Dizzy’s Club celebrates Jazz Appreciation month with a diverse repertoire and lineup featuring international artists, contemporary jazz musicians, and rising stars. Highlights include Christian McBride, Benny Green and Greg Hutchinson’s tribute to Ray Brown (April 7–12); and the Flamenco Festival New York with guitarist Chicuelo, pianist Marco Mezquida, and percussionist Paco de Mode(April 1–2). The American Pianists Association presents a three-day celebration highlighting five of the past winners of the APA Competition: Sullivan Fortner (April 3 at 7:30 p.m.), Dan Tepfer, (April 3 at 9:30 p.m.), Aaron Parks (April 4 at 7:30 p.m.), the Emmet Cohen Trio (April 5 at 9:30 p.m.) and Adam Birnbaum (April 5 at 9:30 p.m.). Additionally, South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini leads the album release party of his Blue Note debut recording (April 16–17) with special guest Vuyo Sotashe. Tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, accompanied by a string section, (April 22) makes his Dizzy’s club debut for the release of his album Spirit Garden.
The Blues and Roots Festival will feature a mix of traditional, acoustic blues artists and jazz musicians paying tribute to legends of the legends. Over the course of four nights, Dizzy’s Club will showcase how the early roots of the blues influenced the creation and evolution of jazz. The lineup for the festival includes Celisse Henderson(April 23), Andrew Renfroe(April 24), Shenel Johns(April 25), and Phil Wiggins(April 26). On International Jazz Day, vocalist Sofija Knezevic headlines a Jazz at Lincoln Center show for the first time to celebrate the release of her debut album (April 30). She’ll be performing original compositions and jazz standards alongside several members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra: trombonist Elliot Mason, pianist Dan Nimmer, bassist Carlos Henriquez, and frequent JLCO drummer Obed Calvaire.
Emerging artists and young bands take the Dizzy’s Club stage throughout the month, including the Manhattan School of Music Latinx Jazz Orchestra playing the music of special guest Miguel Zenón(April 6), and the Purchase Jazz Orchestra celebrating the Charlie Parker Centennial (April 20). Additional exemplary college bands include the Yale Jazz Ensemble(April 21), Temple University Jazz Band with special guest Akiko Tsuruga(April 27), and William Paterson University Jazz Orchestra and Ensembles with special guest Steve Nelson(April 29).
Dizzy’s Clubis located in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Broadway at 60th Street, New York City. For additional information and the full lineup, please visit jazz.org/dizzys.
DIZZY’S CLUB APRIL 2020 LINEUP:
FLAMENCO FESTIVAL NEW YORK: CHICUELO & MEZQUIDA
No Hay Dos Sin Tres (Never 2 Without 3)
April 1–2 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Guitarist Gómez “Chicuelo” and pianist Marco Mezquida share the beauty and excitement of great live flamenco during this year’s Flamenco Festival New York. In this brilliant collaboration, Chicuelo and Mezquida dazzle with the intersection between Spanish tradition and modern improvisational and compositional influences. Alongside percussionist Paco de Mode, they will invite audiences to experience this internationally acclaimed partnership between two of contemporary flamenco’s most inspired figures.
Cover: $40
Student $25
AMERICAN PIANISTS ASSOCIATION CELEBRATION
April 3–5 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
The American Pianists Awards is an elite jazz competition that names a new Cole Porter Fellow only once every four years, following a unique 13-month competition process. The winner receives a cash prize, concert bookings, a recording contract with Mack Avenue Records, and more. Five of the past winners are Sullivan Fortner, Dan Tepfer, Aaron Parks, Adam Birnbaum, and Emmet Cohen, all of them now well-established professionals and true artists on their instrument. From April 3–5, 2020, Dizzy’s Club will host an exclusive series of showcases featuring these artists in solo, duo, and trio configurations.
April 3 | Sullivan Fortner Solo Piano
7:30 p.m.
