Jazz at Lincoln Center and Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis today proudly announce the organization’s 2021–22 season of live, in-person performances in Rose Theater, The Appel Room, and Dizzy’s Club— all at Frederick P. Rose Hall, the home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, located at Broadway at 60th Street in New York, New York.
Following more than 17 months producing over 1,000 digital programs for a global audience throughout the pandemic, Jazz at Lincoln Center opens the doors of the House of Swing on November 18 at full capacity. Jazz at Lincoln Center observes all New York City and New York State guidelines in order for audiences to safely experience live events.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 34th season runs from November 18, 2021 to June 11, 2022. In addition to live concerts throughout Frederick P. Rose Hall, the organization offers webcast performances, in-person and virtual education programs, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis tour dates worldwide, and the release of new Blue Engine Records titles.
Concerts during this monumental season re-affirm the art of swing, the engine of musical freedom in jazz. Season concerts honor some of the luminaries of jazz composition rooted in swing—Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Dave Brubeck, Wayne Shorter, and Jelly Roll Morton—while debuting new works by Cécile McLorin Salvant and Wynton Marsalis.
In this new season, Jazz at Lincoln Center continues to produce an extensive range of educational and advocacy programs hosted in-person and online for all ages. New programs including A Closer Listen have been added to the organization’s schedule of education initiatives which include Swing University, Webop, Essentially Ellington, and High School and Middle School Jazz Academies.
The organization’s signature education program, the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival (EE), will take place in-person in May 2022. The program observes its 27th year of spreading the message of Duke Ellington’s music, leadership, and collective orientation by providing high school ensembles with free transcriptions of original Duke Ellington recordings—accompanied by rehearsal guides, teaching notes, original recordings, professional instruction, and more—to more than 7,000 schools and independent bands in 55 countries. In addition to the Competition and Festival held each year, EE co-produces 17 non-competitive regional festivals across the U.S.
Under Music Director Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra tours its vast repertoire—from rare historic compositions and modern jazz arrangements to Jazz at Lincoln Center‐commissioned works— extensively throughout the 2021-22 season. In the fall of 2021, the orchestra tours Europe with residencies in select cities followed by the return of the Big Band Holidays tour to select U.S. cities during the holiday season. In January and February of 2022, the world-renowned orchestra embarks on its longest tour in over 20 years performing across the U.S. West Coast and Midwest.
Throughout the 2021–22 season, Blue Engine Records—Jazz at Lincoln Center’s in-house record label — will continue to release both new and archival materials on streaming and physical formats. These will include Wynton Marsalis’s take on Louis Armstrong’s famed Hot Fives and Sevens sides as well as music from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and emerging jazz stars. Additionally, Blue Engine will re-release older, currently unavailable titles from Marsalis.
The 2021-22 season upholds the notion that 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.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s homecoming season of live, in-person concerts at Frederick P. Rose Hall is anchored by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (JLCO) and opens in Rose Theater with Wynton at 60 (November 18–19, 2021). The concert event—a celebration of Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis’s 60th birthday—highlights his works in small and big band configurations. Grand Seiko is the title sponsor of Wynton at 60 and official timekeeper of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2021—22 season.
During the 2021 holiday season, the JLCO marks the return of the Grammy Award-winning holiday extravaganza Big Band Holidays (December 15-19, 2021) in Rose Theater. With soulful big band arrangements of songs both sacred and secular, Big Band Holidays has been an uplifting tradition enjoyed by audiences of all ages and backgrounds. This year the orchestra, under Marcus Printup as Music Director, welcomes rising star vocalist Ashley Pezzotti to join the tradition. Jazz at Lincoln Center also brings back a Relaxed Performance during the holiday run. The Relaxed Performance is designed to provide families with children or adults with autism, learning difficulties, or other sensory and communication needs the opportunity to enjoy Jazz at Lincoln Center performances in a more comfortable environment.
