Wynton Marsalis's Blog, page 33

Blue Engine Chronicles Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Performances

Since it was founded in 2015, Blue Engine Records has been documenting the work of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra—an effort gathering steam with a series of digital releases suffused with musical, social and even spiritual import.

Leading the way is the March 6 release of the Duke Ellington masterwork Black, Brown And Beige. Premiered by Ellington at a 1943 Carnegie Hall concert, the work, a sprawling survey of African-American history, is notable for its range of vernacular music, depth of thematic development and quality of the counterpoint in the orchestration, according to Wynton Marsalis, JALC managing and artistic director.

“_Black, Brown And Beige_ is a singular piece in the history of jazz in its mastery of form,” he wrote in an email.

The piece, Marsalis noted, was harshly criticized in its time, souring Ellington on performing it in its entirety after the Carnegie Hall concert: “It received an attack that was far greater than what a singular masterpiece of this kind deserved just because it so definitely challenged the racial prejudice of the day—a prejudice that still exists. The jazz musicians and black musicians were always OK as long as they stayed on the plantation. For Duke Ellington, it was too much ambition.”

But the piece is revered today, and the recording will hold a special place in the Blue Engine catalog. Drawing on a 2018 performance organized and conducted by trombonist Chris Crenshaw—who synthesized the available score and previous recordings—it will be the JLCO’s first album dedicated entirely to Ellington, whose music was the orchestra’s focus in its early years.

“We want to remind people that Black, Brown And Beige still resonates and has as much value as when Duke presented it in Carnegie Hall,” said Gabrielle Armand, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s vice president of brand, sales and marketing.

In its scope—and its focus on race and culture—Black, Brown And Beige established a template that Marsalis used in formidable works like the Grammy-winning Black Codes From The Underground and Blood On The Fields, the first jazz composition to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Building on that tradition is The Ever Fonky Lowdown, which is slated for a spring release. The piece, which had its premiere in 2018 and was recorded last year, features a smart, tart score and a scathing libretto delivered by actor Wendell Pierce, who, in character as the money-loving Mr. Game, is the vehicle through which economic exploitation is explored. In a 2019 speech, Marsalis likened the piece to a metaphorical “game of buying in and selling out.”

“It was provocative and is provocative,” Armand said, adding that she expected these works to have special relevance in an election year.

Extolling the “deep writing” of The Ever Fonky Lowdown, bassist Carlos Henriquez said he valued the platform such works provided for artists to adopt an activist stance.

“We as musicians feel we’re part of this political movement,” said Henriquez, who arranged and conducted the 2014 concert that became 2018’s Grammy-nominated Una Noche Con Rubén Blades.

Armand said that the initial tranche of releases this year will bring the Blue Engine catalog to about 25—a number that is projected, over the next five years, to rise to 100. Ultimately, she said, the albums will be a varied lot. But they will all adhere to a set of guiding principles laid out by Marsalis. One principle, called “Legacy,” reads: “Celebrate our history and traditions as we create the present moments of the future.”

By Phillip Lutz

Source: Downbeat

Ellis Marsalis, 1934 - 2020

Ellis Marsalis (photo ©: Luigi Beverelli)

“He went out the way he lived: embracing reality”

Ellis Marsalis Jr., a pianist and educator who became the guiding force behind a late-20th-century resurgence in jazz and who helped to shape the musical careers of four sons, died on Wednesday at a hospital in New Orleans. He was 85. Check out more about Ellis Marsalis

_____________________________________________________________________

We wish to establish an archive of the breadth and width of his outreach and influence. Please feel free to offer any and all submissions

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Blue Engine Records To Release The Fifties: A Prism By The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis

Blue Engine Records, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s in-house record label, will release The Fifties: A Prism by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Composed and arranged by Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra trombonist Christopher Crenshaw and recorded live at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall–also known as the House of Swing–in February 2017, the suite combines many of the different styles and movements that made the jazz of the 1950s so creatively vital. The result is a distinctly modern take on classic jazz idioms. TheFifties is at turns playful and moving, melodic and challenging—but it’s always swinging.Blue Engine Records’ The Fifties: A Prism will be* available exclusively on digital platforms on May 1, 2020 at jazz.org/thefifties*.

