JAZZ AND STRINGS

Trumpeter Brian Lynch is cast in the lead soloing role in a tribute to the legendary trumpeter Freddie Hubbard Friday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m...at the Theater of the Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor, 359 Washington St., Hartford.

Lynch, a Grammy Award winner and trumpeter of choice for bebop master Phil Woods and Latin jazz great Eddie Palmieri, is the sterling surrogate for Hubbard (1938-2008) in the "Jazz and Strings" tribute to Hubbard's 1971 album, "First Light," a landmark release on Creed Taylor's CTI label. Besides Hubbard's soloing prowess, the album featured arrangements by Don Sebesky and contributions by a host of supporting jazz stars, including Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette.

With Lynch up front, the ensemble will recreate some of Sebesky's rich arrangements for classical and jazz instruments on such selections as "Lonely Town" and the title tune, "First Light." The program also includes ventures into such hard bop, Hubbard classics as "Arietis" and "Bolivia."

To highlight the striking rhythmic elements in Hubbard's style, Lynch and the orchestra will be joined by more than a dozen dance majors from the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts on "First Light" and "Sky Dive."

In this mix of classical strings and jazz, the jazz rhythm section features "Jazz and Strings" artistic director and HSO principal timpanist Gene Bozzi, HSO bassist Edward "Rick" Rozie and frequent HSO arranger and pianist Walter Gwardyak, joined by guest jazz flutist/saxophonist John Mastroianni. HSO string players are: violin: Lisa Rautenberg, Karin Fagerburg, Millie Piekos, Deborah Tyler, Jaroslaw Lis, Lu Sun, Yuri Kharenko, Martha Kayser, Candace M. Lammers and Perry Elliot; viola: Michael Wheeler and Sharon Dennison; cello: Jeffrey Krieger and Peter Zay.