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Lush Life: Celebrating 100 Years of Billy Strayhorn

Featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Guest Vocalist and Pianist Johnny O’Neal

June 10 & 11, 2016 at 8pm
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater

Jazz at Lincoln Center concludes its 2015-2016 season by celebrating the centenary birth year of American music icon Billy Strayhorn. Guest vocalist and pianist, Johnny O’Neal makes his debut with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis as they commemorate Strayhorn’s life and career on Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 8:00pm in Rose Theater, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall. Jazz at Lincoln Center is located at Broadway at 60th Street, New York, New York.

For this celebratory tribute, pianist Dan Nimmer will lead the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest pianist and vocalist Johnny O’Neal. Throughout his career, O’Neal worked regularly with Clark Terry, Ray Brown, Art Blakey, and many others. “He’s a very special cat. If ever somebody sounded like Art Tatum, it’s him. He’s got it all.”says piano legend Barry Harris, who mentored O’Neal in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s.

Legend has it that Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967) wrote one of the icons of the American songbook, “Lush Life,” at the tender age of 16. Though this early date has been disputed by some scholars, what isn’t in question is that Duke Ellington’s first recordings of Strayhorn’s work were published when Strayhorn was only 23 years old. As Duke Ellington’s key collaborator — and in his own right — Strayhorn is one of jazz music’s seminal yet often under-recognized composers, author of bellwethers like “Take the A Train” which is 75 years old this year.

These concerts will also stream live in high-definition audio and video for free to a global audience via wyntonmarsalis.org/live

Tickets for Lush Life can be purchased through jazz.org 24 hours a day or via 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. Box Office hours: Monday-Saturday from 10am to 6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain) and Sunday from noon to 6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain).

Note: Hot Seats, $10 seats for select performances in Rose Theater are available for purchase to the general public on the Wednesday prior to each performance. Subject to availability. 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.

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Comments

  1. Love Lincoln Center Jazz. Thanks so much for your effort in keeping it alive & growing!

    Rebecca Culbertson on Jun 1st, 2016 at 9:23am