01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 1 The Program Sponsored by Prudential Investment Management Wednesday Evening, January 28, 2015, at 7:30 and 9:30 Billy Porter James Sampliner, Musical Director Antoine Silverman, Violin Lisa Matricardi, Violin Philip Payton, Viola Allison Seidner, Cello Matt Beck, Guitar Gary Haase, Bass Andrew Sterman, Woodwinds Dan Willis, Woodwinds James De La Garza, Trumpet Mike Boschen, Trombone Jason Michael Webb, Keyboards Joe Nero, Drums Broadway Inspirational Voices This evening’s program is approximately 75 minutes long and will be performed without intermission. These performances are being recorded by Live From Lincoln Center for future broadcast; cameras will be present. Please make certain all your electronic devices are switched off. Major support for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook is provided by Amy & Joseph Perella. Wine generously donated by William Hill Estate Winery, Official Wine of Lincoln Center. This performance is made possible in part by the Josie Robertson Fund for Lincoln Center. The Appel Room Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 2 American Songbook Additional support for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston, The DuBose and Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund, The Shubert Foundation, Jill and Irwin B. Cohen, The G & A Foundation, Inc., Great Performers Circle, Chairman’s Council, and Friends of Lincoln Center. Endowment support is provided by Bank of America. Public support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts. Artist catering is provided by Zabar’s and zabars.com. MetLife is the National Sponsor of Lincoln Center. Movado is an Official Sponsor of Lincoln Center. United Airlines is the Official Airline of Lincoln Center. WABC-TV is the Official Broadcast Partner of Lincoln Center. William Hill Estate Winery is the Official Wine of Lincoln Center. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc., is pleased to announce that this evening’s performance will be telecast on PBS as part of the series Live From Lincoln Center, which is made possible by a major grant from MetLife. Generous support for Live From Lincoln Center is also provided by the Robert Wood Johnson 1962 Charitable Trust, Thomas H. Lee and Ann Tenenbaum, The Robert and Renée Belfer Family Foundation, Mercedes T. Bass, and the National Endowment for the Arts. This program airs on PBS on Friday, April 3 (check local listings). UPCOMING AMERICAN SONGBOOK EVENTS IN THE APPEL ROOM: Thursday Evening, January 29, at 7:30 and 9:30 Norm Lewis: Who Am I?* Friday Evening, January 30, at 8:30 John Reilly and Friends, featuring Becky Stark and Tom Brosseau Saturday Evening, January 31, at 8:30 Reich and Sondheim: In Conversation and Performance Featuring Paul Gemignani, George Lee Andrews, Kate Baldwin, Michael Cerveris, Anthony de Mare, Ensemble Signal, Alexander Gemignani, and Derek Johnson Wednesday Evening, February 4, at 8:30 Judy Kuhn Sings Richard Rodgers, Mary Rodgers, and Adam Guettel The Appel Room is located in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall. For tickets, call (212) 721-6500 or visit AmericanSongbook.org. Call the Lincoln Center Info Request Line at (212) 875-5766 or visit AmericanSongbook.org for complete program information. Join the conversation: #LCSongbook We would like to remind you that the sound of coughing and rustling paper might distract the performers and your fellow audience members. In consideration of the performing artists and members of the audience, those who must leave before the end of the performance are asked to do so between pieces. The taking of photographs and the use of recording equipment are not allowed in the building. 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 3 ANNETTE AND VII TANNER Meet the Artists American Songbook I Meet the Artists Billy Porter Billy Porter is a Tony and Grammy Award–winning singer, composer, actor, playwright, and director from Pittsburgh. As a recording artist, his solo albums include Untitled, At the Corner of Broadway + Soul (Live), and his most recent release, Billy’s Back on Broadway. Featuring ten classics made famous on the Great White Way that focus on inspiration, empowerment and hope, the album’s title is a nod to Sammy Davis Jr.’s recording Sammy’s Back on Broadway. Mr. Porter’s voice can also be heard on the albums Grease (revival cast album), Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns, Hercules (Disney) and Anastasia (Warner Bros.), Dreamgirls in Concert, and the Human Rights Campaign’s Love Rocks. Mr. Porter currently stars as Lola in the smash hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots, for which he won the 2013 Drama Desk and Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical. Other Broadway acting credits include Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Moe, Grease (all original cast), Smokey Joe’s Café, and Dreamgirls (20th Anniversary Benefit Concert and Ovation Award), in addition to several Off-Broadway and regional credits. His one-man show, Ghetto Superstar: The Man That I Am, was nominated for a 2005 GLAAD Media Award. As a director, Mr. Porter directed a critically acclaimed recreation of The Wiz and conceived a musical revue entitled Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Music of Stevie Wonder starring Chaka Khan. He conceived and directed Being Alive, a musical celebration that aligns the canons of Stephen Sondheim and William Shakespeare and combines them with the soulful musical styles of the African American experience. Mr. Porter also directed the new musical Twilight in Manchego for the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2008 and is the NAACP Theatre Award winner for Best 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 4 American Songbook I Meet the Artists Direction of a Musical for his production of Once on This Island at Reprise Theatre Company, where he also conceived and directed a new musical revue called The Soul of Richard Rodgers. Mr. Porter’s film and television credits include the Sundance Film Festival features The Broken Hearts Club and Intern, Noel (with Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams), Shake, Rattle & Roll as Little Richard (CBS miniseries), The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tonight Show, and multiple appearances on The Rosie O’Donnell Show. Most recently, Mr. Porter guest-starred on Law & Order: SVU in a part written for him. Mr. Porter is a graduate of the Professional Program in Screenwriting at UCLA and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. James Sampliner James Sampliner (musical director) is a graduate of Indiana University’s prestigious School of Music. His first major theatrical position was as music director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival (1997–2004). During that period, he conducted productions of Tonight at 8:30, Where’s Charley? and The Threepenny Opera. His major theatrical debut in New York was as a keyboardist for Radiant Baby at the Public Theater, where he met his writing partner and collaborator, Billy Porter. The two have been together for over a decade, and their collaborations include Being Alive (the first all–African American Sondheim revue), The Soul of Rodgers (Reprise Theatre Company in Los Angeles), Ghetto Superstar (Public Theater), and While I Yet Live (Primary Stages), along with two CDs, Billy’s Back on Broadway and At the Corner of Broadway and Soul, and the upcoming production of The Colored Museum at the Huntington Theater in Boston. Broadway credits include BKLYN: The Musical, The Wedding Singer, Legally Blonde, and the recently opened Honeymoon in Vegas. Regionally Mr. Sampliner has premiered dozens of new musicals at various venues, including La Jolla Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, Two River Theater, Paper Mill Playhouse, and many more. Other recordings include Love Travels by Julie Reiber and the holiday CD Hark! by the Broadway Boys. Tonight’s American Songbook concert marks Mr. Sampliner’s second time taping for Live From Lincoln Center; the first was the 2013 concert and broadcast of Tony Award winner Patina Miller’s show at The Appel Room. Antoine Silverman Antoine Silverman (violin) has recorded and contracted groups for artists such as the Foo Fighters, Garth Brooks, Moby, Beck, James Taylor, Rod Stewart, Sharon Jones, Ben Folds, Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, Lou Reed, Fall Out Boy, Dashboard Confessional, Lenny Kravitz, and countless others. He has played numerous Broadway shows and has been music coordinator for, among others, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and the upcoming Fun Home. 