Jazz At Lincoln Center Announces 2016-17 Concert & Education Season
Wynton Marsalis, Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, today announces its 2016-17 season consisting of more than 110 concerts in Rose Theater and The Appel Room, more than 350 nights of music in Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and a diverse and extensive range of education and community programs for all ages. Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 29th season is anchored by the exceptional Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and commemorates more than 100 years of recorded jazz.
Jazz as an enduring and constantly evolving art form is explored throughout the season, as visionary musicians from around the world celebrate the centennials of Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Thelonious Monk, Buddy Rich, and more. The season features a full lineup of concerts that explore the living continuum of jazz, kicking off in Rose Theater with Handful of Keys: A Century of Jazz Piano from September 22-24. This special concert features the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, 12-year-old Indonesian prodigy Joey Alexander, 89-year old American treasure Dick Hyman, and additional special guest pianists Aaron Diehl, Helen Sung, Isaiah J. Thompson, and Larry Willis. That same weekend, across from Rose Theater and adjacent to the beautiful, newly-renovated Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Atrium, Grammy and Tony Award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater journeys through 100 years of jazz song for Songs We Love in The Appel Room on September 23-24.
“Our 2016-17 season reflects on 100 years of recorded Jazz by remembering and reinvigorating the fundamental principles of that legacy,” said Marsalis. “Over the course of the season, we will discover, recover and explore many of the signature achievements in fantastic recorded legacy of Jazz and feature the extraordinary members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as music directors, arrangers, and composers on this journey. From the Original Dixieland Jazz Band to Sonny Rollins’ Freedom Suite, to many brand new compositions and improvisations inspired by a century of Jazz innovation, we will yet again be moved in unimaginable ways.”
Renowned artists such as Kurt Elling, Wycliffe Gordon, Branford Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, Steve Miller, Eddie Palmieri, Danilo Perez, Dianne Reeves, and C*atherine Russell* will perform in the 1200-seat Rose Theater. Kenny Barron, Dave Douglas, Ibrahim Maalouf, Rosa Passos, Lucky Peterson, Joshua Redman, Cécile McLorin Salvant, John Scofield, Elio Villafranca and more hold court in the elegant Appel Room. The 90th birthday of a true living legend, saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath, is also celebrated over two nights in The Appel Room. Ambassador of the Great American Songbook, and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Director of Jazz and Popular Song series, Michael Feinstein returns for the sixth consecutive year to direct, curate, and perform in the incredibly popular concert series.
“It is our pleasure to also present a stellar roster of first class artist. NEA Jazz Masters Jimmy Heath and Eddie Palmieri, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Miller, and blues legends Lucky Peterson, among many others, showcase their musical legacies with passion and precision on our stages,” continued Marsalis. “Contemporary visionaries Branford Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, Dianne Reeves, Joshua Redman, and John Scofield; and rising stars like Joey Alexander, Sullivan Fortner, Hamilton de Holanda, Ibrahim Maalouf, Cécile McLorin Salvant, and Evan Sherman speak to the power of Jazz to transform lives across generations and bring us all closer to the truth of improvisation and the blues that continues to transcend all boundaries. Through concerts, touring, educational activities and more, our 29th season is the embodiment of our dedication to entertaining, uplifting and expanding the global community for Jazz.”
Throughout the season, the brilliant instrumentalists who make up the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra impress us with their skills in a series of concerts, including The Jazz Age: Untamed Elegance, Jazz of the ‘50s: Overflowing with Style, Free To Be: Jazz of the ‘60s & Beyond and The Swing Era: Revolution in Rhythm. Jazz’s rising stars continue to make their debuts as leaders and featured artists on the stages of Rose Theater and The Appel Room, and this year Jazz at Lincoln Center is proud to feature Sullivan Fortner, Sammy Miller, Riley Mulherkar, Alicia Olatuja, Ulysses Owens, Jr. Evan Sherman, Vuyo Sotashe, Brianna Thomas and others.
“100 years ago, not only was Jazz music first recorded, many of the music’s most important and influential artists were born, leaving a legacy of recorded music that has inspired generations of musicians, composers and singers,” said Jason Olaine, Director of Programming and Touring at Jazz at Lincoln Center. “Across our stages in Rose Theater, The Appel Room, and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, we will celebrate Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, and Buddy Rich while shining a light on some of the most talented, soulful and entertaining artists of today. The 2016-17 Season will be a season of looking back with gratitude while swinging forward with enthusiasm.”