It is the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and Jazz at Lincoln Center joyfully announces 16 holiday-themed nights in December. Jazz at Lincoln Center will ring in the holidays with Big Band Holidays, December 13-17, a decades-long annual NYC holiday tradition. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will be joined by special guest vocalists Catherine Russell and Kenny Washington. With fresh arrangements, playful improvisation, and entertaining storytelling, the Orchestra will bring out the magic in such classics as Count Basie’s “Jingle Bells,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and Billie Holiday’s “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” In addition, the Big Band Holidays Relaxed Performance will return on Sunday, December 17 at 2pm, after the initiative’s successful launch in 2016. The Relaxed Performance is designed to provide families with autism, learning difficulties, or other sensory and communication needs the opportunity to enjoy Jazz at Lincoln Center performances in a more relaxed environment.
Over the years, the critically acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and an all-star roster of guest vocalists have explored the canon of holiday standards, performing new and traditional arrangements of Yuletide favorites. These Big Band Holidays concerts have become a seasonal tradition among jazz lovers and families, especially since the release of the Big Band Holidays album on Blue Engine Records. The album—which captures highlights from holiday performances through the years and features guest vocalists Cécile McLorin Salvant, René Marie, and Gregory Porter— is available on streaming platforms and for sale on CD and vinyl at all performances. Additionally, a limited-edition Christmas tree-shaped 7” vinyl single will also be available.
Holiday spirit abounds in Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in December, starting with Riley Mulherkar’s first ever holiday celebration, Riley’s Red Hot Holidays, December 15–17, featuring a collective of New York’s next generation of stars – trumpeter Jumaane Smith, trombonist Corey Wilcox, alto saxophonist/clarinetist Patrick Bartley, tenor saxophonist Julian Lee, baritone saxophonist Alexa Tarantino, guitarist Gabe Schnider, pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, vocalist Shenel Johns, bassist Russell Hall, and drummer Kyle Poole. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra saxophonist Sherman Irby will return for a second year with Sherman Irby: A New Christmas Story, December 20–24. The swinging, sophisticated, and uplifting holiday show was a crowd favorite after its debut last year at Dizzy’s. The band this season features the talents of pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, bassist Gerald Cannon, drummer Chris Beck, trombonist Steve Turre, and vocalist Camille Thurman.
Ramping up the celebration into the new year, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra bassist Carlos Henriquez will lead Carlos Henriquez Octet: The Latin Side of Dizzy for ten sets at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, December 26–30. The tribute to the Club’s namesake will feature pianist Robert Rodriguez, drummer Obed Calvaire, trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, saxophonist Melissa Aldana, trombonist Marshall Gilkes, trumpeter Terell Stafford, and percussionist/vocalist Anthony Almonte. For one night only, special guest NEA Jazz Master Paquito D’Rivera will join Henriquez and his Octet for New Year’s Eve with Paquito D’Rivera and Carlos Henriquez, December 31, for two special sets at 7:30pm and 11pm. Guests of the New Year’s Eve performances will enjoy a special menu included in the ticket price. Jazz at Lincoln Center members have pre-sale access beginning November 7. Reservations are available to the general public starting today, November 14, subject to availability.
Big Band Holidays and holiday performances at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola will take place in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, located at Broadway at 60th Street, New York, New York. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit jazz.org.
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER’S HOLIDAY LINEUP:
BIG BAND HOLIDAYS
December 13, 7pm; December 14– 16, 8pm; December 17, 2pm | Rose Theater
Continuing a beloved New York tradition, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis warms up the House of Swing with soulful renditions of holiday classics. With fresh arrangements, playful improvisation, and entertaining storytelling, they bring out the magic in such classics as Count Basie’s “Jingle Bells,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and Billie Holiday’s “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” Jazz royalty Catherine Russell joins as special guest vocalist for the second year, continuing a spirited partnership that has spread Yuletide cheer in dozens of cities across the country. Russell will be joined by another Jazz at Lincoln Center favorite, fellow vocalist Kenny Washington, who recently brought his Home for the Holidays program to delighted audiences at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.
Tickets start at $35.
RILEY’S RED HOT HOLIDAYS
December 15–17, 7:30pm & 9:30pm | Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
This swinging holiday show features a collective of New York’s finest rising stars. These musicians have all worked together extensively, and they’ve been featured on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s multiple stages over the past few years. The musicianship is impeccable, and their camaraderie and deep love for this music bring a real fire to the shows they put together. Tonight’s music director is trumpeter Riley Mulherkar, who has directed several outstanding events at Jazz at Lincoln Center, including a Dizzy Gillespie career retrospective, a headlining performance by vocalist extraordinaire Dee Dee Bridgewater, and a couple of swinging Mardi Gras celebrations.
Cover: Fri, Sat $45 / Sun $30
Students: $25
SHERMAN IRBY: A NEW CHRISTMAS STORY
December 20–23, 7:30pm & 9:30pm | Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
December 24, 7pm | Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
An accomplished bandleader and a saxophonist with the sweetest tone, Sherman Irby is a longtime member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. His 2016 debut of A New Christmas Story left us wanting more, and we’re excited to welcome this warm and swinging take on the Charles Dickens classic back to the club. Sherman Irby: A New Christmas Story is a family-friendly program that is equally engaging for adults in search of sophisticated and uplifting holiday entertainment. Irby’s top-notch band features vocalist Camille Thurman, trombonist Steve Turre, pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Chris Beck.
