Jazz at Lincoln Center to Reach From Brazil to New Orleans
The longer works of John Coltrane and Charles Mingus, an Abbey Lincoln retrospective and a Brazilian music festival are among more than 400 events worldwide planned by Jazz at Lincoln Center for its 11th season as a year-round producer, starting in September.
After a July residency by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at the Vitoria-Gasteiz Festival in Spain, the organization plans a fall series of performances, educational events and broadcasts centering on the theme ‘‘Jump In.’‘
‘’ ‘Jump In’ signifies the philosophy of Jazz at Lincoln Center, which is ‘welcome’ and ‘don’t hesitate,’ like when you go to somebody’s house and they try to make you comfortable in the shortest period of time,’‘ said Wynton Marsalis, the organization’s artistic director. ‘‘We have a season that is inclusive of many styles and forms, with musicians of all persuasions.’‘
Since its inception, Jazz at Lincoln Center has been criticized for ignoring music produced since the 1960’s. The 2001-2 season suggests a broader focus: two concerts are to explore the later, visionary works of Coltrane and Mingus, and a three-concert retrospective will present not only Ms. Lincoln’s musical compositions but her poetry as well.
A series of events will also reflect the relationship between Brazilian music and jazz, including collaborations between the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and a samba band led by the percussionist Cyro Baptista; three concerts featuring new arrangements of the music of the Brazilian composer Pixinguinha, performed by a small ensemble led by the guitarist Romero Lubambo; an annotated film program that examines the carnival traditions of Brazil and New Orleans; and three Jazz for Young People concerts, one on Mingus, one on Coltrane and a third titled ‘‘What Is Samba?’‘
Other concerts will celebrate the 75th birthday of the tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath, with guests including Mr. Heath’s brothers, the bass player Percy and the percussionist Albert, known as Tootie; a tribute to Tito Puente; an ‘‘As of Now’‘ concert of new works by Randy Weston and Danilo Perez; and ‘‘Jammin’ on the Hammond,’‘ featuring the jazz organists Lonnie Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Rhoda Scott and Joey DeFrancesco.
The organization’s Kaplan Penthouse programming is to expand to include more small ensemble concerts as well as its candlelight-and-wine series, ‘‘Singers Over Manhattan’‘ and ‘‘Duets on the Hudson.’‘
The Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies, a joint venture between Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Juilliard School, is to be inaugurated in the fall. Under the direction of Victor Goines, it will offer a two-year, tuition-free curriculum for advanced performers aged 17 to 25, including preprofessional training and classes in jazz history, improvisation, arranging, composition and theory. Although not granting a degree, the institute is working toward that goal, Mr. Marsalis said.
The board of Jazz at Lincoln Center recently elected a longtime member, R. Theodore Ammon, as chairman; his tenure began on March 14. The organization’s new building at Columbus Circle, the Frederick P. Rose Hall, is to open in the 2003-4 season.
Source: The New York Times