Jazz at Lincoln Center starts the new year with Celebrating Chick Corea (January 14-15, 2022), a musical celebration honoring one of the most beloved and decorated jazz artists in history. Longtime Corea collaborator and band member John Patitucci serves as the Music Director as a host of artists from Corea’s various bands and projects over the breadth of his career delve into the pianist’s acoustic and electric music.
In February, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s perennial favorite Valentine’s tradition returns as vocalist Dianne Reeves (February 11-12, 2022), 2018 NEA Jazz Master and five-time GRAMMY Award winner, fills Rose Theater with songs of love and romance.
In February and March, the blues is the focus as the organization presents Voices of Mississippi in The Appel Room, and What Is the Blues?, a family concert in Rose Theater. Voices of Mississippi (February 25-26, 2022) will be a multimedia event based on and inspired by William Ferris’s 2019 double-Grammy Award-winning, four-disc box set Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris. Several of the 21st century’s foremost blues practitioners including 87-year-old blues legend and GRAMMY award-winning Bobby Rush, Ruthie Foster, Cedric Burnside, Shardé Thomas and Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi All Stars imbue The Appel Room with the spirit of the blues. Hosted by William Ferris, this special multi-media celebration of the blues, gospel, and local folklore is augmented by narration from Ferris with selected film segments, archival audio recordings, and photographs from Ferris’ collection.
Jazz for Young People Family Concert: What is the Blues? (March 26, 2022) is an hour-long, interactive concert for families to learn all about the fundamental musical concept known as “the blues.” With support from a soulful live band, this afternoon performance is hosted by the charismatic Catherine Russell, named “the best blues singer today” by the Wall Street Journal.
Programming in the spring highlights and re-affirms the art of swing. In a rare appearance in the iconic Appel Room, the JLCO performs a new concert, Journey Through Jazz: Fundamentals (March 18-19, 2022), to demonstrate the fundamentals of jazz through performance. Each concert is curated to help listeners hone their ears, from basic to more complex concepts. The concerts feature compositions and arrangements by the JLCO and includes works by swing masters Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Leonard Bernstein, Wayne Shorter, and Jelly Roll Morton. Journey Through Jazz: Fundamentals is made possible by a generous gift from Lynne and Richard Pasculano.
The works of Charles Mingus—the virtuoso bass player, accomplished pianist, bandleader and composer— are the focus of Charles Mingus Centennial Celebration (April 22–23, 2022). Music directed by Vincent Gardner, the JLCO honors one of the greatest jazz musicians and composers in history and presents new arrangements of Mingus’s repertoire. The musical event highlights some of Mingus’s seminal compositions and works in the big band format.
Bronx-born bassist and full-fledged Latin jazz master Carlos Henriquez leads the world premiere of the program JLCO with Wynton Marsalis: Monk Con Clave, (May 10-12, 2022) in Rose Theater. This concert celebrates Monk’s music through the lens of clave and swing rhythms.
The spectacularly multi-talented Camille Thurman applies her saxophone and vocal skills in Burt Bacharach Reimagined (June 3-4, 2022). To interpret classic songs by the iconic singer-songwriter, she presents a program of Bacharach’s rich yet subtly complex songs alongside her regular working group, the Darrell Green Trio, in The Appel Room.
In 2020, Cécile McLorin Salvant was one of 20 individuals to receive an honor, colloquially known as the “Genius Grant” from the MacArthur Foundation. The vocalist—an eclectic curator and one of the leading jazz artists of her generation—will return to Rose Theater (May 13-14, 2022) to premiere a new collection of music showcasing her unique voice.
Concluding the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s milestone season, Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis will direct the JLCO in All About Ellington (June 10-11, 2022). Serving as a punctuation to the concert season designed to re-affirm the art of swing, the evening will be dedicated to the inspirational genius of Duke Ellington as the JLCO represents the seminal works in each decade of Duke’s career.
The complete 2021-22 season chronology is available online:
https://jazzatlincolncenter.squarespace.com/21-22-season.
Dizzy’s Club
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club is open to full capacity. The world-renowned club, one of the three main performance venues situated in Frederick P. Rose Hall, produces world-class jazz performances nightly, often reflecting and augmenting the programming in Rose Theater and The Appel Room.
