Blue Engine Records, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s in-house record label, today announced plans to release A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on October 30, 2020.
On this digital album, which accompanies the PBS broadcast premiere of a concert film by the same name, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s fresh arrangements of classic Sesame Street songs reveal the timeless appeal of the program’s repertoire. Recorded in front of a sold-out audience at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, the concert assembles a star-studded lineup of Sesame Street characters—including Elmo, Abby, Big Bird, Bert & Ernie, and many more—to perform beloved tunes like “Rubber Duckie,” “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon,” and “Elmo’s Song.”
Jazz great Wynton Marsalis has been a frequent guest on Sesame Street—and now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark series, he’s returning the favor. On A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration, Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra host the Sesame Street gang in the “House of Swing” for a big band salute to a very special show.
No one is too young or too old to enjoy this hilarious, soulful, and joyous music—so be a part of our neighborhood and celebrate five decades of Sesame Street in swingin’ style.
PBS’s broadcast of Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration will air on October 30 at 9:00p.m. ET / 8:00p.m CT. Check local listings for more details.
A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration is proudly presented in collaboration with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street.
TRACK LISTING
1. Sesame Street Theme
Sesame Street Inc. (ASCAP) / Stage Harbor Publishing (ASCAP)
Written by Joe Raposo, Jon Stone, and Bruce Hart
Arranged by Kenny Rampton
Featuring: Matthew Vogel (Big Bird), Ryan Dillon (Elmo), Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (Abby Cadabby)
2. Rubber Duckie
Festival Attractions Inc. (ASCAP)
Written by Jeff Moss
Arranged by Chris Crenshaw
Featuring: Peter Linz (Ernie)
3. It Feels Good (When You Sing a Song)
Sesame Street Inc. (ASCAP)
Written by Sam Pottle and George James
Arranged by Marcus Printup
Featuring: Chris Thomas Hayes (Hoots the Owl), Ryan Dillon (Elmo)
4. Sing After Me
Sesame Street Inc. (ASCAP)
Written by Sam Pottle and Tony Geiss
Arranged by Victor Goines
Featuring: Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (Abby Cadabby), Matthew Vogel (Big Bird)
5. One of These Things
Stage Harbor Publishing (ASCAP)
Written by Joe Raposo and Jon Stone
Arranged by Sherman Irby
Featuring: Eric Jacobson (Oscar the Grouch), Peter Linz (Herry Monster), Carmen Osbahr-Vertiz (Rosita)
Solos: Kenny Rampton (trumpet), Marcus Printup (trumpet), Elliot Mason (bass trumpet), Janelle Reichman (tenor saxophone), Victor Goines (tenor saxophone), Chris Crenshaw (trombone)
6. Elmo’s Song
Sesame Street Inc. (ASCAP) / Ephemeral Music Co. (ASCAP)
Written by Tony Geiss
Arranged by Kenny Rampton
Featuring: Ryan Dillon (Elmo)
Solo: Wynton Marsalis (trumpet)
7. I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon
Festival Attractions Inc. (ASCAP)
Written by Jeff Moss
Arranged by Wynton Marsalis
Featuring: Peter Linz (Ernie), Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (Abby Cadabby), Matthew Vogel (Big Bird)
Solos: Victor Goines (clarinet), Elliot Mason (trombone), Sherman Irby (alto saxophone), Wynton Marsalis (trumpet)
8. Put Down the Duckie
Splotched Animal Music Co. (BMI) / Sesame Street Inc. (ASCAP)
Written by Christopher Cerf and Norman Stiles
Arranged by Carlos Henriquez
Featuring: Peter Linz (Ernie), Chris Thomas Hayes (Hoots the Owl)
Solos: Ted Nash (alto saxophone), Sherman Irby (alto saxophone)
9. Ladybugs’ Picnic
Sesame Street Inc. (ASCAP)
Written by William Luckey & Don Hadley
Arranged by Sherman Irby
Featuring: Matthew Vogel (The Count), Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (Abby Cadabby), Carmen Osbahr-Vertiz (Rosita)
