a more personal language within jazz by bringing together a stellar group of musicians, at the national and regional level, to rehearse and perform. It was immediately evident that the chemistry of this group was a rare and significant creative opportunity. The Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble includes Benny Russell (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone), Skip Grasso (guitar), Phil Ravita (acoustic bass and electric six-string bass), Greg Small (piano), and Nuc Vega (drums).

Take a listen: 

Audience members must wear masks at all times while at the Prince Frederick Campus and seats will be socially distanced to ensure safety.

The Ward Virts Concert Series celebrates the life and talent of Ward Virts, a talented Southern Maryland pianist who died suddenly in 1993. A group of Ward’s friends and classmates conceived the Ward Virts Piano Project to bring the love of life, beauty and music that Ward embodied to a new generation of Southern Maryland students, performers and appreciative audiences. The concerts are performed on a world-class handcrafted Bosendorfer Grand Piano, a gift to CSM’s Prince Frederick Campus from the Ward Virts Piano Project.

The Ward Virts Concert Series is presented by sponsors CSM Foundation, Dr. and Mrs. Henry Virts, The Alvey Family, and Stovy and Anne Brown. The series is also supported by the Arts Council of Calvert County and the Maryland State Arts Council.

Calendar: 

Grasso-Ravita Jazz Group. Feb 20. 3 p.m. Prince Frederick Campus, Building B Multipurpose Room, 115 J W Williams Rd, Prince Frederick. The Phil Ravita Jazz Group will perform as part of the Ward Virts Concert Series. The group includes Tim Powell on saxophone, Tim Powell on saxophone, Caesar Ulsano on trumpet, Greg Small on piano, Phil Ravita on bass, and Nuc Vega on drums. They have performed together for more than 10 years, including as a part of Free Fall Baltimore and in venues such as Lexington Market, An Die Musik, Germanos Cabaret, and The University of Maryland College Park. Free.