KNOXVILLE, TN—Local jazz legend Rocky Wynder will perform at a release party for a long awaited CD at the Knoxville Museum of Art on Sunday, November 22 at 2:30 pm.

A native of Florida, Rocky Wynder has made Knoxville his home ever since he got left behind by the band he was touring with back in 1950. At age 82, Wynder is still going strong and still playing beautiful music on his tenor saxophone, but until now, one thing had been missing from his career – a recorded album of his playing. At long last, he has recorded a CD in the studio with an impressive collection of area jazz musicians, including multiple Grammy nominee Donald Brown. Also on the album are Donald’s wife Dorothy on flute and son Keith on piano, Keith and Ken Brown (no relation) on drums, Taylor Coker and Rusty Holloway on bass, Harold Nagge and Mark Boling on guitar, and Vance Thompson on trumpet.

Wynder said he wants to dedicate the performance to his friend and longtime president of East Tennessee Jazz Society, Bob Heintz, who passed away suddenly on November 9. 

Advance reserved seat tickets to the CD Release Party performance are $14, or $10 for museum members, East Tennessee Jazz Society members, and college students with ID. General admission tickets will be available at the door ($10, or $6 for museum and jazz society members). Ages 17 and under are admitted free. The program is sponsored by Bluegill Productions, Cherokee Distributing Company, Metro Pulse and WDVX-89.9FM. To purchase reserved seat tickets or for more information, contact Michael Gill at (865) 934-2039.

Rocky Wynder. Photo by George Welch.