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 5 American Songbook I Meet the Artists Lisa Matricardi Lisa Matricardi (violin) plays with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and recently in the Broadway production of Cinderella. Her varied career has taken her from playing with such ensembles as the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and Orchestra of St. Luke’s to backing up Barry Manilow, Beck, and the Foo Fighters. She studied with Josef Gingold at Indiana University. After winning a young artist competition, Ms. Matricardi performed solo with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She has enjoyed playing at Prussia Cove and Taos Chamber Music Festival, and for Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood. Her other Broadway shows include The Light in the Piazza and South Pacific. Philip Payton Philip Payton (viola) enjoys a diverse career in New York City and around the country. He is currently performing violin in the Tony Award–winning Broadway production of Kinky Boots and performs regularly with other groups including the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Sarasota Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, American Modern Ensemble, and Harlem Chamber Players, while also teaching violin at the Gray Charter School in Newark, New Jersey. Mr. Payton has performed with Jay Z, Alicia Keys, Nas, Questlove, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Susan Boyle, Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Harry Connick Jr., Beck, the Foo Fighters, and Luciano Pavarotti, among others. He recently recorded with John Legend, James Taylor, Billy Ocean, and Billy Porter, and can be heard on the Grammy-winning original cast recordings of West Side Story and Kinky Boots, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Porter’s Back on Broadway, Connick’s In Concert on Broadway, and Joel’s Last Play at Shea. He has also played on Saturday Night Live, the Today Show, the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Sex and the City, and Smash. Mr. Payton graduated from the University of Michigan and the Cleveland Institute of Music, and was a co-concertmaster and principal second violin of the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas. Allison Seidner Born and raised in New York City, Allison Seidner (cello) enjoyed touring the country for nearly a decade. Since returning home, she has performed on stage at venues from Birdland to Carnegie Hall, in the pit for numerous Broadway shows, and on screen for television appearances including PBS’s Great Performances, Late Night with David Letterman, and the Tony Awards. Ms. Seidner has collaborated with countless musical theater composers and performers, and with artists including Cyndi Lauper, Beyoncé, and Andrea Bocelli. She has spent many hours in the recording studio and has played for two Grammy Award–winning albums, Kinky Boots and The Book of Mormon, both winning for Best Musical Theater Album. Her Broadway and Off-Broadway credits 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 6 American Songbook I Meet the Artists include Kinky Boots, The Addams Family, and Yank! Her national and international tour credits include The King and I, Jekyll & Hyde, The Music Man, Miss Saigon, and Aida. Matt Beck Matt Beck (guitar) has been playing guitar and keyboards for Matchbox Twenty since 2003 and has been the musical director/keyboardist/guitarist for Rob Thomas since 2005. He was in Rod Stewart’s band in 2007 and more recently has been a guitarist for the shows Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and The Last Ship. Mr. Beck has also worked with such artists as Gwen Stefani, Joss Stone, Lisa Loeb, and Tracy Bonham. He studied piano at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division and guitar at the Manhattan School of Music. Gary Haase Known in the industry as a quadruple threat, Gary Haase (bass) is a musician, composer, producer, and recording artist. In New York he has worked with jazz giants Buddy Rich, Red Rodney, and Bucky Pizzarelli, while building a career as a studio musician alongside Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, David Spinozza, John Tropea, and others. He has played with Noel Pointer, Gato Barbieri, Larry Carlton, Ronnie Laws, Phoebe Snow, Phyllis Hyman, and Jennifer Holliday. At the age of 25, Mr. Haase began a long career working with Chaka Khan, first as bassist, then as music director and producer. His performance career enabled him to pursue his composing and producing, and he was signed as a writer and producer to Warner/Chappell Music. Mr. Haase has written and produced for everyone from Celine Dion, Hall and Oates, and Michael Bolton to Patti LaBelle, Maxwell, and Earth, Wind and Fire. Always keeping a foothold in jazz, he continued his work with Grover Washington Jr., Ramsey Lewis, George Benson, Chaka Khan, and Cy Coleman. He continues to wear many hats, dividing time between writing, producing, and performing. In addition he is a signed recording artist with GPR Records, and oversees various projects. His new release is called Classical Jazz, where he has taken classical themes and performed them in non-classical