Solos: Wynton Marsalis (trumpet), Vincent Gardner (trombone)
10. People in Your Neighborhood
Festival Attractions Inc. (ASCAP)
Written by Jeff Moss
Arranged by Ted Nash
Featuring: Carmen Osbahr-Vertiz (Rosita), Ryan Dillon (Elmo), Matthew Vogel (Mr. Johnson), Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (Abby Cadabby)
11. Pinball Number Count
Sesame Street Inc. (ASCAP) / Ned Shatzer III Publishing (BMI)
Written by Walt Kramer & Ed Bogas
Arranged by Carlos Henriquez
Featuring: Matthew Vogel (The Count)
Solos: Wynton Marsalis (trumpet), Paul Nedzela (baritone saxophone)
12. Believe in Yourself
Green Fox Music Inc. (BMI) / Jonico Music Inc. (BMI)
Written by Joe Raposo
Arranged by Chris Crenshaw
Featuring: Eric Jacobson (Grover), Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (Abby Cadabby), Ryan Dillon (Elmo)
Solo: Sherman Irby (alto saxophone)
13. Sing
Green Fox Music Inc. (BMI)
Written by Joe Raposo
Arranged by Ted Nash
Featuring: Ryan Dillon (Elmo), Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (Abby Cadabby), Carmen Osbahr-Vertiz (Rosita), Chris Thomas Hayes (Hoots the Owl), Peter Linz (Ernie), Eric Jacobson (Bert), Matthew Vogel (Big Bird)
PERSONNEL:
THE JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS
2019-20 Concert Season
REEDS
Sherman Irby — alto saxophone, clarinet, and flute
Ted Nash — alto & soprano saxophones, clarinet, flute, and piccolo
Victor Goines — tenor saxophone, clarinet, and bass clarinet
†Walter Blanding— tenor saxophone
*Janelle Reichman — tenor saxophone and clarinet
Paul Nedzela — baritone saxophone, clarinet, and bass clarinet
TRUMPETS
*Ryan Kisor
Marcus Printup
Kenny Rampton
Wynton Marsalis — music director
TROMBONES
Vincent Gardner — trombone and sousaphone
Chris Crenshaw — trombone and bass trombone
Elliot Mason — trombone and bass trumpet
RHYTHM SECTION
Dan Nimmer (piano)
Carlos Henriquez (bass and vocals)
*Jason Marsalis (drums)
†did not perform in this concert
*Indicates substitute orchestra member
About Blue Engine Records
Blue Engine Records, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s platform that makes its vast archive of recorded concerts available to jazz audiences everywhere, launched on June 30, 2015. Blue Engine Records releases new studio and live recordings as well as archival recordings from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s performance history that date back to 1987 and are part of the R. Theodore Ammon Archives and Music Library. Since the institution’s founding in 1987, each year’s programming is conceived and developed by Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis with a vision toward building a comprehensive library of iconic and wide-ranging compositions that, taken together, make up a canon of music. These archives include accurate, complete charts for the compositions – both old and new – performed each season. Coupled with consistently well-executed and recorded music performed by Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, this archive has grown to include thousands of songs from hundreds of concert dates. The launch of Blue Engine is aligned with Jazz at Lincoln Center’s efforts to cultivate existing jazz fans worldwide and turn new audiences onto jazz. For more information on Blue Engine Records, visit blueenginerecords.org.
About Jazz at Lincoln Center
The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center is to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. We believe jazz is a metaphor for Democracy. Because jazz is improvisational, it celebrates personal freedom and encourages individual expression. Because jazz is swinging, it dedicates that freedom to finding and maintaining common ground with others. Because jazz is rooted in the blues, it inspires us to face adversity with persistent optimism.
Leadership support for Blue Engine Records is provided in part by the Arnhold Family and Jay Pritzker Foundation.
Generous support is provided by Helen and Robert Appel, Diana and Joseph DiMenna, Louise and Leonard Riggio and Lisa Schiff.