New Orleans’ Sullivan Fortner is one of the most promising young voices on piano. In addition to leading his own impressive solo and group performances as a leader, the 2015 Cole Porter Fellow in Jazz has worked extensively with Stefon Harris, Christian Scott, Roy Hargrove, John Scofield, multiple members of the Marsalis family, and in Grammy-Award winning duet with Cécile McLorin Salvant.
Cover: $45
Student: $25
April 3 | Dan Tepfer Solo Piano
9:30 p.m.
Dan Tepfer is a daring and thoughtful improviser well versed in both jazz and classical music, though his music and conceptual ambitions frequently blur such genre lines. His solo recitals reveal an improvisor with impeccable musicality and a seamless, engrossing blend of composition and improvisation.
Cover: $45
Student: $25
April 4 | Aaron Parks Solo Piano
7:30 p.m.
Pianist Aaron Parks has been making important contributions to the modern music canon since he was a teenager, having joined Terence Blanchard’s ensemble at age 18 and recording multiple albums and soundtracks with him, winning a Grammy Award in the process. It was also at age 18 that he became the American Pianists Association’s first-ever Cole Porter Fellow. Parks has worked with many of the most creative voices in contemporary jazz, including playing piano in the hugely popular James Farm Quartet with Joshua Redman, Matt Penman, and Eric Harland, and he has released his own albums on Blue Note and ECM labels.
Cover: $45
Student: $25
April 4 | Sullivan Fortner + Aaron Parks Duo
9:30 p.m.
For one set only, witness a duet between two of the top pianists on the scene: Sullivan Fortner and Aaron Parks. Though their distinctive styles differ vastly, they’re both extraordinarily capable listeners and musical conversationalists, and this collaboration will undoubtedly be an impressive display of musical intuition and interaction.
Cover: $45
Student: $25
April 5 | Emmet Cohen Trio
7:30 p.m.
Pianist and organist Emmet Cohen is one of the most in-demand musicians in New York and the most recent winner of the American Pianist Association’s Cole Porter Fellowship (2019). As both a sideman and bandleader, he has quickly become an integral part of the cross-generational jazz community thriving in New York City. Cohen’s trio, in particular, has become a first-call rhythm section for top vocalists and instrumentalists, in addition to being a popular headlining band in its own right. In recent years the Emmet Cohen Trio has played with the likes of Jimmy and Tootie Heath, Mary Stallings, Jimmy Cobb, and Veronica Swift, for whom he serves as both pianist and music director.
Cover: $40
Student: $25
April 5 | Adam Birnbaum Solo Piano
9:30 p.m.
Adam Birnbaum closes out our three-night celebration of the American Pianists Association with a set of solo piano performance. Though he is an acclaimed composer, Birnbaum is also particularly well known and highly regarded for his thoughtful takes on the time-tested repertoire of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Jerome Kern, Joe Henderson, Cole Porter, Bach, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Sonny Rollins, and more.
Cover: $40
Student: $25
MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC LATINX JAZZ ORCHESTRA: THE MUSIC OF MIGUEL ZENÓN
With Special Guest Miguel Zenón
April 6 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Manhattan School of Music’s (MSM) programs of study for Jazz Arts majors are designed to develop skilled performers, composers, arrangers, and jazz educators in preparation for careers in jazz music. Systematic and rigorous conservatory training, combined with a myriad of performance and networking opportunities in New York City, makes this program one of the richest of its kind for emerging jazz musicians. These talented young musicians prove that the spirit of swing is alive and well, and that the future of jazz is in extremely capable hands. The school’s Latinx Jazz Orchestra makes its Dizzy’s Club debut alongside special guest saxophonist, MacArthur Fellow, multi-Grammy Award nominee, and MSM alumnus Miguel Zenón. With an emphasize on his own original works, the evening will feature both contemporary and traditional Latin jazz music performed by Zenón and the large ensemble.
Cover: $45 at 7:30 p.m./ $35 at 9:30 p.m.