“All jazz is modern,” says Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director, Wynton Marsalis—and we owe the 1950s for that. The momentous decade became the crucible in which modern jazz was formed, as styles like modal, hard bop, third stream, and more melted together and artists like Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Ornette Coleman reached the height of their powers.

Now, Crenshaw has taken inspiration from the era to create The Fifties: A Prism, the newest Blue Engine album. He says, “When I was presented with the idea of coming up with a suite dealing with the 1950s, I immediately realized this was going to cover all the genres of jazz, from bebop to freedom music. The 50s had a mix of the well-established and the up-and-coming musicians and composers to bless this music; if most of them got along, so can we.”

TRACK LISTING:

I. Flipped His Lid (6:56)

Solos: Sherman Irby (alto saxophone), Stantawn Kendrick (tenor saxophone), Dan Nimmer (piano)

2. Just A-Slidin’ (5:57)

Solos: Vincent Gardner (trombone), Elliot Mason (trombone), Ali Jackson (drums)

3. Conglomerate (5:24)

Solos: Paul Nedzela (baritone saxophone), Wynton Marsalis (trumpet), Stantawn Kendrick (tenor saxophone), Carlos Henriquez (bass),

4. Cha-Cha Toda la Noche (5:31)

Solos: Victor Goines (clarinet), Vincent Gardner (trombone), Carlos Henriquez (bass)

5. Unorthodox Sketches (5:31)

Solos: Victor Goines (clarinet), Sherman Irby (alto flute), Ted Nash (piccolo), Paul Nedzela (bass clarinet)

6. Pursuit of the New Thing (10:14)

Solos: Ted Nash (alto saxophone), Wynton Marsalis (trumpet), Stantawn Kendrick (tenor saxophone)

Personnel:

THE JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS

2016-17 Concert Season

REEDS

Sherman Irby — alto saxophone, alto flute

Ted Nash — alto saxophone, piccolo

Victor Goines — tenor saxophone, clarinet (February 17 only)
*Dan Block— tenor saxophone, clarinet (substitute for Victor Goines, February 18 only)

Walter Blanding — tenor saxophone
*Stantawn Kendrick — tenor saxophone

Paul Nedzela — baritone saxophone, bass clarinet

TRUMPETS

*Tatum Greenblatt

Marcus Printup

Kenny Rampton

Wynton Marsalis

TROMBONES

Vincent Gardner

Christopher Crenshaw — music director

Elliot Mason

RHYTHM SECTION

Dan Nimmer (piano)
Carlos Henriquez (bass)
Ali Jackson (drums)

*Indicates substitute orchestra member

Skain’s Domain: An Intimate Weekly Conversation with Wynton Marsalis

Tonight, at 9PM EDT, join Wynton on Zoom for “Skain’s Domain,” a conversation with Wynton Marsalis about how to stay connected, optimistic, and creative at this crazy moment in time.

Everyone is invited. Please fill out the form linked here no later than 8pm EDT. You will be emailed the Zoom link and password by 8:45pm.

Be sure to have Zoom downloaded in advance!

Next episodes schedule:

Mar 30, 2020 09:00 PM
Apr 6, 2020 09:00 PM
Apr 13, 2020 09:00 PM
Apr 20, 2020 09:00 PM
Apr 27, 2020 09:00 PM
May 4, 2020 09:00 PM
May 11, 2020 09:00 PM
May 18, 2020 09:00 PM
May 25, 2020 09:00 PM
Jun 1, 2020 09:00 PM

Jazz At Lincoln Center Announces Portal To Access Concerts And Education Offerings

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jazz at Lincoln Center is making available a robust, curated and weekly program of offerings to reach people all over the world and bring the healing power of jazz music into homes and communities. The effort, which will grow to include jazz masters from every corner of the globe, will also serve as a “virtual commons” whereby people can find and access live webcasts from musicians and directly support their work and livelihood. Keeping with its efforts to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz, JALC continues to be a resource for cultural nourishment and comfort in these uncertain times.