Cover: Wed $35 / Thurs, Fri $40 / Sat $45 / Sun $50
Students: $25
CARLOS HENRIQUEZ OCTET: THE LATIN SIDE OF DIZZY
December 26–30, 7:30pm & 9:30pm | Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
Carlos Henriquez is the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s bassist and “an emerging master in the Latin jazz idiom.” (DownBeat) He will lead an all-star octet through a lively exploration of the Latin side of Dizzy Gillespie. As heard in transformative songs like “Manteca” and “A Night in Tunisia,” Gillespie integrated Cuban rhythms with the hot sounds of a modern jazz orchestra, becoming a leading pioneer in the infectious cultural fusion of Latin jazz—a tradition that Henriquez now embodies. Hailing from the Bronx, Henriquez is a rare virtuoso in both jazz and Afro-Cuban traditions, and he has performed with greats like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz since the age of 14. Henriquez regularly headlines concerts in The Appel Room and music directs shows in Rose Theater, so these shows at Dizzy’s are an exciting opportunity to experience his talent in a more intimate setting.
Cover: Tues, Wed, Thurs $45 / Fri, Sat $55
NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH PAQUITO D’RIVERA AND CARLOS HENRIQUEZ
December 31, 7pm & 11pm | Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
14-time Grammy Award winner Paquito D’Rivera returns to Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola for a rollicking New Year’s Eve performance. Not only is he one of the world’s foremost saxophone and clarinet virtuosos, D’Rivera is a composer whose contributions to classical music and Latin jazz have earned him both a Carnegie Hall Lifetime Achievement Award and the honor of NEA Jazz Master. D’Rivera regularly sells out top concert halls in New York City (he’ll be headlining in Rose Theater in March), but he also knows how to channel his magic into a club setting with his mischievous sense of humor and joie de vivre. Hailing from the Bronx, Henriquez is at home in both jazz and Afro-Cuban traditions, and he has performed with greats like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz since the age of 14. He, too, regularly headlines concerts in our larger venues, and he’s put together a truly extraordinary band for this gig. Join them at Dizzy’s to ring in the new year with good vibes, great food, and some of the world’s best musicians.
Advance Payment Required: $200 per person for the 7:30pm set and $350 per person for the 11pm set, plus applicable fees.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2017–18 season celebrates the organization’s 30th anniversary. Since the first downbeat of its summer concert series in 1987, Jazz at Lincoln Center has been a vital part of the global cultural landscape. Jazz at Lincoln Center was established as an independent non-profit organization in 1996; opened Frederick P. Rose Hall, the “House of Swing”, in 2004, making it the world’s first venue designed specifically for jazz; and launched Blue Engine Records in 2014 to share its vast archive of recordings. Over the past three decades, Jazz at Lincoln Center has become an important advocate for jazz, culture, and arts education globally, reaching an audience of nearly 2 million people of all ages and experiences through concerts, webcasting, musical instruction, and distribution of music scores—the vast majority of which is free of charge. To date, Jazz at Lincoln Center has produced more than 1,200 original concerts in the New York City area, with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra having performed in over 446 cities in 41 countries on five continents. This milestone season reflects on 30 years of celebrating the universal language of music and the influence of jazz in the present day. Throughout the 2017–18 season, Jazz at Lincoln Center will bring together a wide array of events, projects, virtuoso musicians, composers, and educators to illustrate the collaborative nature of the art form. Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2017–18 season features performances by renowned artists including Joey Alexander, Chick Corea, Paquito D’Rivera, Eliane Elias, Ellis Marsalis, Dick Hyman, Marilyn Maye, Steve Miller, and Dianne Reeves; as well as Jazz at Lincoln Center debuts by the Harlem Quartet and vocalist and songwriter Somi. The milestone season will conclude with a grand finale world premiere by Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director.
TICKET INFORMATION:
All single tickets for The Appel Room and Rose Theater can be purchased at jazz.org 24 hours a day or through CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10am–9pm. Tickets can also be purchased at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located on Broadway at 60th Street, ground floor. Reservations for Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola can be made by calling 212-258-9595 or by visiting jazz.org.
Box Office Hours:
Monday–Saturday: 10am–6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain)
Sunday: 12pm–6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain)
Hot Seats—$10 seats for select shows in Rose Theater—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.
For more information about Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 30th anniversary season, go to jazz.org.
Additional information may be found at jazz.org |
Facebook: facebook.com/jazzatlincolncenter |
Twitter: @jazzdotorg | Instagram: @jazzdotorg |
YouTube: youtube.com/jalc | Livestream: jazz.org/live
Jazz at Lincoln Center proudly acknowledges
its major corporate partners:
Bloomberg, Brooks Brothers, Centene Charitable Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, Con Edison, Entergy, SiriusXM, Steinway & Sons, The Shops at Columbus Circle at Time Warner Center, and United Airlines.