Jazz: 2010-2011 Season

Upcoming Events

• KC Jazz Club: Magos Herrera

  Sep 24, 2010 | Buy Now
  Captivating Mexico City vocalist Magos Herrera elegantly blends her classic jazz styling with Latin American melodies and rhythms in the KC Jazz Club as part of Celebrate Mexico 2010.

• Billy Taylor Trio

  Oct 2, 2010 at 7:30 PM | Buy Now
  For the first time in four years, Dr. Billy Taylor and his Trio return to the Kennedy Center for a full evening of swingin' music.

• KC Jazz Club: Karen Briggs Soulchestra

  Oct 8, 2010 | Buy Now
  Multi-platinum selling violinist Karen Briggs brings her fire-driven soul and improvisation to the KC Jazz Club.

• Chick Corea Trio: Chick Corea + Christian McBride + Brian Blade

  Oct 9, 2010 | Buy Now
  An NEA Jazz Master, Kennedy Center Living Jazz Legend, 16-time Grammy Award winner, prolific composer, and undisputed keyboard virtuoso, Chick Corea brings his new trio for a must-hear engagement.

• KC Jazz Club: Two Skirts and A Shirt: Carla Cook, René Marie, and Allan Harris

  Oct 15 - 16, 2010 | Buy Now
  Three KC Jazz Club favorites--Allan Harris, Carla Cook, and René Marie--come together for two unique evenings of jazz vocals.

• KC Jazz Club: Sharel Cassity Quartet with Special Guest Michael Dease

  Oct 22, 2010 | Buy Now
  Saxophonist Sharel Cassity, a 2006 alumnus of Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead, performs regularly with the Jimmy Heath Big Band, Roy Hargrove Big Band, and the Dizzy Gillespie™ All Star Sextet and Big Band. She's joined by trombonist Michael Dease.

• Geri Allen & Patrice Rushen with Special Guest Terri Lyne Carrington

  Oct 23, 2010 | Buy Now
  Playing on facing Steinway Grand pianos, Kennedy Center favorite Geri Allen and former Musical Director of the Grammy Awards Patrice Rushen are joined by drummer Terri Lyne Carrington for a unique evening of music.

• KC Jazz Club: Jimmy and Tootie Heath

  Oct 29, 2010 | Buy Now
  Legendary saxophonist Jimmy Heath and ace hard bop drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath bring brotherly love to their innovative playing across genres in this monumental reunion.

• KC Jazz Club: Kevin Mahogany in Old, New, Borrowed, and the Blues

  Oct 30, 2010 | Buy Now
  With his gift for bebop, ballads, blues, and swinging jazz, Kevin Mahogany has been called "the standout jazz vocalist of his generation" by Newsweek.

• Anat Cohen: Clarinetwork – Benny Goodman and Beyond

  Nov 5, 2010 | Buy Now
  Young Israeli clarinetist Anat Cohen, "one of the brightest, most original young instrumentalists in jazz" (The Washington Post), presents a rousing tribute to Benny Goodman.

• KC Jazz Club: One For All with Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, Joe Farnsworth, David Hazeltine, Jim Rotondi, & John Webber

  Nov 6, 2010 | Buy Now
  Named for the Jazz Messengers' last record, One for All is an "extremely talented yet ego-less sextet [that] is hardly just about soloing; the group's amazing empathy and subtleness are its strongest trump cards" (JazzTimes).

• KC Jazz Club: Jeremy Pelt

  Nov 12, 2010 | Buy Now
  Voted Rising Star on the Trumpet five years in a row by DownBeat Magazine, Jeremy Pelt performs works from his new CD Men of Honor. "Mr. Pelt plays brilliantly, with warmth and depth" (The New York Times).

• Ramsey Lewis: Proclamation of Hope

  Nov 14, 2010 at 7:00 PM | Buy Now
  Pianist Ramsey Lewis presents his commemoration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th anniversary with celebratory compositions for wind ensemble, rhythm section, and voice. The Chicago Tribune writes, "some of the most eloquent music of Lewis' career."

• KC Jazz Club: Cyrus Chestnut

  Nov 19, 2010 | Buy Now
  Using gospel roots to transmit a joyful, contagious affinity to early jazz forms, the pianist reveals "an orchestral command of the keyboard and a sophisticated sense of swing" (People Magazine).

• Kurt Elling

  Nov 20, 2010 | Buy Now
  Grammy winner Kurt Elling remains one of today's preeminent male jazz vocalists. This concert of music from Elling's soon-to-be-released recording includes his signature vocalese takes on songs of such varied artists as Wayne Shorter and Stevie Wonder.