“Although our hall may temporarily be dark to audiences,” says Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis. “The light and love in this music will shine brightly.”

Beginning Friday, March 20, the organization will actively, strategically, and aggressively share its rich archive and develop and offer brand-new live programming. This will be shared for free throughout the entirety of the pandemic with JALC’s growing global community of 2 million people, to share in-turn with their friends, family, fans, supporters, companies and constituencies. Through email, social media, the Jazz Live app, and on jazz.org, audiences will be able to watch original stories about jazz and the musicians who play it, listen to podcasts, albums and songs, read essays, learn about the music-and how to play the music, explore playlists, and more.

In addition, over the coming weeks, Wynton Marsalis will host a series of interactive video chats via Zoom, which will be then shared on Facebook and YouTube.

Every week beginning March 25, the organization will release previously unseen video content from its archival ‘vault’ via the Jazz at Lincoln Center Channel on YouTube.

Jazz at Lincoln Center is also making available its Jazz Academy, a library of more than 1,000 videos covering many different aspects of jazz performance demonstrated by knowledgeable masters of the music, on a dedicated YouTube Channel.

Since 2014, Jazz at Lincoln Center has developed a wealth of audio recordings, video footage, music charts, photos, written and interactive material to serve its growing audience of fans, musicians, educators, advocates, students, and scholars.

The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center is to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. We believe jazz is a metaphor for Democracy. Because jazz is improvisational, it celebrates personal freedom and encourages individual expression. Because jazz is swinging, it dedicates that freedom to finding and maintaining common ground with others. Because jazz is rooted in the blues, it inspires us to face adversity with persistent optimism.

Postponed: Jazz At Lincoln Center’s 25Th Annual Essentially Ellington Competition & Festival

New York, NY (Wednesday, March 18, 2020) – Jazz at Lincoln Center places a priority on the health and safety of our concertgoers, artists, guests, patrons, program participants and staff. In response to the growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19, the organization has postponed the nation’s premier jazz education event, the 25th annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival, scheduled to take place in Frederick P. Rose Hall, The House of Swing, on May 7-9, 2020. Jazz at Lincoln Center will announce a new date and plans to celebrate the top 18 high school big bands.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis will host an online Q&A, exclusively for the 2020 finalist bands—the students who are upholding the Essentially Ellington tradition in this banner year. Further details for this Q&A to be announced soon.

*“What do we do with all this time at home? *Asks Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis. Play video games? Maybe. Play board games (maybe) play music and practice instruments (yes yes)!!! This is a great time to get deeper into your routines and be productive. When ole Corona has departed, you can emerge with a new set of skills. Here at Jazz at Lincoln Center, in The House of Swing, we keep the music coming to you…I need to go practice now.”

All member students and band directors are encouraged to use Jazz at Lincoln Center’s free and digitally accessible Essentially Ellington resources, which include repertoire, audio, photos and more, by visiting jazz.org/ee

The 2020 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Finalists are:

Agoura High School (Agoura Hills, CA)
Beloit Memorial High School (Beloit, WI)
Byron Center High School (Byron Center, MI)
Carroll Senior High School (Southlake, TX)
Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music (Bronx, NY)
Denver School of the Arts (Denver, CO)
Dillard Center for the Arts (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Garfield High School (Seattle, WA)
Memphis Central High School (Memphis, TN)
Mountlake Terrace High School (Mountlake Terrace, WA)
Mount Si High School (Snoqualmie, WA)
New World School of the Arts (Miami, FL)
Plano West Senior High School (Plano, TX)
Rio Americano High School (Sacramento, CA)
Roosevelt High School (Seattle, WA)
Tarpon Springs High School (Tarpon Springs, FL)
Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble (Raleigh, NC)
Seattle JazzED Ellington Ensemble (Seattle, WA)

In addition to the top 18 high school jazz bands, the winner of the 8th Annual Essentially Ellington Dr. J. Douglas White Student Composition and Arranging Contest is Leo Steinriede of Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

For 25 years, the Essentially Ellington program has been the cornerstone of Jazz at Lincoln’s Center’s arts education programming. The program has helped to foster the talent and love of jazz music of over 650,000 young musicians throughout its history.

