World Premiere of Wynton Marsalis’ (The Ever Fonky Lowdown)
New work features the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Doug Wamble, Jazzmeia Horn, Brianna Thomas, Camille Thurman, Wendell Pierce, and choreography by Jared Grimes
In 1994, Wynton Marsalis premiered his first big band composition commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln Center, Blood on the Fields, about a couple’s journey from slavery to freedom. Nearly 25 years after the premiere of this powerful work which earned him a Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1997, Marsalis will premiere (The Ever Fonky Lowdown), the latest entry in his renowned canon of music exploring America’s relationship to racial matters. (The Ever Fonky Lowdown) will premiere on June 7 ─ 9 at 8pm in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, located on Broadway at 60th Street, New York, New York.
The world premiere of “The Ever Fonky Lowdown” (Download the Libretto in pdf), commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln Center, is part of the special concert event entitled Wynton Marsalis, an evening devoted to original compositions by Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director. The concert also marks the finale of the organization’s milestone 30th anniversary season.
(the ever-funky lowdown) will feature the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis; guitarist Doug Wamble; vocalists Jazzmeia Horn, Brianna Thomas, and Camille Thurman; narrarator Wendell Pierce; and choreography by Jared Grimes, and it will utilize the group’s virtuosic soloists, broad stylistic versatility, and unparalleled ensemble cohesion. Marsalis will also use this work to convey his hopes, concerns, and insights about contemporary culture and society through an historically informed lens.
The exploration of cultural and societal issues has yielded some of Marsalis’ best work: the 1986 Grammy Award─winning Black Codes, 2007’s From the Plantation to the Penitentiary, and 1994’s Blood on the Fields ─ the first jazz composition ever to win a Pulitzer Prize. His work and music have been a core part of Jazz at Lincoln Center since the organization’s inception, and the world premiere of (the ever-funky lowdown) continues to highlight this close connection between ambitious leadership and uncompromised creativity.
For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit jazz.org.
TICKET INFORMATION:
Ticket prices start at $10. All single tickets for The Appel Room and Rose Theater can be purchased at jazz.org 24 hours a day or through CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10am–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: 10am–6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain)
Sunday: 12pm–6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain)
Hot Seats—$10 seats for select shows 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.
Live webcast on wyntonmarsalis.org/live
Download the Libretto in pdf
