In May, Frederick P. Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center becomes a confluence of jazz legends and the next generation of jazz talent. Veteran jazz musicians pass along decades of wisdom and training and foster intergenerational musical exchange. In addition to the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival (May 11-13), 2016 GRAMMY® Award-winning young vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant and the Aaron Diehl Trio (May 19-20) will return for her third headlining appearance in The Appel Room with a program curated entirely to her taste. During the same weekend, current and former Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra members Wynton Marsalis, Vincent Gardner, and Rodney Whitaker join a group of young artists handpicked to perform the music of Count Basie and Duke Ellington in Rose Theater. The rising stars in this band are in the early stages of their musical careers. All the performances will be an inspiring multigenerational exploration of jazz.
In addition, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Director of Jazz & Popular Song Michael Feinstein returns to The Appel Room with Michael Feinstein: The Music of Mel Tormé (May 3-4), featuring special guest vocalists including award-winning stars and masters of the Great American Songbook – Billy Stritch and Ann Hampton Callaway – and the 20-year old newcomer Maddie Baillio, who recently played Tracy Turnblad in NBC’s Hairspray Live! Immediately following Feinstein will be performances by 2017 GRAMMY Award winning guitar icon John Scofield, along with the original musicians from both his 1986 album Blue Matter – including bassist Gary Grainger, pianist Jim Beard, drummer Dennis Chambers – and 1996 album Quiet, featuring master saxophonist Joe Lovano, woodwinds, brass and an all-star rhythm section of Bill Stewart and Larry Grenadier.
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola highlights include the debut performance of the Mara Rosenbloom Trio (May 2), as well as the return of Essentially Ellington Alumni Band (May 10) and Juilliard Jazz Orchestra (May 11-14). The Cookers featuring Billy Harper, Jaleel Shaw, Eddie Henderson, George Cables, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart, and David Weiss take the stage as (May 3-6), while Louis Hayes hosts his Blue Note CD release party as well as his 80th birthday celebration (May 29-31). Jazzmeia Horn (May 15) will also return to the Club to celebrate the release of her highly anticipated debut recording, A Social Call.
Jazz at Lincoln Center is located at Broadway at 60th Street, New York, NY. Tickets can be purchased on jazz.org 24 hours a day or by calling CenterCharge on 212-721-6500, open daily from 10am – 9pm. Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola reservations can be made by calling 212-258-9595 or online at jazz.org/dizzys.
MAY CONCERT LINEUP:
MICHAEL FEINSTEIN: THE MUSIC OF MEL TORMÉ
May 3, 7pm & May 4, 7 & 9pm | The Appel Room
The second concert of the 2016–17 Jazz & Popular Song series, this performance is a dedication to Mel Tormé, an iconic songwriter called the “Velvet Fog” in reference to his enchantingly smooth voice. Tormé was a remarkable singer with the soothing sound of a classic crooner, deep musical sophistication, and emotional intensity in his treatment of melody. Special guest vocalists include award-winning stars and masters of the Great American Songbook – Billy Stritch and Ann Hampton Callaway – and the 20-year-old newcomer Maddie Baillio, who recently played Tracy Turnblad in NBC’s Hairspray Live! The Tedd Firth Big Band will round out this insightful, moving, and highly entertaining foray into the world of Tormé.
JOHN SCOFIELD RETROSPECTIVE: QUIET AND LOUD JAZZ
May 5–6, 7 & 9:30pm | The Appel Room
Guitar icon John Scofield will take the stage at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s The Appel Room for four performances of John Scofield Retrospective: Quiet and Loud Jazz, following his 2017 GRAMMY Award wins for Best Instrumental Jazz Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo. Scofield will add new insights to two of his most revered albums– Blue Matter (1986) and Quiet (1996) – exploring them for the first time since their original releases. Blue Matter was one of Scofield’s first releases after leaving Miles Davis’ group, and he will perform alongside the original personnel: bassist Gary Grainger, drummer Dennis Chambers, and pianist Jim Beard. The second album to be explored is Quiet, featuring Scofield on classical nylon guitar. For this performance, he will reunite with the original musicians on the record – Charles Pillow on alto flute, English horn, and tenor saxophone; John Clark on French horn; and Roger Rosenberg on bass clarinet – along with long-time collaborator and master saxophonist Joe Lovano, additional reed and horn musicians Michael Rodriguez and Jeffrey Scott, and an all-star rhythm section of Bill Stewart and Larry Grenadier. The evening will be a comparative study of the diverse range of John Scofield, from the contemplative Quiet to the raging funk of Blue Matter.
