Championing Jazz the Reason for Partnership Between Trinity University and the Carver Community Center

by Russell Guerrero

Jazz trio Aaron Prado, George Prado and Cecil Carter perform to announce the Carver Trinity Jazz Collaborative

Wondrous things can happen when two great partners come together in the name of jazz.  Think of Benny Goodman’s clarinet paired with Lionel Hampton’s vibes.  Or when Stan Getz and his tenor sax coupled with Antonio Carlos Jobim’s lush Bossa Nova songs. Now a new partnership between Trinity University and the Carver Community Cultural Center is poised to do great things for jazz in San Antonio.

The Carver and the University have joined to form the Carver Trinity Jazz Collaborative. The collaborative’s goal is to provide exciting, enriching, educational, and entertaining jazz experiences for San Antonio. The collaborative was created in association with the City of San Antonio and Trinity’s radio station, KRTU 91.7 FM.

Carver executive director, William Lewis III

A news conference was held at Laurie Auditorium in early September to announce the formation of the Carver Trinity Jazz Collaborative and to unveil a stellar line-up of jazz concerts. The news conference started on the right beat with a performance by a jazz trio featuring Aaron Prado, KRTU’s  music director and chief announcer/producer on piano, along with local jazz musicians George Prado on bass and Cecil Carter on horn. After setting the tone with several standards, the jazz ensemble turned the mike over to William Lewis III, executive director of the Carver.

“We’re excited for a lot of reasons,” said Mr. Lewis, regarding the formation of the Carver Trinity Jazz Collaborative. He added that the partnership between Trinity and the Carver would extend and expand the ability of both organizations to serve the San Antonio community.

Trinity University vice president for advancement, Marc Raney

“On behalf of Trinity, we are delighted to be involved in this partnership,” said Marc Raney, vice president for advancement at Trinity.  Mr. Raney said the Carver Trinity Jazz Collaborative will bring out the best in both organizations and that both the Carver and Trinity have a long history of providing quality cultural, artistic entertainment to San Antonio.

KRTU station manager, Rob Huesca

“San Antonio is undergoing a jazz renaissance and KRTU is a part of that renaissance,” said Rob Huesca, associate professor of communication and station manager for KRTU.    Professor Huesca pledged that the radio station and the Carver Trinity Jazz Collaborative would become an engine to drive the current jazz resurgence in the city.

At the news conference, Mr. Lewis announced the Carver Trinity Jazz Collaborative’s first season of concert performances.  They are:

All concerts will be held at Trinity’s Laurie Auditorium. Tickets for each concert are $25, $20, and $15, with special package pricing for all three events. Tickets can  be purchased by calling the Carver Box Office at (210) 207-2234.  For other information contact KRTU 91.7 FM at  (210) 999-8313.