The bands were selected from a competitive pool of 106 bands that submitted recordings of three tunes from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Library.

The annual Competition & Festival marks the culmination of the annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Program, which includes non-competitive regional festivals around the United States and Australia, free transcriptions of original Duke Ellington recordings, additional teaching resources, free adjudication, and more. TheEssentially Ellington program has reached more than 6,800 schools and independent bands in 55 countries. Additional resources can be found at academy.jazz.org/ee/

Jazz at Lincoln Center to Cancel All Concerts and Education Programs at Frederick P. Rose Hall, The House Of Swing, Effective Immediately Due to Concerns Over Covid-19

New York, NY (March 12, 2020) Jazz at Lincoln Center places a priority on the health and safety of our concertgoers, artists, guests, patrons, program participants and staff. In response to growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19, Jazz at Lincoln Center has canceled all concerts and classes in Frederick P. Rose Hall, The House of Swing, effective immediately, Thursday, March 12, 2020 through Wednesday, April 15, 2020. This closure encompasses:

Concerts and public lectures in Rose Theater, The Appel Room, and the Ertegun Atrium;

Nightly sets at Dizzy’s Club;

WeBop and Swing University classes; and

Middle and High School Jazz Academy classes.

In announcing this decision, we are consistent with our colleagues at Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts and in line with recommendations from city, state, and federal elected officials as well as the Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

JALC will also intensify efforts to make available digital concerts, educational programs and other music and video to those who are isolated, sequestered, and in need of community.

In addition, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Annual Spring Gala, scheduled to take place on April 15 at 8:00 p.m. will now be held as a virtual Gala, a “Concert for Our Culture” freely broadcast to audiences globally thanks to the support of Gala honorees Clarence Otis and Jacqueline Bradley; JALC’s Chair Robert Appel and the rest of the JALC Board; and other key donors. Against the backdrop of the New York City skyline, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with special guests will perform in The Appel Room an evening of music celebrating the centennial of jazz icons Charlie “Bird” Parker and Dave Brubeck.

“Together, in this specific time of need, the bandstand becomes even more sacred. We will illustrate the power of jazz to bring us together and lift us to higher ground,” said Wynton Marsalis, Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

This concert will be freely accessible via Facebook Live, Livestream.com/jazz, and on our “Jazz Live,” interactive video app, powered by JALC partner Kiswe and available for all Apple and Android devices.

For existing ticketholders, we respectfully request that you consider donating your ticket to JALC in support of the institution, our education programs for kids of all ages, and the musicians we employ during the period of closure. The full value of your tickets will be credited to your Jazz at Lincoln Center account within the next 48 hours and if not donated, will be available as a credit towards future performances (or fully refundable). Ticket buyers can contact customer service at customerservice@jazz.org or 212-258-9999 for further assistance.

Jazz at Lincoln Center appreciates the support it has enjoyed and continues to receive from all members of our community and extended family of donors, concertgoers, patrons, students, teachers, parents, vendors and staff. We encourage those of you at home and/or quarantined to check our website (jazz.org) and http://youtube.com/jazzatlincolncenter to freely access full concerts and other music, interviews, and more from our archive.

The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center is to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for Jazz through performance, education and advocacy. With the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and guest artists spanning genres and generations, Jazz at Lincoln Center produces thousands of performance, education, and broadcast events each season in its home in New York City (Frederick P. Rose Hall, “The House of Swing”) and around the world, for people of all ages. Jazz at Lincoln Center is led by Chairman Robert J. Appel, Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis, and Executive Director Greg Scholl. Please visit us at jazz.org; follow us on Twitter @jazzdotorg and Facebook; watch our free, global webcasts at new.livestream.com/jazz; and enjoy concerts, education programs, behind-the-scenes footage, programs and more at youtube.com/jazzatlincolncenter.