Throughout the re-opening months, sets will feature Trio da Paz (August 24-29, 2021) delivering the infectious spirit of jazz-oriented Brazilian music with Maucha Adnet on vocals, Joe Locke on vibraphone, and Harry Allen on tenor saxophone; Isaiah J. Thompson (September 2-3, 2021) highlighting new works and his takes on compositions by the masters; the Jon Hendricks Centennial Celebration with Kurt Elling, Jazzmeia Horn and Special Guests (September 9-12, 2021); William Parker Celestial Light House (September 23-24, 2021); Endea Owens & The Cookout (September 25-26, 2021); Brandon Goldberg Quintet (September 30, 2021); and the Joey Alexander Trio (Oct 1-3, 2021).
Education
Jazz at Lincoln Center serves the largest jazz education program network in the world, and its initiatives are based on the organization’s 34-year history of education in jazz performance and appreciation.
Goals of each program are for students to gain insight into American vernacular music and jazz, learn the communal history of jazz in a sociopolitical context, receive guidance on how to better communicate personal objectives, and gain awareness of the mission of jazz musicians today building on the aspirations laid by earlier generations.
Highlights of the 2021-22 Education Season include:
- Journey Through Jazz: Fundamentals, a new education concert for adults hosted by the JLCO with Wynton Marsalis, presented in The Appel Room and captured for wider distribution.
- Swing University, which offers jazz appreciation classes for adults, takes place online as summer, fall, winter, and spring terms in order to serve a global jazz community.
- WeBop, an interactive program for families with children ages eight months to five years-old, presented in a hybrid model of online offerings. After January 1, 2022, WeBop will offer limited capacity in-person classes during the winter, spring, and summer terms.
- The family-oriented Jazz for Young People concert What is the Blues?, hosted by Catherine Russell, held live and in-person in Rose Theater (March 25-26, 2022).
- Let Freedom Swing, in-school educational concert programs focused on social justice, will be held as in-person concerts in schools in New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and New Orleans.
- 2nd Annual Jack Rudin Jazz Championship invitational for collegiate bands takes place as an in-person event at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
- Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Festival and Competition takes place as an in-person event at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Regional festivals return as in-person programs in 17 locations, and charts and resources continue to be made available to schools worldwide.
- The award-winning Middle School and High School Jazz Academies return with in-person activities.
- Free virtual program, A Closer Listen, which features jazz experts and enthusiasts holding in-depth discussions on jazz works, continues to run online.
- A series of charts by JLCO members from recordings released by Blue Engine Records.
Touring
The virtuosic Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis tours its expansive repertoire, including original works and arrangements by band members, around the world.
In September and October of 2021, the JLCO tours Europe with dates in London, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, Bern, and residencies in Amsterdam and Vienna. The orchestra visits Russia for the first time since 1998, with concerts to celebrate the 60th birthdays of bandleader and saxophonist Igor Butman and Wynton Marsalis.
Special for the holiday season, the JLCO tours the festive Big Band Holidays with guest vocalist Ashley Pezzotti throughout the U.S.
From January through March, the JLCO embarks on its longest domestic tour in over 20 years with performances on the West Coast and Midwest. The tour includes a 6-day residency at SFJazz in San Francisco, CA and residencies in Santa Barbara, CA and Chicago, IL.
Spring 2022 finds the JLCO in Nashville, TN; Philadelphia, PA; and University Park, PA for a four day residency at Penn State University.
Health and Safety Guidelines
We believe in the power of music to uplift, inspire, and create a sense of community. We very much look forward to welcoming you back to the House of Swing at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall this season and are committed to employing all measures to ensure your safety as well as the safety of our artists and staff. Learn more about our health and safety guidelines, COVID-19 Liability Waiver, and enhanced refund policy on jazz.org.
To support a safe reopening for in-person events, and in accordance with the advice of medical and public health experts, effective Sept 13, 2021, Jazz at Lincoln Center will require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 with a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a prerequisite to entering, visiting, and working in its facilities.