Student: $25
REMEMBERING RAY BROWN WITH CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE, BENNY GREEN AND GREG HUTCHINSON
April 7–12 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Bass master Christian McBride pays tribute to his mentor and former bandleader, Ray Brown, with the help of pianist Benny Green and drummer Greg Hutchinson, each of them members of the Ray Brown Trio. These three musicians are an absolute dream-team of a piano trio and rhythm section—each of whom regularly sells out Dizzy’s Club—and they knew and loved Brown like most of us can only imagine. Audiences will hear a broad and soulful range of music performed in honor of the legendary bassist, with McBride playing on Brown’s own bass, now a prized possession and McBride’s personal instrument of choice. With his huge and powerful tone, unstoppable rhythmic force, and complete technical virtuosity, McBride is one of the leading voices carrying on Brown’s example of the bass as an almighty musical authority.
Cover: Tue, Wed, Thurs $45 / Fri, Sat $50 / Sun $45
Student: $25
DARCY JAMES ARGUE SECRET SOCIETY
April 13 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society is a postmodern big band that has received Grammy Award nominations for every one of its original albums (2009, 2013, and 2016). Led by Guggenheim Fellow Darcy James Argue, the 18-piece Secret Society band brings together many of New York’s finest soloists as a razor-sharp unit able to fulfill Argue’s unique sonic vision.
Cover: $35
Student: $25
RICH VERSUS ROACH: JAZ SAWYER SEXTET FEATURING JOE FARNSWORTH
April 14 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Jaz Sawyer invites fellow drummer extraordinaire Joe Farnsworth to join his band of top instrumentalists in revisiting the classic, popularly debated drum battle album between Buddy Rich and Max Roach. 61 years after the original recording, Rich and Roach continue to astound and inform drummers everywhere. This unique concert theme offers Sawyer and Farnsworth—two drummers with seriously blazing chops, yet who never fail to prioritize swinging musicality—to really dial up the fireworks as they revisit the high-octane battle of the greats. The repertoire includes the music of Louis Prima, Gigi Gryce, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Jerome Kern, Charlie Parker, and more.
Cover: $35
Student: $35
NDUDUZO MAKHATHINI QUARTET
Modes of Communication: Letters From The Underworlds Album Release Party
April 16–17 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Visionary pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhathini celebrates the release of his debut album on Blue Note Records. Following sold-out performances with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in The South African Songbook and a standout set at the 2020 Winter Jazz Fest, Makhathini is here to share his next big musical statement in New York City. Alongside saxophonist Logan Richardson, drummer Nasheet Walts, vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and a soon-to-be announced bassist, Makhathini will perform music from the powerful new record.
Cover: $40
Student: $25
MAKOTO OZONE TRIO
April 18–19 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Japanese piano master Makoto Ozone is a musician recognized by jazz fans around the world. He’s resided in both Japan and the United States, and his diverse groups perform in clubs, concert halls, and festivals on multiple continents. Ozone has been an acclaimed jazz musician since 1983—the year he graduated from Berklee College of Music, gave a solo recital at Carnegie Hall, and joined Gary Burton’s quartet, starting a musical relationship that continues to this day. He returns to Dizzy’s Club with his own dynamic piano trio.
Cover: Sat $45 / Sun $35
Student: $25
PURCHASE JAZZ ORCHESTRA: CELEBRATING THE CHARLIE PARKER CENTENNIAL
April 20 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
The 17-piece SUNY Purchase Jazz Orchestra (PJO), under the direction of Todd Coolman, is comprised of exceedingly talented students from the Conservatory of Music’s jazz studies program. Performing jazz from every era, from staples like Ellington and Basie to leading contemporary composers like McNeely, Clayton, Abene, and Schneider, the PJO always swings. The PJO has a long history with Dizzy’s Club, and the group returns to celebrate the centennial of bebop icon and pioneering saxophonist Charlie Parker.