Additional information may be found at jazz.org |

Facebook: facebook.com/jazzatlincolncenter |

Twitter: @jazzdotorg | Instagram: @jazzdotorg |

YouTube: youtube.com/jalc | Livestream: jazz.org/live

Blue Engine Records to Release “Rock Chalk Suite” by The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on March 20th, 2020

New York, NY (March 11, 2020) – Wilt Chamberlain, Paul Pierce, Lynette Woodard, and Jo Jo White are among the University of Kansas basketball legends honored on Blue Engine Records’s Rock Chalk Suite by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Commissioned to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Lied Center of Kansas—the University of Kansas’s (KU) performing arts center—each of the suite’s high-flying 15 movements takes inspiration from a different KU hoops legend. The CD for Rock Chalk Suite can now be pre-ordered exclusively from the Lied Center of Kansas at lied.ku.edu/rockchalk. The full digital album will be available on March 20, 2020 at jazz.org/rockchalk

It’s been said that basketball is like jazz, but Rock Chalk Suite takes the comparison to another level entirely—utilizing the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s full roster to honor KU’s rich athletic heritage, as well as its cultural contributions to the world. As Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis says, both basketball and jazz “reward improvisation and split-second decision making against the pressure of time.”

Derek Kwan, the Lied Center’s Executive Director, says, “As we prepared to celebrate the Lied Center’s 25th anniversary throughout the 2018–2019 season, our goal was to commission a new work that would create an indelible sense of community. There is no question that this project, built upon the foundation of great jazz music, has created a stronger sense of community in Kansas, in New York City, and for all of Jayhawk nation.”

Rock Chalk Suite—named for KU’s Rock Chalk Jayhawk cheer which dates back to 1886—is a timeless tribute to the spirit of improvisation, both on and off the hardwood.

TRACK LISTING:

1. The Y’s Guy (4:18)

For James Naismith

Composed by Chris Crenshaw

Solos: Dan Nimmer (piano), Wynton Marsalis (trumpet), Chris Crenshaw (trombone)

2. Jo Jo’s Mojo (3:59)

For Jo Jo White

Composed by Marcus Printup

Solos: Charles Goold (drums), Elliot Mason (trombone), Ted Nash (alto saxophone), Chris Crenshaw (trombone), Marcus Printup (trumpet)

3. Phog Allen (3:55)

For Phog Allen

Composed by Ted Nash

Solo: Camille Thurman (tenor saxophone)

4. The First Lady: Lyrical Lynette (4:17)

For Lynette Woodard

Composed by Wynton Marsalis

Solos: Sherman Irby (alto saxophone), Ted Nash (flute), Ryan Kisor (trumpet), Dan Nimmer (piano)

5. C. B.’s Theme (4:16)

For Charlie B. Black

Composed by Dan Nimmer

Arranged by Carlos Henriquez

Solo: Dan Nimmer (piano)

6. D(efense)-Up: The Untold Story of Darnell Valentine (3:55)

For Darnell Valentine

Composed by Victor Goines

Solos: Charles Goold (drums), Wynton Marsalis (trumpet), Victor Goines (tenor saxophone), Sherman Irby (alto saxophone)

7. The Truth (4:10)

For Paul Pierce

Composed by Sherman Irby

Solos: Ryan Kisor (trumpet), Chris Crenshaw (vocals), Paul Nedzela (baritone saxophone), Vincent Gardner (trombone)

8. Walt’s Waltz (4:59)

For Walt Wesley

Composed by Elliot Mason

Arranged by Carlos Henriquez

Solos: Ted Nash (alto saxophone), Elliot Mason (trombone), Victor Goines (clarinet), Paul Nedzela (baritone saxophone)

9. Miracles (3:51)

For Danny Manning

Composed by Vincent Gardner

Solos: Ted Nash (soprano saxophone), Charles Goold (drums)

10. Third Quarter (4:49)

For Nick Collison

Composed by Paul Nedzela

Arranged by Chris Crenshaw

Solos: Carlos Henriquez (bass), Vincent Gardner (trombone)

11. Passing Game (3:34)

For Bill Hougland

Composed by Kenny Rampton

Solos: Kenny Rampton (trumpet), Victor Goines (tenor saxophone), Ted Nash (alto saxophone), Elliot Mason (trombone), Charles Goold (drums)