22nd ANNUAL ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ BAND COMPETITION & FESTIVAL
May 11-13 | Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center
The 22nd annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival will bring the 15 finalists to New York City for the ultimate battle of North American high school jazz bands. The 2017 jazz band finalists are returning high school bands from Byron Center High School (Byron Center, MI), Champaign Central High School (Champaign, IL), Denver School of the Arts (Denver, CO), Dillard Center for the Arts (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Edmonds-Woodway High School (Edmonds, WA), Foxborough High School (Foxborough, MA), Lexington High School (Lexington, MA), Mount Si High School (Snoqualmie, WA), Mountlake Terrace High School (Mountlake Terrace, WA), Newark Academy (Livingston, NJ), Osceola County School for the Arts (Kissimmee, FL), Sun Prairie High School (Sun Prairie, WI), Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble (Raleigh, NC), and Tucson Jazz Institute (Tucson, AZ), and first time contender Plano West Senior High School (Plano, TX). During the three days, the bands are immersed in workshops, jam sessions, rehearsals, and performances with alumni and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra members. On May 13, the Competition & Festival will conclude with a concert and awards ceremony featuring the three top-placing bands and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Festival events, including the final concert featuring the three top-placing bands and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, will be webcast live on jazz.org/live.
COUNT MEETS THE DUKE
May 19 – 20, 8pm | Rose Theater
Wynton Marsalis, Vincent Gardner, and Rodney Whitaker – all current or former members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra – join a group of handpicked young artists to perform the music of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Kansas City’s Count Basie Orchestra remains a standard-setting example of a hard-swinging big band, with iconic soloists, infectious tunes, and the eternally envied “All-American Rhythm Section” of Jo Jones, Freddie Green, and Walter Page. Duke Ellington, too, was an extraordinary bandleader, as well as a genius composer of incalculable influence. Throughout its incredible variety, Ellington’s music has a timeless quality and unmatched ability to uplift and enlighten, offering an ideal showcase a big band’s nuance and cohesion. The rising stars of this band are in early stages of what will surely be exciting musical careers, and each has earned a spot on stage through deep dedication. When the Count meets the Duke, it will be an inspiring multigenerational exploration of the jazz canon’s core.
Free pre-concert discussion nightly at 7pm.
CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT AND THE AARON DIEHL TRIO
May 19 – 20, 7 & 9:30pm | The Appel Room
A breathtaking young vocalist whose musical expertise far exceeds her years, Cécile McLorin Salvant has ascended to the major leagues in the blink of an eye. With a voice, a vision, and an impeccable band at her side, the soulful 26-year-old vocalist has topped critics’ polls, earned fans around the world, and won the 2016 GRAMMY Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. For her third headlining appearance in The Appel Room, Salvant crafts a program completely of her choosing, with the Aaron Diehl Trio, featuring Diehl on piano, Paul Sikivie on bass, and Lawrence Leathers on drums. Through original compositions, timeless hits, and forgotten gems, the performance will highlight Salvant’s incredible ability to assimilate a vast lineage of jazz vocalists into her own powerful and distinct expression.
Free pre-concert discussions nightly at 6pm and 8:30pm
MAY 2017 DIZZY’S CLUB COCA-COLA LINEUP:
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING JAZZ ENSEMBLE WITH TERELL STAFFORD
May 1, 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Presenting top student bands has become an unofficial tradition at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. This swinging performance will be the University of Wyoming Jazz Ensemble’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola debut. This first-rate band is directed by acclaimed pianist, composer, arranger, and educator Ben Markley, who has contributed original pieces and arrangements to the evening’s repertoire. GRAMMY Award-winning trumpeter Terrell Stafford, called “one of the great players of our time” by his longtime bandmate McCoy Tyner, will be joining as a special guest for the performance. Stafford will contribute his own compositions, arrangements, and musical expertise to this performance.
Cover: $35
Students: $20
EHUD ASHERIE TRIO: SONGS OF HARLEM PIANO GIANTS
Flip Side Sessions
May 2, 7:30pm
Over the last several years, pianist Ehud Asherie has graced Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola for Wycliffe Gordon’s Thanksgiving shows, Bruce Harris’ Fats Navarro tribute, Bria Skonberg’s Love Songs from the Big Easy, the Anderson twins’ Dorsey Brothers revue, Harry Allen’s For George, Cole, and Duke, and Ken Peplowski’s Great American Songbook series. He is a first-call pianist for any gig requiring a mastery of early jazz traditions with a modern adaptability. In this single-set performance, Asherie will lead his trio through a set of tunes written by Harlem’s most iconic pianists.
