Jazz at Lincoln Center celebrates Nat “King” Cole’s centennial with the concert event, Nat “King” Cole at 100 with Sachal Vasandani in The Appel Room, December 14–15, 7pm and 9:30pm each night. Vasandani is particularly well known for his Cole tribute project, which has featured classics like “Unforgettable,” “Mona Lisa,” and “Straighten Up and Fly Right.” Though a distinctive artist in his own right, Vasandani’s “beautiful, velvety voice” and “remarkable stage presence” (NPR) have drawn multiple comparisons to Nat “King” Cole himself. During these two special evenings, he will honor Cole’s legacy with his cool, charismatic showmanship against the stunning backdrop of The Appel Room.
Vasandani will share the spotlight with conductor and arranger John Clayton, as well as some of the best instrumentalists in the business: trumpeters Frank Green, Sean Jones, and Tatum Greenblatt; trombonists James Burton III and Paul Dunlea; alto saxophonist Mark Gross; tenor saxophonists John Ellis and Jon Irabagon; baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan; pianist Taylor Eigsti; bassist David Wong; and drummer Obed Calvaire.
“This show is going to be so fun! I admire Nat ‘King’ Cole so much, and to have John Clayton contribute brand new arrangements is a dream—he can bring the best out of any ensemble. But imagine this kind of ensemble, playing this music with these new arrangements,” says Vasandani. “I always admired Nat the pianist and his tasteful swing. But when I heard him sing ‘There Will Never Be Another You’ as a slow, earnest ballad, I woke up to his massive talent as an interpreter. Up to that point, I had only heard that as an up tempo tune at jam sessions. Nat taught me how to slow down, respect a lyric, and put love into every note.”
Free pre-concert discussions will take place at 6pm and 8:30pm each night in the Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Studio, located in the Irene Diamond Education Center at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Nat “King” Cole at 100 with Sachal Vasandani will take place in The Appel Room in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, located on Broadway at 60th Street in New York City. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit jazz.org.
Ticket Information
The Appel Room ticket prices are $110 and up, dependent on seating section for the 7pm sets, and $45 and up, dependent on seating section for the 9:30pm sets.
All single tickets for The Appel Room and Rose Theater can be purchased through jazz.org 24 hours a day or through 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. Note: Hot Seats—$10 seats for each Rose Theater performance (excluding Jazz for Young People® concerts and other performances as specified) and select performances in The Appel Room (excluding Jazz & Popular Song concerts)—are available for purchase by the general public on the Wednesday prior to each performance. Tickets are subject to availability; please call 212-258-9800 for available Hot Seats performance dates.
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 TV-connected applications with real-time DVR, chat, photos and other materials available to fans worldwide at jazz.org/live.
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Jazz at Lincoln Center proudly acknowledges its major corporate partners:
Bloomberg Philanthropies, Brooks Brothers, The Coca-Cola Company, Con Edison, Entergy, SiriusXM, Steinway & Sons, and United Airlines.