All guests entering Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) venues must present proof of a COVID-19 vaccination authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and/or World Health Organization (“WHO”) for emergency use, with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before entry.
Jazz at Lincoln Center has partnered with Health Pass by CLEAR, which provides a secure, digital proof of COVID-related health insights via the free mobile app. Guests can use the CLEAR health pass to confirm identity and vaccination status by downloading the CLEAR app (for more details visit https://www.clearme.com/healthpass). For the most efficient entry possible, we encourage attendees to enroll with CLEAR at least 24 hours before the event.
In addition to Health Pass, JALC will also accept physical vaccination cards or NY State’s Excelsior Pass (for more details, visit: https://epass.ny.gov), both requiring an accompanying photo ID.
We are unable to welcome any attendees under the age of 12 until such time that vaccinations are available for them, and they can show proof of vaccination.
Jazz at Lincoln Center will consider, on an individual basis, requests for reasonable accommodation to the vaccination requirement for individuals with a qualifying medical condition that prevents them from receiving the vaccination, or who objects to being vaccinated on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs and practices. Please contact [email protected] for further information.
Ticket Information
Beginning today, current Jazz at Lincoln Center subscribers are invited to explore our TAKE 3,4,5 package or Create Your Own subscription for all Rose Theater and The Appel Room concerts. The TAKE 3,4,5 package allows subscribers to create a custom concert package of three or more performances across the season, personalized to individual interests and schedules, across both venues.
For our reopening, current subscribers with a fixed seat package from a previous season, enjoy a 15% discount off single ticket prices through a Create Your Own Subscription and all other subscribers who create their own series receive a 10% discount off single ticket prices in addition to all other subscriber benefits.
In order to reserve the best seats, current subscribers have a priority period beginning today through September 14, 2021 before single sale tickets go on sale to the general public.
Becoming a subscriber is the best way to get the best seats at the guaranteed best prices for the entire season, as single ticket prices will increase based on demand as concerts approach. Subscribers also have the benefit of utilizing free, unlimited ticket exchanges to manage their schedule.
For more information on 2021-22 season subscriptions, visit jazz.org/subs. To order a subscription or to request information, please call the Subscription Services hotline at 212-258-9999, e-mail [email protected], or visit jazz.org/subs.
Membership Discount
Jazz at Lincoln Center offers a robust Membership program with a wide array of benefits including deep discounts on concert tickets. Individuals who join at the $100 level and above are eligible to receive VIP single ticket pre-sale access and discounted tickets to Jazz at Lincoln Center-produced concerts in Rose Theater and The Appel Room on the day of the event. Tickets must be purchased at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office or online beginning at 12:01 a.m. on the day of the performance. Members must show their valid membership card or log in to jazz.org using their account credentials to receive this discount. Subject to availability. Learn more and sign up at jazz.org/membership.
VIP single ticket pre-sale for donors, members, and subscribers will be available starting September 7, 2021. To access single tickets before the general public, become a Jazz at Lincoln Center member by September 13, 2021.
Pricing
Ticket prices for Rose Theater are $40 and up dependent upon seating section, except where noted below:
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- Jazz for Young People® tickets in Rose Theater are $10, $20 and $25.
Ticket prices for The Appel Room are $65 and up, dependent on seating section for the 7:00 p.m. sets, and $45 and up, depending on seating section for the 9:30 p.m. sets.
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—are available for purchase by the general public on the Wednesday prior to each performance. Tickets are subject to availability; please call 212-258-9877 for available Hot Seats performance dates.
Hot Seats are available only in person at the Box Office, with a maximum of two tickets per person. 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.
*Please note that a $3.50 Jazz at Lincoln Center Facility Fee applies to ALL ticket purchases, with the exception of $10 Hot Seats. A $7 handling fee also applies when purchasing tickets from CenterCharge or when purchasing tickets online via jazz.org.
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 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 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: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (or 30 minutes past curtain)
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. noon to 6:00 p.m. (or 30 minutes past curtain).
Single tickets go on sale September 14, 2021.
