A group of New York City-based jazz musicians, the WIS Brass Project ensemble, will kick off the second annual John Coltrane Memorial Contemporary Jazz Series at 7.00pm Friday November 13th 2009 in the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company Black Box Theater Dee-Davis Room, 805 East Genesee St., Syracuse, NY. The concert will feature the world premier of "Up River", composed by jazz percussionist and drummer Warren Smith. The concert is free and open to the public.

"Up River" was commissioned for the 2009 Coltrane Jazz Series. The six-part piece portrays the migration of black people and their rich musical heritage from the Deep South to Midwestern cities. Each part pays tribute to the music of the singers involved in this cultural migration, including BO DIDDLEY, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Koko Taylor, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.

Coordinated by William Cole, professor and chair of the Department of African-American Studies in Syracuse University’s (SU) College of Arts and Sciences, the Coltrane Jazz Series is sponsored by SU’s Office of the Chancellor and the Department of African-American Studies and the iLearn Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The WIS Brass Project ensemble will feature Warren Smith on drums and percussion, jazz trumpet and flugelhorn players Eddie Allen and Stanton Davis, bass trombonist Jack Jeffers, French hornist Mark Taylor and tuba players Joseph Daley and Howard Johnson.