Cover: $35
Student: $25
YALE JAZZ ENSEMBLE CELEBRATES SONNY ROLLINS WITH WAYNE ESCOFFERY AND MICHAEL PHILIP MOSSMAN
April 21 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
The Yale Jazz Ensemble (YJE) is a 17-piece big band that performs a wide variety of music, from Yale’s Benny Goodman archive to the newest and most progressive jazz compositions. The ensemble has performed extensively throughout the United States and internationally, and they make their anticipated return to Dizzy’s Club. This show’s program, celebrating tenor saxophone titan Sonny Rollins, will feature two modern giants of jazz: saxophonist Wayne Escoffery and trumpeter Michael Philip Mossman, adding to the list of elite jazz musicians with whom this impressive student ensemble has played.
Cover: $35
Student: $25
TIVON PENNICOTT WITH STRINGS: SPIRIT GARDEN ALBUM RELEASE
April 22 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Saxophonist and composer Tivon Pennicott celebrates the release of his new album, Spirit Garden, featuring his outstanding jazz quartet augmented by strings. For the first time ever, Pennicott has written his music to include a large string ensemble and symphonic percussion instruments, and the results are truly beautiful. With unwavering positivity, Pennicott welcomes all audiences to experience this unifying new project.
Cover: $35
Student: $25
THE BLUES AT DIZZY’S
April 23–26 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
The Blues and Roots Festival will feature a mix of traditional, acoustic blues artists and jazz musicians paying tribute to the legends. Over the course of four nights, Dizzy’s Club will showcase how the early roots of the blues influenced the creation and evolution of jazz.
April 23 | Celisse Henderson
Celisse Henderson is a singer, songwriter, and guitar-leaning multi-instrumentalist. With a huge voice, bluesy swagger on the guitar, formidable chops, and a knack for introspective lyrics and irresistibly catchy hooks, she’s an easy crowd-pleaser. Pop fans might recognize her as a member of Trey Anastasio’s new band, or as Lizzo’s guitarist during her recent Saturday Night Live appearance, but the hype for Henderson’s solo career has been building for a while, and we’re excited to host her Dizzy’s Club debut tonight.
Cover: $35
Student: $20
April 24 | Andrew Renfroe: Son House and the Delta Blues
Guitarist Andrew Renfroe presents his tribute to the famously spirited Delta blues legend Son House. Renfroe has an expansive modern jazz vocabulary, as is often heard during his regular performances with several of the city’s most popular jazz-leaning artists, but tonight he gets to let loose with his take on the classic Delta blues sound.
Cover: $40
Student: $20
April 25 | Shenel Johns: Great Ladies of the Blues
Powerhouse vocalist Shenel Johns returns to honor the Great Ladies of the Blues. A commanding vocalist in any setting, Johns is a long-time favorite at Dizzy’s Club for her range of jazz, R&B, gospel, and Great American Songbook prowess. In 2016 she was featured in the popular Divas of the Silver Screen shows in The Appel Room, and in 2018 she co-led the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame induction concert for Nina Simone. She returns to celebrate even more of our music’s extraordinary women.
Cover: $35
Student: $20
April 26 | Phil Wiggins House Party Plays the Piedmont Blues
Traditional blues harmonica player Phil Wiggins carries on the Piedmont blues tradition, a melodic brand of the genre from the mid-Atlantic region. Wiggins is only the third harmonica player to receive the prestigious lifetime honor of a National Heritage Fellowship, the so-called “Living Cultural Treasure” award, the highest cultural honor the United States bestows on a traditional artist. Today, he is the only living harmonica player holding this honor. He’s played with all of the greats over the past several decades, and tonight he brings his House Party to the club, featuring harmonica, vocals, violin, guitar, and a dancer “to reunite the blues with dance.”