styles. Mr. Haase was a producer on Celine Dion’s Grammy-winning album of the year, Falling into You, and produced Randy Brecker’s Grammy-winning 34th N Lex. Andrew Sterman Saxophonist/flutist Andrew Sterman (woodwinds) has been a member of the Philip Glass Ensemble since 1992, including the only improvising role in the world tour of Einstein on the Beach. He has performed with major jazz, classical, and pop artists amid countless recordings and concerts centered in New York City, from Frank Sinatra to Bruce Springsteen, Sarah Vaughan to Kelly Clarkson. He has received critical praise for his CDs The Path to Peace and Wet 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 7 American Songbook I Meet the Artists Paint. Mr. Sterman is a practitioner of tai chi, qigong, and Chinese medicinal herbs, and is currently completing a book on healing with food. Dan Willis Dan Willis (woodwinds), one of New York City’s most active and versatile woodwind specialists, performs regularly across a wide spectrum of music from jazz to new music. His fifth CD, Satie Project II (Daywood Drive Records), was in the running for two Grammy nominations. Mr. Willis has been been a regular addition to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, New York Pops, New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He has performed in 18 Broadway shows, including the Tony Award winner Kinky Boots. He has toured worldwide with Michael Brecker’s Quindectet, the Birdland Big Band, Don Henley, Wynton Marsalis, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He has arranged for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and is a member of the Roland Vasquez Band and the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble. He is also a frequent collaborator to the Baby Einstein music education series. Mr. Willis can also be heard on hundreds of jingles, soundtracks, and recordings, including the Grammy-winning West Side Story, The Book of Mormon, and Kinky Boots. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. James De La Garza Originally from the Los Angeles area, James De La Garza (trumpet) has been active in New York’s theater scene for over a decade. He attended Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where he studied both classical and jazz music. His Broadway credits include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Gypsy, Billy Elliot, the 2012 revival of Evita, and A Christmas Story. He has worked with the Indianapolis, American, and Stamford symphony orchestras. Mr. De La Garza also performs regularly with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the New York Pops. He has performed or recorded with such artists as Tony Bennett, Sting, Harry Connick Jr., Frankie Valli, and Tori Amos. Mike Boschen Mike Boschen (trombone) was handed a trombone in fourth grade because his arms were long enough to reach all of the positions. He was lucky to have several wonderful teachers, and decided to play music for a living. During his years at the Eastman School of Music, Mr. Boschen was in a funk band that would regularly make long drive to New York City to play gigs. He fell in love with the city and moved there to freelance. Mr. Boschen earned a master’s degree from The Juilliard School and has enjoyed playing music with all kinds of groups since. He enjoys working with young musicians and has served on the faculties of Juilliard’s Pre-College Division, Sarah Lawrence College, and the Bar Harbor 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 8 American Songbook I Meet the Artists Brass Week. In 2008 Mr. Boschen quit all his gigs to travel the U.S. with his wife, Nicole, and interview 50 couples in 50 states married for 50 years or more. He returned to New York to join the orchestra for the Broadway musical Matilda. Jason Michael Webb Jason Michael Webb (keyboards) is a musical director, writer, arranger, musician, and producer based in New York City. His songs have been recorded by Keke Palmer, Israel Houghton, Martha Wash, Mario Cantone, and others, and have appeared on numerous albums (including the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s Grammy-nominated I’ll Say Yes), translated into numerous languages, and broadcast on major networks. Mr. Webb is a two-time Stellar Award nominee and a Dove Award winner. His critically acclaimed arrangement of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” was featured during the 2013 inauguration of President Barack Obama. Mr. Webb’s Broadway credits include associate musical director for Berry Gordy’s Motown: The Musical, Memphis, Leap of Faith, and Violet, for which he also wrote additional