Trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas returns to The Appel Room, February 23–24, with Ambrose Akinmusire, Joey Baron, Gerald Clayton, Bill Frisell, and Linda May Han Oh to explore the music and legacy of the legendary jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie through a 21st century lens. Douglas created this project dedicated to one of the towering figures in 20th century music and an international cultural ambassador.
“Dizzy Gillespie was always a peace maker, always the one advancing the music in profound new ways, through understanding and curiosity. In so many different areas, Dizzy was there first it seems – bebop, Afro-Cuban Jazz, hiring young John Coltrane, and global ambassadorship in many guises,” said Douglas. “And he ran for president in 1964. This is my first tribute to a United States presidential candidate.”
Dave Douglas: Dizzy Atmosphere will take place in The Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Frederick P. Rose Hall, located at Broadway at 60th Street, New York, New York. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit jazz.org.
In Dizzy Atmosphere, Douglas will use Gillespie’s repertoire as a starting point for improvisation and exploration, alongside a powerhouse troupe of improvisers and composers known for their thoughtful and exciting contributions to practically any musical context. Making his Jazz at Lincoln Center debut is trumpeter and Thelonious Monk Competition winner Ambrose Akinmusire. On piano is Gerald Clayton, a rising star with professional experience far beyond his years. On bass is the extraordinary performer and composer Linda May Han Oh, who recently joined Pat Metheny’s touring band. On drums is the inimitable Joey Baron, who has performed with a broad range of jazz artists including Gillespie himself. Finally, the genre-defying guitarist Bill Frisell joins as special guest, performing with Douglas for the first time since their outstanding 2004 recording, Strange Liberation.
“I can’t say enough about how happy I am to have been able to create this band. I think they are uniquely suited to taking the traditional elements and setting out on a new musical journey with them,” Douglas said of the musicians he assembled for this program. “I called Ambrose Akinmusire first because, in addition to loving his work and playing, I knew we would see eye to eye about the challenges of taking up Dizzy. Bill Frisell, Gerald Clayton, Linda May Han Oh, Joey Baron — this is a dream rhythm section, and especially as we take more traditional repertoire into new territory, each one of them has unique experiences that make this possible. I am thrilled to take a walk in zero gravity with all of these champions.”
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:
Ticket prices start at $10. 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.
Box Office Hours:
Monday–Saturday: 10am–6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain)
Sunday: 12pm–6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain)
For more information about Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 30th anniversary season, go to jazz.org.
Additional information may be found at jazz.org |
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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.