Cover: $30
Students: $15
MARA ROSENBLOOM TRIO
Flip Side Sessions
May 2, 9:30pm
For this single-set performance, Mara Rosenbloom is accompanied by Sean Conly and Chad Taylor. The trio’s debut recording, 2016’s Prairie Burn, earned a rare 4.5 stars from DownBeat magazine. New York Music Daily named it a top-ten jazz album of the year, calling it Rosenbloom’s “quantum leap into greatness. An absolutely feral, largely improvisational suite… a true trio effort.” Bold and captivating as both a composer and pianist, Rosenbloom is a rising star not to be overlooked. This will be her debut at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.
Cover: $30
Students: $15
THE COOKERS
May 3-6, 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Jazz veterans, colleagues, and kindred spirits Billy Harper, Eddie Henderson, George Cables, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart, and David Weiss forge a world-class union. Taking their group name from a 1965 Freddie Hubbard album, The Night of the Cookers: Live at Club La Marchal, this exciting all-star sextet summons an aggressive mid-1960s spirit. Their repertoire includes a collection of expansive post-bop originals. Trumpeter and bandleader Weiss says of the group: “They came up at a time when this music was at its most vital and exciting and was part of something epic and historic, yet they are still going strong, playing with the same freedom, passion, and intensity that encompassed this great music.” The depth and power of their music speaks of the seasoned track record of its members, who, combined, have over 250 years of experience in the jazz world and have been a part of over 1,000 recordings.
Cover: Wednesday, $35 / Thursday, Friday $40 / Saturday, $45
Students: $20
AKIKO TSURUGA TRIO
Album Release Celebration
May 7, 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Hammond B3 organist Akiko Tsuruga has been a regular on the New York jazz scene since her arrival in 2001. Almost immediately, she began working with artists like Jimmy Cobb, Frank Hess, and Lou Donaldson, whose quartet she joined in 2007. As a bandleader, she has toured internationally and released several acclaimed albums, garnering extensive radio play and “rising star” designations in DownBeat reader’s polls. For this performance, she celebrates the release of her latest album, featuring Graham Dechter and Jeff Hamilton, who will be joining her for this live celebration. Dechter is an up-and-coming musician, making a name for himself as a straight-ahead jazz guitarist, and Hamilton is a veteran drummer and bandleader and who will soon be headlining Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola again for a couple of nights.
Cover: $30
Students: $15
JEFF HAMILTON TRIO
May 8-9, 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Drummer Jeff Hamilton is known as a bandleader, a co-leader of the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, and as a sideman for such artists as Ray Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Monty Alexander, and Diana Krall. At Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, he leads his regular trio, featuring pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Christoph Luty. The group performs original compositions by each member, plus tunes by Thelonious Monk, Ray Brown, and the occasional (and wholly rewritten) pop hit. Hamilton is regarded as a master drummer, and his trio is a sure bet for fans of hard-swinging, straight-ahead jazz.
Cover: $35
Students: $15
ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON ALUMNI BAND
May 10, 8pm & 10pm
The Essentially Ellington Alumni Band is a big band comprised of top alumni of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington program. It features some of the most outstanding young artists in the greater New York City area, from seasoned pros who have toured the world to current students at renowned schools like The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. This performance will unofficially kick off the Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival.
Cover: $35
Students: $15
JUILLIARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA: MUSIC OF DUKE ELLINGTON
May 11-14, 7:30pm & 9:30pm
The Juilliard School has been a destination for world-class music education since its founding, and these incredible young musicians will exemplify that legacy at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. The Juilliard Jazz Orchestra features some of the world’s most talented emerging jazz artists, many of whom are already professional musicians, and they are taught by some of today’s most active, innovative, and respected jazz musicians. No stranger to Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola (which they regularly sell out), the Orchestra has also performed at noted venues such as Blue Note and Alice Tully Hall. These gifted young musicians are proof of jazz’s bright future, and they honor an essential part of its living legacy in this celebration of Duke Ellington.
Cover: Thursday, Friday $40 / Saturday, $45 / Sunday $35
Students: $25
JAZZMEIA HORN
Album Release Celebration: A Social Call
May 15, 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Jazzmeia Horn is a gifted young singer, composer, and multidisciplinary artist who recently won the 2015 Thelonious Monk International Vocal Jazz Competition as well as the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. In 2015 she brought a stunning concert to Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, sharing a wide range of original compositions, arrangements of jazz standards, Negro spirituals, hymnals, and more. She returns to celebrate the release of her anticipated new album. This performance is a special chance to experience her latest work.