arrangements. Off-Broadway credits include musical director for Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s Dogfight (Second Stage Theatre) and Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play Choir Boy, for which he also wrote the arrangements. Choir Boy is currently being produced in multiple cities across the U.S. Mr. Webb is currently working with Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews as musical director for the new Broadway-bound musical Witness Uganda (directed by Diane Paulus), as well as with Lelund Durond Thompson as composer/lyricist for Classical Theatre of Harlem’s new holiday musical The First Noel, premiering this fall. Joe Nero Joe Nero (drums) attended the Manhattan School of Music in 2002 and immediately went to work as a freelance drummer/percussionist. He also attended the prestigious Henry Mancini Institute in 2005 and performed with Quincy Jones, Bobby McFerrin, and Dave Grusin. Mr. Nero has performed in over 20 different shows on Broadway, including Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Aladdin, Les Misérables, Matilda, and Next to Normal, as well as other regional productions like Sleeping Beauty Wakes (McCarter Theatre), First Wives Club (the Old Globe), and Billy Porter’s Being Alive in Philadelphia. Mr. Nero is a member of the jazz group Bryan and the Aardvarks and has performed with John Cowherd and Fabian Almazan. Broadway Inspirational Voices Broadway Inspirational Voices was founded by Michael McElroy in 1994 as the Broadway Gospel Choir and in 1999 reincarnated with its current name. In 2010 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 9 American Songbook I Meet the Artists the group became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is providing hope to inspire and transform youth in need through music and the arts. In addition to numerous concerts, the Grammy-nominated choir has performed with award-winning artists Mariah Carey, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sting, Elton John, Vanessa Williams, Heather Headley, and Billy Porter. On television the group has been featured on the Late Show with David Letterman, the Rosie O’Donnell Christmas Special, Smash, and America’s Got Talent. Broadway Inspirational Voices’ first album, Great Joy: A Gospel Christmas, was released on Sh-K-Boom Records in 2003 and was nominated for a Grammy. The choir is presently working on its second holiday Christmas CD, Great Joy II: Around the World. Matt Berman Matt Berman is the resident lighting designer for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook. He continues his design work for Kristin Chenoweth, Liza Minnelli, Kaye Ballard, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lea Salonga, and Elaine Paige on the road. Through his work with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and several U.S.-based charities, Mr. Berman has designed for a starry roster that includes Bernadette Peters, Barbra Streisand, Reba McEntire, Melissa Errico, Deborah Voigt, Michael Urie, Stevie Wonder, India Arie, Garth Brooks, Billy Joel, and Sting. His international touring schedule has allowed him to design for iconic venues such as Royal Albert Hall, the Paris Opera, the Olympia Theater in Paris, Royal Carré Theater in Amsterdam, the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo, the Acropolis, the Taormina Amphitheater in Sicily, Luna Park in Buenos Aires, the Sydney Opera House, and, closer to home, the Hollywood Bowl, Alice Tully Hall, and Carnegie Hall. Mr. Berman’s television work includes Chenoweth’s recently released special Coming Home, as well as seven Live From Lincoln Center broadcasts and the Tony Award–winning Liza’s at the Palace, which he also designed for Broadway. Other Broadway credits include Bea Arthur on Broadway, Nancy LaMott’s Just in Time for Christmas, and Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony at the Belasco Theater. Scott Stauffer Scott Stauffer has been the sound designer for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook (1999–2015); the Actors Fund concerts of Frank Loesser, Broadway 101, Hair, and On the Twentieth Century; and Brian Stokes Mitchell at Carnegie Hall. His Broadway credits include A Free Man of Color, The Rivals, Contact (also in London and Tokyo), Marie Christine, Twelfth Night, and Jekyll & Hyde. OffBroadway Mr. Stauffer has worked on Hereafter, A Minister’s Wife, Bernarda Alba, Third, Belle Epoque, Big Bill, Elegies, Hello Again, The Spitfire Grill, Pageant, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. His regional credits include productions at the Hanger Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Alley Theatre. As a sound engineer, Mr. Stauffer has worked on The Lion King, Juan Darién, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Carousel, Once on This Island, and Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Broadway). 