Morris Museum and WBGO Presents All That Jazz Sax Summit

About Marion Meadows

Marion was born in West Virginia and grew up in Stamford, Connecticut. He began playing the clarinet and studying classical music at the age of nine. He started playing tenor sax in high school, and then migrated to soprano sax. His passion for various types of music led him down an eclectic musical path. He was intrigued by the styles of jazz musicians, like Stanley Turrentine, Sidney Bichet, Johnny Hodges, John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Dexter Gordon, Cannonball Adderley, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Fortune, Joe Henderson, Grover Washington and many others. After studying jazz at Rippowam High School in Stamford, CT with Anthony Truglia, Meadows attended Berklee College of Music. There he majored in arranging and composition.

He later went to the SUNY Purchase School for the Arts. During his college years he played in a number of bands including disco, R&B and various jazz ensmbles. I got a lot of sideman jobs in college, and I have always said I got my real graduate degree playing clubs, says Meadows, who perfected his craft studying with Sonny Fortune, Joe Henderson, Dave Liebman and Eddie Daniels. “Not long after I finished school, (drummer) Norman Connors recorded one of my songs, “Invitation” and then asked me to join his band. I later produced his Passion album with my colleague Jacques Burvick (Aquarium Dream). Things just fell into place. Meadows first hit the airwaves in 1991 with “For Lovers Only”, but his career really began one day in the late ‘80s at New York’s Grand Central Station. He had been a sideman with Connors for three years, with only vague notions of eventually going solo. One day, while waiting for a train, he pulled out his horn and began playing under the huge dome. His sweet sound caught the attention of fellow traveler, producer and TV composer Jay Chattaway, who happened to be passing by on his way to the train. Chattaway was so impressed with Meadows’ sound that he hooked Meadows up with legendary keyboardist Bob James. Meadows and James collaborated on a recording that unfortunately went unreleased. The experience put him on the road to his eventual success. Meadows hooked up with numerous artists and musicians and became a well-known sideman in his own right, recording or performing over the years with Brook Benton, Eartha Kitt, Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carne, The Temptations, Michael Bolton, Angela Bofill, Will Downing, Bob Baldwin, Chuck Loeb, John Lee, among many others. In the late ‘80s, Meadows stretched his boundaries by becoming a member of a New York avant-garde band called the Aboriginal Music Society. In 1990 Meadows submitted a solo project to Steve Backer at Novus/RCA and was signed to a recording contract, thus marking the beginning of his solo career. Meadows’ first RCA release “For Lover’s Only” was a huge success and was followed by his groundbreaking “Keep it Right There” album. He became a staple of the contemporary jazz format with his subsequent recordings, which include Body Rhythm (1994) and Forbidden Fruit (1996), Passion (1997), Another Side Of Midnight (1999), Next To You (2000), In Deep (2002), Players Club (2004), Dressed To Chill (2006), Secrets (2009) Whisper (2013) and most recently Soul Traveler, the first installment of his Soul Trilogy which now showcases his current release, “Soul City” on the New York-based Shanachie Label.

Meadows is a semi-pro cyclist, graphic artist and designer. Marion received a doctorate from Wilberforce University in 2016.

About Eric Darius

With his iconic, signature jump and crowd captivating energy throughout his world-renowned live performances, Billboard chart-topping, American saxophonist, songwriter, producer, educator and performer Eric Darius is breaking the mold of modern Jazz. His first single from his forthcoming album entitled Too Good 2 Let Go, which recently topped the Billboard Smooth Jazz charts for multiple weeks, is a testament to his ever-evolving artistic vision, fearlessly pushing all musical boundaries while innovatively fusing Jazz with elements of R&B, Hip-Hop, Funk, Pop, and much more. Born into a musical household with Caribbean influences, Eric’s musical journey from Tampa, Florida started early at the age of 11, performing at the renowned Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland with Sonny LaRosa & America’s Youngest Jazz Band.

Performing over a hundred shows a year in his early teens while honing his craft, he went on to record his first album independently at age 16 and made his major label debut on the global stage in 2004 with the release of Night on the Town. Taking the world by storm and causing a frenzy never seen before in Contemporary Jazz, he was prophetically hailed “Debut Artist of the Year” by Smooth Jazz News Magazine later that year and was considered “the future of the saxophone in the Jazz world” by Dave Koz.

Now, with eight highly acclaimed albums to his name, Eric continues to be a dynamic force on the music scene while forging new paths and bridging generations. To date, he has racked up seven No. 1 Hit Singles and 20 Top 10 Radio Hits on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart. He was SESAC’s Top 10 Jazz Artist of the Year in 2015, Citril Starz Awards’ Best Jazz, Saxophonist, Composer, Producer & Musician of the Year in 2017, Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival’s Artist of the Year for 2022 and, most recently, was awarded the prestigious BEATS Best Artist of 2025 presented by Smooth Jazz Network!

From sharing the stage with GRAMMY®Award-winning artists such as Prince, Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx, David Foster, George Benson, Bob James, Wyclef Jean, Marcus Miller & Lalah Hathaway and making TV appearances on FOX’s The X Factor and TNT’s Mob City, to running his own SagiDarius Music label and serving as annual host of the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival, Florida Smooth Jazz Weekend & Smooth Jazz Europe’s River Cruise Festivals, Eric’s impact on the music industry is undeniable. With his countless accolades and commitment to making a difference through music education in the schools, Eric Darius stands as a beacon of unparalleled talent, staying power and dedication in today’s world of entertainment.

Ticket & Visitor Information

For assistance and to make purchases by phone, call the box office at 973-971-3706. The ticket price includes a non-refundable $3.00 service fee. Programs are subject to change.