Cover: $35
Student: $20
*This concert series is being presented with the generous support of Jody and John Arnhold
MONDAY NIGHTS WITH *WBGO: TEMPLE UNIVERSITY JAZZ BAND WITH SPECIAL GUEST AKIKO TSURUGA
April 27 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
The Temple University Jazz Band—an exemplary student group led by Grammy Award–winning trumpeter Terell Stafford—returns to Dizzy’s Club. This performance will be an impressive display of up-and-coming talent under the extraordinary leadership of Terell Stafford, whose band credits include McCoy Tyner, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. The Temple University Jazz Band has shared the stage with such legends as Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Benny Golson, Dr. Billy Taylor, and Wynton Marsalis. The special guest musician is organist Akiko Tsurugo, a New York mainstay since she arrived in 2001 and almost immediately began working with the likes of Jimmy Cobb, Frank Hess, and Lou Donaldson. Now an acclaimed bandleader and composer in her own right, her collaboration with this next generation of jazz students promises to be an illuminating experience for the band and the audience alike, as they pay a rousing tribute to one of her great jazz organ predecessors: Shirley Scott.
Cover: $40
Student: $25
*WBGO is proud to partner once again with Dizzy’s Club on Monday Nights with WBGO. The series features talented new artists as well as groups from some of the area’s great college jazz programs. Each performance is hosted by WBGO announcer Nicole Sweeney.
MARIEL BILDSTEN
April 28 | 10:00 p.m.
Rising star trombonist Mariel Bildsten makes her Jazz at Lincoln Center debut as a regular set headliner, following several hit performances during our Late Night Sessions. Over the past several years Bildsten has been featured on our larger stages with renowned leaders like Dee Dee Bridgewater, Diane Schuur, and Steve Miller, and now she gets a chance to show more of our audiences why her own groups are so in-demand throughout the New York jazz scene.
Cover:$35
Student: $25
WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA AND ENSEMBLES WITH SPECIAL GUEST STEVE NELSON
April 29 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Part of the William Paterson University Department of Music, the Jazz Studies Program is unique among college programs for its emphasis on small-group playing. The elite program also emphasizes arranging, composition, and solo performance, offering a well-rounded education to its dedicated young musicians. The 7:30 p.m. set features the Orchestra, and the 9:30 p.m. set features their jazz ensemble. Joining the student musicians is special guest Steve Nelson.
Cover: $35
Student: $25
SOFIJAZZ ALBUM RELEASE
April 30| 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Vocalist Sofija Knezevic takes to the Dizzy’s Club stage on International Jazz Day to celebrate the release of her debut album. She’ll be performing original compositions and jazz standards alongside several members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra: trombonist Elliot Mason, pianist Dan Nimmer, bassist Carlos Henriquez, and frequent JLCO drummer Obed Calvaire. Knezevic has made well-received appearances at the club as a guest vocalist, but this will be her first time as a headliner.
Cover: $40
Student: $25
APRIL 2020 LATE NIGHT SESSIONS + LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR
Doors open at 11:15 p.m. 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. This month, the featured artists include Luther Allison (March 31–April 4), Giveton Gelin (April 7–11), Charles Turner & Uptown Swing(April 14 and April 16–17),and Cedric Easton & Circle of Friends(April 28–May 2),among others. On April 18, Charles Turner & Uptown Swing return for a Late Night Dance Session. For the full artist lineup, visit jazz.org/dizzys/late-night-session/
The newly introduced Late Night Happy Hour includes eats and drinks starting at $5. No reservations necessary.
WHERE:
Dizzy’s Club, 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–$50 (unless noted otherwise).
Students: $5–$25 with valid student ID (selected sets only).
Late Night Session: $5–$20.
WHEN:
Headliner sets are 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. (unless noted otherwise).
*All artists are subject to change
MPG Parking Garage
336 West 58th and 18 West 60th
MPG Parking Garage features direct elevator access to Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Shops at Columbus Circle.
To download a discount parking coupon, please visit www.mpgmanhattanparking.com/jazz.
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 jazz.org/live.
Additional information may be found at jazz.org/dizzys |
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YouTube: youtube.com/jalc | Livestream: jazz.org/live
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SiriusXM, and Steinway & Sons.