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 10 American Songbook American Songbook In 1998, Lincoln Center launched American Songbook, dedicated to the celebration of popular American song. Designed to highlight and affirm the creative mastery of America’s songwriters from their emergence at the turn of the 19th century up through the present, American Songbook spans all styles and genres, from the form’s early roots in Tin Pan Alley and Broadway to the eclecticism of today’s singer-songwriters. American Songbook also showcases the outstanding interpreters of popular song, including established and emerging concert, cabaret, theater, and songwriter performers. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) serves three primary roles: presenter of artistic programming, national leader in arts and education and community relations, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. A presenter of more than 3,000 free and ticketed events, performances, tours, and educational activities annually, LCPA offers 15 programs, series, and festivals including American Songbook, Great Performers, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and the White Light Festival, as well as the Emmy Award–winning Live From Lincoln Center, which airs nationally on PBS. As manager of the Lincoln Center campus, LCPA provides support and services for the Lincoln Center complex and the 11 resident organizations. In addition, LCPA led a $1.2 billion campus renovation, completed in October 2012. 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 11 American Songbook I Meet the Artists Broadway Inspirational Voices Michael McElroy, Director Soprano Allison Blackwell Laura Dean Schele Williams Kleinberger Anastacia McClesky Sophia Stephens Anne Fraser Thomas Virginia Woodruff Alto Danielle Chambers Angela DeCicco Lucia Giannetta Danielle L. Greaves Crystal Monee Hall Lisa Lynne Mathis Rema Webb Tenor Chris Dilley Marcus Paul James Jason McCollum Destan Owens John Eric Parker Eliseo Roman Michael Seelbach 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 12 American Songbook Lincoln Center Programming Department Jane Moss, Ehrenkranz Artistic Director Hanako Yamaguchi, Director, Music Programming Jon Nakagawa, Director, Contemporary Programming Jill Sternheimer, Acting Director, Public Programming Lisa Takemoto, Production Manager Charles Cermele, Producer, Contemporary Programming Kate Monaghan, Associate Director, Programming Claudia Norman, Producer, Public Programming Mauricio Lomelin, Associate Producer, Contemporary Programming Julia Lin, Associate Producer Nicole Cotton, Production Coordinator Regina Grande, Assistant to the Artistic Director Luna Shyr, Programming Publications Editor Olivia Fortunato, House Seat Coordinator For American Songbook Matt Berman, Lighting Design Scott Stauffer, Sound Design Angela Fludd, Wardrobe Assistant Sara Sessions, Production Assistant For Live From Lincoln Center Andrew Carl Wilk, Executive Producer Billy Porter broadcast directed by Andrew Carl Wilk Douglas Chang, Series Producer Eileen Bernstein, Supervising Producer Daisy Placeres, Production Manager Kristy Geslain, Associate Producer Danielle Schiffman, Legal Counsel Nick Palm, Post Production Supervisor Roy Walter, Director of Digital Asset Management Cheryl Fusco, Production Associate 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 13 UPCOMING EVENTS Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall February 2015 THE APPEL ROOM Sherman Irby’s Journey Through Swing February 20 at 7pm February 21 at 9:30pm Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra saxophonist Sherman Irby debuts an ensemble made up of the “swinging-est” musicians on the East Coast to explore the migration, development, and evolution of jazz through the lens of swing. Irby first performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in 1995, making his mark with Roy Hargrove and Elvin Jones along the way. In this performance highlighting important and differing regions of jazz, Irby will cover Chicago (Gene Ammons and Johnny Griffin), Kansas City (Count Basie and Charlie Parker), West Coast cool jazz (Chet Baker and Dave Brubeck), New Orleans (Buddy Bolden and Jelly Roll Morton), New York City (Art Blakey, Horace Silver, and Freddie Hubbard), and more. Joining Irby will be saxophonist and clarinetist Victor Goines, trumpeter Bruce Harris, trombonist Vincent