12. I Cry Before My Country, I Leap Across Its Seas (3:58)

For Wilt Chamberlain

Composed by Wynton Marsalis

Solos: Sherman Irby (alto saxophone), Kenny Rampton (trumpet), Marcus Printup (trumpet), Wynton Marsalis (trumpet)

13. Wiggins in 6/8 (4:25)

For Andrew Wiggins

Composed by Carlos Henriquez

Solos: Paul Nedzela (baritone saxophone), Dan Nimmer (piano)

14. The Ponderous Pachyderm of the Planks (4:19)

For Clyde Lovellette

Composed by Sherman Irby

Solos: Carlos Henriquez (bass), Chris Crenshaw (trombone), Elliot Mason (trombone), Vincent Gardner (trombone)

15. The Shot / I’m a Jayhawk (The KU Fight Song) (4:59)

“The Shot”

For Mario Chalmers

Composed by Victor Goines

Solos: Sherman Irby (alto saxophone), Wynton Marsalis (trumpet), Ted Nash (alto saxophone), Chris Crenshaw (trombone), Marcus Printup (trumpet), Camille Thurman (tenor saxophone), Kenny Rampton (trumpet), Sam Chess (trombone), Ryan Kisor (trumpet), Vincent Gardner (trombone)

“I’m a Jayhawk (The KU Fight Song)”

Composed by George “Dumpy” Bowles

PERSONNEL:

THE JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS

2018-2019 Concert Season

REEDS

Sherman Irby — alto and soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet

Ted Nash — alto and soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet, piccolo

Victor Goines — tenor and soprano saxophones, Bb and bass clarinets, tambourine

†Walter Blanding — tenor saxophone
*Camille Thurman — tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet

Paul Nedzela — baritone and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet

TRUMPETS
*Ryan Kisor

Kenny Rampton

Marcus Printup

Wynton Marsalis

TROMBONES

Vincent Gardner

Chris Crenshaw (additional vocals, track 7)

Elliot Mason (tracks 1-8, 10-14)
*Sam Chess (tracks 9 and 15)

RHYTHM SECTION

Dan Nimmer — piano

Carlos Henriquez — bass
*Charles Goold — drums
*Taurien “TJ” Reddick – percussion

*Indicates substitute orchestra members

†Did not perform on this recording

Subito will be handling the sheet music rentals for some of Wynton’s larger works

We are pleased to announce a partnership with Subito Music Corporation. Subito will be handling the sheet music rentals for some of Wynton’s larger works.

Works available for rent are All Rise, Swing Symphony, The Abyssinian Mass and Concerto in D.

Please visit Zinfonia.com to request a rental of any of these materials. More titles will be available in the coming months.

Check out our sheet music section for more info

Celebrate Dave Brubeck and Charlie Parker at JALC’s 2020 Gala

This year’s gala, Brubeck+Bird at 100, celebrates the legacy of two jazz greats, Dave Brubeck and Charlie “Yardbird” Parker and will feature a star-studded lineup performing timeless songs from two artists who helped shape and forever change the art form. Anchored by New York’s House Band – The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – the show features performances by special guests including Benny Green, Sheila Jordan, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Veronica Swift, Norm Lewis, Diane Reeves, and many more.

We are proud to present the Ed Bradley Award for Leadership in Jazz to Jazz at Lincoln Center Board Member* Clarence Otis and Jacqueline L. Bradley*, who are leaders in both business and philanthropy. Clarence and Jacqueline have been staunch supporters of JALC and our youth education programs, particularly Let Freedom Swing and Clarence has served in a number of leadership capacities, including his current role as chair of JALC’s Finance Committee. Clarence also sits on the boards of Verizon and VF Corporation.

We could not be more excited to present this year’s Jazz at Lincoln Center Award for Artistic Excellence to Jazz at Lincoln Center’s own Phil Schaap, a true inspiration to all of us working to keep jazz alive. Through a career of broadcasting jazz on the radio for over 44 years, winning him Grammy Awards for Historical Writing, Producing, and Audio Engineering, Schaap is one of our most passionate and dedicated scholars and a staple in the world of jazz preservation.