Cover: $30
Students: $15
BILL CHARLAP TRIO
May 17-21, 23-28 at 7:30pm & 9:30pm
One of the world’s premier jazz pianists, Bill Charlap has performed and recorded with modern masters ranging from Phil Woods and Wynton Marsalis, to Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Since 1997, he has led the GRAMMY® Award-nominated Bill Charlap Trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, now recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz. Veterans of top jazz clubs including the Village Vanguard, Birdland, and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, this trio is exemplary for its jaw-dropping level of chemistry and on-the-fly interactivity, made possible by both technical chops and hard-earned experience.
Cover: Tuesday, Wednesday $35 / Thursday, Friday $40 / Saturday $45 / Sunday $35
Students: $20
CHRIS CHEEK BERKLEE QUINTET
May 22, 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Saxophonist Chris Cheek leads the next event in Berklee’s Masters on the Road series, in which master musicians return to teach and lead touring ensembles. Cheek has an extensive résumé as both a sideman and bandleader – and he recently formed the Axis Saxophone Quartet alongside Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, and Mark Turner. His Berklee Quintet is an eclectic group, featuring some of the best musicians at the college. Over the past couple of years, this series has brought exciting young groups led by Ingrid Jensen and Donny McCaslin to Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.
Cover: $35
Students: $15
LOUIS HAYES: SERENADE FOR HORACE SILVER
Blue Note CD Release Party and 80th Birthday Celebration
May 29-31, 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Master musician Louis Hayes is one of the most prolific jazz drummers of all time. While still in his teens in 1956, Louis Hayes moved to New York and joined the Horace Silver Quintet, spending the following couple of years working with greats like John Coltrane and Curtis Fuller, and then joining Cannonball Adderley’s quintet in 1959. He has since become one of the most recorded drummers in history and one of the players to most successfully navigate the changes in jazz since the hard bop era. Though his résumé also includes working with Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Yusef Lateef, Ravi Shankar, J.J. Johnson, Ray Brown, Wes Montgomery, and countless more, he has spent the last several decades as a leader, mobilizing some of the tightest and most cohesive groups in the business. This performance is no exception. For this performance, he will be joined by saxophonist Abraham Burton, trumpeter Josh Evans, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, pianist David Bryant, and bassist Dezron Douglas. It will be a festive three nights of celebrating Hayes’ 80th birthday and his Blue Note album release.
Cover: Monday, Tuesday $35 / Wednesday $30
Students: $20
MAY 2017 LATE-NIGHT SESSIONS LINEUP:
Doors open at 11:15pm every Tuesday through Saturday for the Late Night Sessions featuring some of the most talented up and coming jazz artists, with jam sessions on Thursdays and Saturdays. Julian Lee hosts the jam sessions.
Tuesday – Saturday, May 2-6
LATE NIGHT SESSION: Grassella Oliphant
Tuesday – Saturday, May 9-13
LATE NIGHT SESSION: Nate Sparks Band (5/9-5/12)
LATE NIGHT DANCE SESSION: Nate Sparks Big Band (5/13)
Tuesday – Saturday, May 16-20
LATE NIGHT SESSION: TBD
Tuesday – Saturday, May 23-27
LATE NIGHT SESSION: Dan Chmielinski
Tuesday – Saturday, May 30-June 3
LATE NIGHT SESSION: Micah Thomas
WHERE:
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, 5th floor, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Broadway at 60th Street, New York City.
HOW:
Call 212-258-9595 or visit www.jazz.org/dizzys.
Dinner and drinks served nightly. Minimum of $10 applies to all.
General Admission: $20-$45 (unless noted otherwise).
Students: $5-$30 with valid student ID (selected sets only).
Late Night Session: $5-$20.
WHEN:
Headliner sets are 7:30pm, 9:30pm (unless noted otherwise).
Many of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s concerts stream live in high-definition audio and video for free to a global audience. The concerts will also be available on Livestream’s mobile and connected TV applications with real-time DVR, chat, photos and other materials available to fans worldwide at www.jazz.org/live.
Additional information may be found at jazz.org |
Facebook: facebook.com/jazzatlincolncenter |
Twitter: @jazzdotorg | Instagram: @jazzdotorg |
YouTube: youtube.com/jalc | Live Stream: jazz.org/live
Jazz at Lincoln Center proudly acknowledges its major corporate partners:
Bloomberg, Brooks Brothers, The Coca-Cola Company, Con Edison, Entergy, SiriusXM, Steinway & Sons, The Shops at Columbus Circle at Time Warner Center, and United Airlines.