Gardner, violinist Eli Bishop, guitarist James Chirillo, pianist Charles Craig, Sr., bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Alvester Garnett. Free pre-concert discussions at 6pm (2/20) and 8:30pm (2/21). Elio Villafranca’s Music of the Caribbean Featuring Jon Faddis and Leyla McCalla February 20 at 9:30pm February 21 at 7pm An artist who incorporates elements of Bebo Valdés, Perez Prado, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Elio Villafranca is a leading voice of music today and part of an extraordinary lineage of Cuban pianists. Villafranca possesses a unique gift of conceptualizing projects that fuse the jazz idiom with his extensive knowledge of percussion and Latin rhythms. Along with his band the Jass Syncopators and special guests trumpeter and Dizzy Gillespie protégé Jon Faddis and singer, cellist, and banjo player Leyla McCalla, Villafranca will present Cinqué- Suite of the Caribbean, a debut work focusing on the influences of the Congolese traditions of rhythms, melodies, and dances through the music of Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba. Via this six-movement work with Congolese drumming and costumed dancers, Villafranca will showcase unifying elements of these islands, which share similar cultures despite their diverse histories. Free pre-concert discussions at 8:30pm (2/20) & 6pm (2/21). ROSE THEATER Family Concert: Who is Billie Holiday? February 7 at 1pm & 3pm This family concert will introduce budding enthusiasts to the woman with the gardenia in her hair, whose highly individualized artistry and embodiment of the blues influenced jazz and popular song indelibly. Aaron Diehl, a pianist The New York Times calls a “revelation,” will serve as musical director. Vocalist Charenee Wade, who has been making waves on the New York jazz scene and beyond, continues to ascend as an impressive and necessary voice in jazz. As part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Billie Holiday Festival honoring her centennial, this concert celebrates both her music and her story as a courageous, exquisite, and singular cultural icon. Free pre-concert activities at 12:15pm and 2:15pm. Dianne Reeves February 13–14 at 8pm One of the most recognized voices in jazz, Dianne Reeves coalesces her signature sound, broad-spectrum repertoire, and fondness for love songs into a very special Valentine’s Day weekend performance. Reeves has long revered the city of New York, and not too many cities top the Big Apple when it comes to romance, making Rose Theater the perfect place to revel in the occasion. Her latest CD, Beautiful Life, was a perfectly timed Valentine’s Day release in 2014, given the sensual essence of both original songs and covers of Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley. Reeves will assuredly set the mood for what is becoming a Jazz at Lincoln Center tradition; for the second year in a row, the most awarded female jazz vocalist of all time treats audiences to an intimate evening of music and storytelling, delivered as only she can. Reeves will be joined by pianist Peter Martin, guitarist Peter Sprague, bassist Reginald Veal, and drummer Terreon Gully. IRENE DIAMOND EDUCATION CENTER Swing University Jazz at Lincoln Center’s jazz education program, Swing University, offers students of all ages a chance to learn about jazz from musicians and scholars. JALC curator and WKCR personality Phil Schaap and friends share insights, expertise, and stories as they lead classes through jazz’s storied past and vibrant present. Winter Term classes include Jazz 101, Jazz 201, Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, and Jelly Roll Morton. Please visit jazz.org/swingu, call 212-258-9922, or email swingu@jazz.org for more information. Single tickets are available. Except where noted, all venues are located in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, Time Warner Center, 5th floor Tickets starting at $10 To purchase tickets call CenterCharge: 212-721-6500 or visit: jazz.org. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office is located on Broadway at 60th Street, Ground Floor. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm; Sunday, 12pm-6pm. For groups of 15 or more: 212-258-9875 or jazz.org/groups. For more information about our education programs, visit academy.jazz.org. For Swing University and WeBop enrollment: 212-258-9922. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 14 UPCOMING EVENTS Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall January 2015 Pharoah Sanders with William Henderson, Nat Reeves, and Joe Farnsworth January 29–February 1 7:30pm & 9:30pm February 2015 Juilliard Jazz Ensembles February 2 7:30pm & 9:30pm Simon Bolivar Big Band with Andres Eloy Briceno, Music Director February 3 7:30pm & 9:30pm Otis Brown III: “The Thought of You” Co-Presented by Revive Music with Jean Baylor, Alan Hampton, Raymond Angry, John Ellis, and Keyon Harrold February 4–5 7:30pm & 9:30pm Victor Goines & Friends: With special guest Joe Temperley February 6: with Chris Pattishall, Russell Hall, and Joe Saylor February 7–8: with Aaron Diehl, Yasushi Nakamura, and Lawrence Leathers 7:30pm & 9:30pm Allan Harris: Black Bar Jukebox Album Release Concert with Pascal Le Boeuf, Jake Goldbas, Leon Boykins, Yotam Silberstein, and Samuel Torres February 9 7:30pm & 9:30pm Clarence Penn and Penn Station: Monk, the Lost Files Album Release Concert with Kevin Hays, Yasushi Nakamura, and Chad Leftkowitz-Brown February 10–11 7:30pm & 9:30pm Kim Nalley Sings Songs of Love February 12–15 7:30pm & 9:30pm Special pricing applies on Saturday evening. Terry Waldo Gotham City Band: “From Ragtime to Jazz” with Jon Erik-Kellso, Mike Davis, Evan Arntzen, Howard Alden, Brian Nalepka, Jim Fryer, and Rob Garcia February 16 7:30pm & 9:30pm Mardi Gras Stomp with Joe Saylor and Alphonso Horne February 17 7:30pm & 9:30pm TS Monk Sextet with Helen Sung, Willie Williams, Kenny Davis, Josh Evans, and Patience Higgins February 18–19 7:30pm & 9:30pm Sounds of Brazil: Mario Adnet with Duduka Da Fonseca, Eduardo Belo, Vitor Gonçalves, and Billy Drewes February 20–22 7:30pm & 9:30pm Jimmy Greene Quartet: Beautiful Life MONDAY NIGHTS WITH WBGO with David Bryant, Luke Sellick, and Jimmy MacBride February 23 7:30pm & 9:30pm In deference to the artists, patrons of Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola are encouraged to keep conversations to a whisper during the performance. Artists and schedule subject to change. Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola is located in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, Time Warner Center, 5th floor New York. Reservations: 212-258-9595 or jazz.org/dizzys; Group Reservations: 212-258-9595 or jazz.org/dizzys-reservations Nightly Artist sets at 7:30pm & 9:30pm. Late Night Session sets Tuesday through Saturday. Doors open at 11:15pm Cover Charge: $20–45. Special rates for students with valid student ID. Full dinner available at each artist set. Rose Theater and The Appel Room concert attendees, present your ticket stub to get 50% off the late-night cover charge at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola Fridays and Saturdays. Jazz at Lincoln Center merchandise is now available at the concession stands during performances in Rose Theater and The Appel Room. Items also available in Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola during evening operating hours. Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola gift cards now available. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 15 jazz at lincoln center february family concert: who is billie holiday? FEB 7 • 1PM, 3PM • JAZZ FOR YOUNG PEOPLE SERIES With Aaron Diehl and Charenee Wade dianne reeves FEB 13–14 • 8PM Vocalist Dianne Reeves returns for Valentine’s Day. Join us for a special pre-concert Valentine’s Day dinner (2/14 only). sherman irby’s journey through swing FEB 20 • 7PM | FEB 21 • 9:30PM Sherman Irby and friends explore the music of Charlie Parker, Freddie Hubbard, and more elio villafranca’s music of the caribbean FEB 20 • 9:30PM | FEB 21 • 7PM With Elio Villafranca, Jon Faddis, Leyla McCalla, and the Jass Syncopators new orleans songbook FEB 20–21 • 8PM Cyrille Aimée, Milton Suggs, Aaron Diehl, and The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra with Irvin Mayfield jazz across the americas FEB 27–28 • 8PM Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Frederick P. Rose Hall Broadway at 60th Street Box Office: Ground Floor CenterCharge: 212-721-6500 jazz.org Lead Corporate Supporter of Jazz Across the Americas The Jazz for Young People Family Concert is funded through the generosity of Mica and Ahmet Ertegun. 01-28 Porter_GP2 copy 1/20/15 12:53 PM Page 16 jazz at lincoln center 2014–15 jazz for young people series family concert: who is tito puente? NOV 22 • 1PM, 3PM Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis family concert: who is billie holiday? FEB 7 • 1PM, 3PM Aaron Diehl and Charenee Wade celebrate the music of Lady Day Tickets start at $10! OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER THE JAZZ FOR YOUNG PEOPLE CONCERT SERIES IS FUNDED THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF MICA AND AHMET ERTEGUN Venue Frederick P. Rose Hall Box Office Broadway at 60th St., Ground Fl. CenterCharge: 212-721-6500 jazz.org