THE BLACK BOX New England Artist Series presents Alex Lee-Clark and the 8tet on Friday, September 7th at 8 PM.  The 8tet is a group that plays jazz and funk, composed and improvised, and explores as much different musical space as Alex can find.  As a composer, trumpet player, band leader, and educator, Alex always brings achildlike delight and fascination with music and what it can do to the fore. He is the co-leader of the BT ALC Big Band, a group that's influenced as much by Duke Ellington and Count Basie as it is by Parliament and James Brown, and leads his own "jazz comfort food" ensemble, The 8tet, who's debut albums, "Live at the Lily Pad" and "The Big Lebowski Suite" are currently available at www.alexleeclark.com. Along with his own groups, Alex has enjoyed working as a trumpet player with bands including The Temptations, The Four Tops, Nigel Hall, Lynard Skynard, BJ Thomas, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and others. An educator that's equally comfortable with an acoustic guitar in a kindergarten classroom as he is with a big band score in front of a college ensemble, Alex always finds ways to engage his audiences and help them walking away hearing more than they did when they entered the room.