Additional information may be found at jazz.org |
Facebook: facebook.com/jazzatlincolncenter | Twitter: @jazzdotorg | Instagram: @jazzdotorg |
YouTube: youtube.com/jalc | Livestream: jazz.org/live
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is presented by the Arnhold Family.
Leadership support for Jazz at Lincoln Center is provided by an Anonymous Donor, Jody and John Arnhold,
and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Major support made possible through America’s Cultural Treasures, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
Leadership support for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s concert season is provided by Lisa Meulbroek and Brent Harris
and the The Jay Pritzker Foundation.
Generous Support for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s concert season is provided by an Anonymous Family Foundation; Susan and J. Alan Kahn;
Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council;
and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Operating support for Jazz at Lincoln Center provided by New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the New York State Legislature.
Jazz at Lincoln Center proudly acknowledges its major corporate partners: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Grand Seiko, Con Edison,
Entergy, Steinway & Sons, and The Coca-Cola Company.
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER 2021-22 SEASON CHRONOLOGY
Wynton at 60
Featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
November 18-20, 2021 / 8:00 p.m.
Rose Theater
Join the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis for a special concert celebration of Marsalis’s milestone 60th birthday. Known for its impressive musical range, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will take its dynamism to a new level, offering two distinct sets in a single evening. The JLCO will pay homage to Jazz at Lincoln Center’s co-founder and Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis with a career retrospective. Audiences will be treated to select works from across Marsalis’s four decades of composing, arranging, and playing. Marsalis will also perform with a small group composed of JLCO members and special guests—something he hasn’t done in Rose Theater since 2011. Fans wanting to see Marsalis front and center should take full advantage of this opportunity to wish the maestro many happy returns.
Big Band Holidays
Featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
with guest vocalist Ashley Pezzotti
December 15-19, 2021
December 15, 2021 | 7:00 p.m.
December 16-18, 2021 | 8:00 p.m.
December 19, 2021| 2:00 p.m.
Rose Theater
Every December, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis brings this holiday extravaganza to Rose Theater for a series of sold-out performances. With soulful big band arrangements of songs both sacred and secular, Big Band Holidays is an uplifting tradition enjoyed by audiences of all ages and backgrounds. In addition to some swinging JLCO instrumentals and music direction by JLCO trumpeter Marcus Printup, special guest vocalists join the band each season for imaginative new versions of classics like “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth,” “What Child is This,” and “Jingle Bells.” This year, the JLCO welcomes rising star Ashley Pezzotti to join the holiday celebration. The matinee show on Sunday will be a Relaxed Performance, perfect for families with children or adults with autism, learning difficulties, or other sensory and communication needs.
Celebrating Chick Corea
Featuring Music Director John Patitucci and special guests
January 13-14, 2022 |8:00 p.m.
Rose Theater
The late, legendary pianist and composer Chick Corea found endless delight in creating and uncovering — and discovering — new musical wonders. Corea’s restless spirit guided a career that spanned nearly six decades, earned 24 Grammy Awards and 60 nominations, and blazed new compositional trails across the terrain of jazz music and beyond; contributing hundreds of songs — many of which are considered standards — to jazz, jazz fusion, avant-garde, Latin jazz, children’s music and classical progressive rock. This evening—under the musical direction of his longtime bandmate, bassist John Patitucci—we pay tribute to the iconic artist with guest performances by an A-list of Corea’s past collaborators and band members from both his acoustic and electric explorations. Join us for a celebration of Chick’s genre-bending music, which continues to inspire generations of musicians and fans around the world.
Dianne Reeves: Let’s Fall in Love
February 11-12, 2022 | 8:00 p.m.
Rose Theater
Continuing a hugely popular tradition now in its 10th year, NEA Jazz Master vocalist Dianne Reeves sets the mood for Valentine’s Day weekend in Rose Theater. A supremely talented vocalist and hypnotizing storyteller, Reeves has been hailed as “the most admired jazz diva since the heyday of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday” by The New York Times. With her powerful voice, bold dramatic flair, and penchant for spontaneity, Reeves inhabits every story she sings, taking mesmerized audiences along for the ride. See the show that has audiences coming back year after year—and wow the one you love (or treat yourself!) with an unbeatable musical experience.