• Roberta Gambarini with Special Guest James Moody

  Dec 3, 2010 | On Sale 10/6/10,
  Grammy-nominated vocalist Roberta Gambarini was named a "true successor to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McRae" by the Boston Globe. She shares the stage with powerhouse saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master James Moody.

• NPR's A Jazz Piano Christmas

  Dec 11, 2010 | On Sale 10/6/10,
  A Jazz Piano Christmas is a Kennedy Center holiday tradition and an annual sell-out in the Terrace Theater shared by millions around the country via broadcast on National Public Radio.

• Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Creole Christmas

  Dec 17, 2010 | On Sale 10/6/10,
  The world-renowned Preservation Hall Jazz Band brings its traditional New Orleans style to warm up Washington for the holidays. "Preservation Hall keeps its jazz hot" (Los Angeles Times).

• A Jazz New Year's Eve: The Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra of New York with Nnenna Freelon

  Dec 31, 2010 | On Sale 10/6/10,
  Following his outstanding tribute to Dave Brubeck at the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors, trumpeter Jon Faddis returns with his big band to swing in the New Year with Grammy-nominated vocalist Nnenna Freelon.

• Roy Hargrove Quintet

  Jan 8, 2011 | On Sale 10/6/10,
  Grammy-winning trumpeter Roy Hargrove has firmly established himself among the premier players in jazz and beyond. He returns to the Kennedy Center with his distinct blend of jazz, soul, Gospel, and hip hop.

• KC Jazz Club: Rudresh Mahanthappa and the Indo-Pak Coalition

  Mar 11, 2011 | On Sale 12/8/10,
  Performing as part of the maximum INDIA festival, this trio transcends any preconception of Indo-jazz fusion. Saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, rising tabla star Dan Weiss, and guitarist Rez Abbasi are turning heads internationally.

• KC Jazz Club: Sunny Jain and Red Baraat

  Mar 18, 2011 | On Sale 12/8/10,
  Performing as part of the maximum INDIA festival, Sunny Jain leads Red Baraat, a one-of-kind dhol and brass band melding Indian Bhangra with funk and soca.

• Branford Marsalis Quartet and Terence Blanchard Quintet

  Mar 26, 2011 at 8:00 PM | On Sale 12/8/10,
  Two jazz luminaries join forces for one night only, as Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard meets with one of jazz's most recognizable faces, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, each performing with their respective ensembles.

• Toots Thielemans & Kenny Werner

  Apr 2, 2011 at 7:30 PM | On Sale 2/9/11,
  Heralded by Quincy Jones as "one of the greatest musicians of our time," NEA Jazz Master harmonica player Toots Thielemans makes a rare DC appearance with longtime collaborator, pianist Kenny Werner.

• KC Jazz Club: Javon Jackson and Friends Celebrate Freddie Hubbard

  Apr 8, 2011 | On Sale 2/9/11,
  Saxophonist Javon Jackson returns with an all-star group of colleagues, many of whom played and recorded with the late NEA Jazz Master trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, in whose honor they will perform.

• Randy Weston's African Rhythms Quartet featuring Lewis Nash

  Apr 9, 2011 | On Sale 2/9/11,
  NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston brings his African Rhythms Quartet featuring drummer Lewis Nash. Langston Hughes proclaimed that when Randy plays, "a combination of strength and gentleness, virility and velvet emerges from the keys."

• KC Jazz Club: Ben Williams

  Apr 15, 2011 | On Sale 2/9/11,
  D.C. native and winner of the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Bass Competition, Ben Williams leads his own ensemble after wowing audiences with Stefon Harris and Blackout.

• KC Jazz Club: Eldar

  Apr 16, 2011 | On Sale 2/9/11,
  Grammy-nominated pianist Eldar is well known for his prodigious pyrotechnics and precocious knowledge of the bebop tradition. Dave Brubeck praises him as "a genius beyond most young people I've heard."

• KC Jazz Club: Marcus Strickland

  May 6, 2011 | On Sale 2/9/11,
  Soprano and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland was named "Rising Star, Soprano Saxophone" in DownBeat's 2008 Critics' Poll and "Best New Artist" in JazzTimes' 2006 Readers' Poll.

• KC Jazz Club: Yotam Silberstein with Special Guest Roy Assaf

  May 7, 2011 at 7:30 PM | On Sale 2/9/11,
  Following his star turn as guitarist in the sold-out Ella! in January 2010, Israeli phenom Yotam Silberstein returns with pianist Roy Assaf, a fellow Israeli and Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead alumnus.

• Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival - 16th Annual

  May 19 - 21, 2011 | On Sale 2/9/11,
  The Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival marks its 16th thrilling year with three evenings of star-studded performances featuring the world's top female jazz artists.

All programs are subject to change.