Music luminaries John Scofield and Taj Mahal commemorate the centennial of the birth of the late blues icon Muddy Waters with special concert events on April 24-25 at 8pm in Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, located at Broadway at 60th Street in New York, New York.
Masters of their instrument and architects of distinctive styles, guitarist John Scofield and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal are each legends in their own right. They will collaborate for the first time in a centennial celebration of the indelible influence of blues giant McKinley “Muddy Waters” Morganfield (1915-1983), who changed the genre forever and permanently impacted rock ‘n roll. Revered as “The Father of Modern Chicago Blues,” Muddy Waters synergized the Delta blues of his native Mississippi with the urban blues of Chicago to become a pioneer of the electric guitar. His sheer inventiveness drafted a blueprint of possibilities for subsequent guitarists to follow.
Both Scofield and Mahal drew early inspiration from Waters as they developed their own individual voices. Over the span of their prolific recording careers—a combined eighty years—each has garnered the highest honors and awards. From Mahal’s “World Blues,” which incorporates influences from New Orleans, the Caribbean, and Africa, to Scofield’s jazz, rock, and funk hybrid, this performance is sure to convey the spirit of Waters’ inerasable footprint in history. To complement the concerts, free pre-concert discussions will be held nightly at 7pm. The concerts will also stream live in high-definition audio and video for free to a global audience via jazz.org/live.
Tickets can be purchased through jazz.org 24 hours a day or CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10am to 9pm. Tickets can also be purchased at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located on Broadway at 60th Street, ground floor. Box Office hours: Monday–Saturday from 10am to 6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain) and Sunday from noon to 6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain) Hot Seats, $10 seats for select shows in Rose Theater and The Appel Room (9:30pm performances only), are available for purchase to the general public on the Wednesday prior to each performance. Subject to availability. Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Hot Seats Ticket Discount Program is supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2014–15 Concert and Education Season features a season-long journey “through the Americas.” Through a diverse array of concerts and programs, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 27th season will explore how jazz has both integrated and influenced the rich musical traditions of the Caribbean and North, South, and Central America. Click here for the complete season schedule.
Special thanks to the Rockefeller Foundation for funding, in part, the 2014-15 Concert Season.
Jazz at Lincoln Center proudly acknowledges its major corporate partners:
Amtrak, Bloomberg, Brooks Brothers,The Coca-Cola Company, Con Edison, Entergy,
HSBC Premier, The Shops at Columbus Circle at Time Warner Center, and SiriusXM.