Voices of Mississippi
Featuring Bobby Rush and Ruthie Foster with William Ferris,
Cedric Burnside, Shardé Thomas and Luther & Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi All Stars
February 25-26, 2022 | 7:00 and 9:30 p.m.
The Appel Room
Voices of Mississippi is a new multimedia event celebrating the music, art, and storytelling traditions of the people of Mississippi. Based on the 2019 double Grammy Award-winning Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris, the program features live musical performances integrated with film, audio recordings, and rare photographs captured by folklorist William Ferris, who will serve as host for the evening. An historian with a proudly egalitarian lens, Ferris studies Mississippi as a slice of humanity in which everyone and everything is interconnected—and in which the beating heart of broader cultural traditions can be found in some of the most overlooked figures and places. From the 1960s through the 1990s, Ferris captured an invaluable archive of cultural and musical treasures, and much of that art and humanity will be shared in this unique multimedia concert experience. Featuring Bobby Rush and Ruthie Foster with William Ferris, Cedric Burnside, Shardé Thomas and Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars, Voices of Mississippi combines blues, folk, gospel music, and spoken-word storytelling to paint a powerful picture of a unique time and place that remains an essential piece of the American cultural fabric.
Journey Through Jazz: Fundamentals
Featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
March 18-19
March 18 | 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m
March 19 | 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
The Appel Room
Delve into Wynton Marsalis’s new concert series, Journey Through Jazz: Fundamentals, that takes audiences on an enhanced performance journey of America’s music. Illustrating his gift of combining prose and music with wisdom and humor, Marsalis leads the crowd through a narrative that explains the evolution of jazz and the blues. The first two evenings of a four-part concert series, this performance is a rare opportunity to experience the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in the intimate and iconic Appel Room. Take a deeper dive into two of the JLCO’s most popular concerts, Spaces and Sesame Street, and enjoy excerpts of arrangements by jazz legends Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Leonard Bernstein, Wayne Shorter, and Jelly Roll Morton. In this interactive evening, explore American folk music and the blues, and its relationship to jazz. Join us for a journey of captivating musical moments. Jazz novices, enthusiasts, musicians, and music lovers of all ages are welcome. Journey Through Jazz: Fundamentals is made possible by a generous gift from Lynne and Richard Pasculano.
Family Concert: What is the Blues? with Catherine Russell
March 26, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Rose Theater
In this hour-long interactive concert, families will learn all about the fundamental musical concept known as “the blues.” With support from a soulful live band, this afternoon performance will be hosted by the charismatic Catherine Russell, named “the best blues singer today” by the Wall Street Journal. The blues is one of the most foundational and widespread traditions in music—and it can mean a lot of different things! Audiences will enjoy live performances of songs from across the genre’s history, and the band will demonstrate how the music is structured, illustrate “blue notes” with their improvised solos, and lead the crowd in some lively call-and-response as Russell sings about what it means to have the blues. Though the blues is its own genre of music, it’s also a core component of jazz and one of the roots of popular American music as a whole. Make sure you’re in Rose Theater to sing along when Catherine Russell and the band answer that classic question for budding music lovers: “What is the blues?”
Charles Mingus Centennial Celebration
Featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
April 22-23, 2022 | 8:00 p.m.
Rose Theater
One of the most important figures in jazz, Charles Mingus was a virtuoso bass player, accomplished pianist, bandleader, and genius composer. He performed with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and more, and his singular compositional voice led many to consider him as the heir apparent to Duke Ellington. A fierce advocate for musicians’ rights and creative efforts, Mingus remains, even half a century after his passing, an inspiration for artists seeking to blaze their own trails and take charge of their own destinies. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis gives a centenary performance in honor of the great Charles Mingus with music direction by Vincent Gardner. With a blend of swinging hard bop, Afro-Latin grooves, and deeply felt blues that characterized Mingus’s pen, this concert celebrates why Mingus’s music remains some of the most beloved of all time.
Cécile McLorin Salvant
May 13-14, 2022 | 8:00 p.m.
Rose Theater
Cécile McLorin Salvant is one of the most acclaimed jazz singers and composers of her generation. Her music fuses sounds from across generations and cultures, incorporating vaudeville, jazz, blues, and storytelling. With her remarkable vocal technique and on-stage persona, she performs rich interpretations of familiar songs and rare treasures alike. A three-time Grammy Award winner and MacArthur Fellow, Salvant returns to Jazz at Lincoln Center for her fourth headlining performance with a New York City debut of her new commission and forthcoming album Ghost Song.
Monk Con Clave
Featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
May 19-21, 2022 | 8:00 p.m.
Rose Theater
The syncopated melodies and rhythms of genius composer Thelonious Monk get the Afro-Latin treatment in this one of a kind evening of clave and swing. With music direction by JLCO bassist Carlos Henriquez, this first-ever performance includes reinventions of Monk classics such as “Bye-Ya,” “Evidence,” “Boo Boo’s Birthday,” and inspired new works. With congas and clave providing the groove, any Monk piece becomes danceable. Named “the most important Latin jazz artist in New York City today” and “the heir to the legacy of Tito Puente” by New York Latin Culture, Henriquez is the longtime bassist for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He is a Grammy Award-nominated artist, a talented arranger, and one of the most exciting bandleaders in town. Hailing from the Bronx, Henriquez is a rare virtuoso in both the jazz and Afro-Cuban traditions, and he has been performing with greats like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz since the age of 14. He’s also a natural entertainer who has led concerts ranging from Rubén Blades’s debut with the JLCO to a New Year’s Eve bash at Dizzy’s Club.
Camille Thurman and the Darrell Green Quartet: Burt Bacharach Reimagined
June 3-4, 2022 | 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
The Appel Room
The sky’s the limit for the dynamic Camille Thurman. An award-winning composer and arranger, formidable saxophonist, jaw-dropping vocalist, and trusted bandleader, Thurman would still be making the “rising star” lists even if she focused on just one of her musical gifts. Thankfully, she’s instead rapidly developing every aspect of her artistry. For the past several years, Thurman has been a popular favorite at Dizzy’s Club and a regular presence on the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra bandstand. This performance will be her highly anticipated debut as an Appel Room headliner. For the occasion, Thurman has developed a new program of reimagined Burt Bacharach hits. A genre-spanning artist himself, Bacharach was influenced at a young age by jazz icons Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie before becoming one of the most successful songwriters of all time. Over the course of his 60-plus year career, Bacharach has released nine number one hit songs and nearly 50 top ten hits, blending jazz, bossa nova, soul, and pop styles into a distinctive and enduring new sound. With hundreds of songs to choose from, Thurman has teased just a few of the classics that she’ll reimagine with the help of her regular band the Darrell Green Trio, including “The Look of Love,” “Going Out of My Head,” and “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” Instantly catchy and yet subtly complex, Bacharach’s music is famously adaptable and popular among jazz musicians, and we can’t wait to see Thurman’s new interpretation in this special evening.
The Best of Duke Ellington: an Evening with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
June 10-11, 2022 | 8:00 p..m.
Rose Theater
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis closes the 2021-22 concert season with an audience favorite: an all-Ellington evening of musical masterpieces. The possibilities are endless in an Ellington extravaganza like this. Over the course of six decades, Duke Ellington wrote well over 1,000 compositions, some of the richest and most enduring music of the past century. From his early days at the Cotton Club when Duke first took the world by storm with hits like “Creole Love Call” and “Black and Tan Fantasy” to his next wave of classics like “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Mood Indigo,” “Sophisticated Lady,” and “In a Sentimental Mood,” Duke set the standard for concise songs in which every moment makes an impact. Duke’s conceptual works—including his “Sacred Concerts” series and extended suites like Black, Brown & Beige, The Far East Suite, New Orleans Suite, and Latin American Suite—go even deeper. The music provides the ultimate canvas for a big band—and nobody plays it quite like the JLCO.