Gentlemen of Jazz

Overview

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra veterans Paul Nedzela, Kenny Rampton, and Carlos Henriquez lead three performances in the Jazz Garden Tent for a night of unforgettable jazz. In a program we’re calling “Gentlemen of Jazz,” each will present a unique set with a few very special guests! One ticket gets you in for all three amazing performances! Read more info about each of these acclaimed artists below.

Paul Nedzela Quartet – 6 PM

Paul Nedzela (JLCO Baritone Saxophone) has become one of today's top baritone saxophone players. He has played with many renowned artists and ensembles, including Wess Anderson, George Benson, The Birdland Big Band, Bill Charlap, Chick Corea, Dianne Reeves, Frank Sinatra Jr., The Temptations, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Reginald Veal, and Max Weinberg, to name a few. He also performed in Twyla Tharp's Broadway show, Come Fly Away, and in major festivals around the world.

Kenny Rampton Octet presents ‘The Paradise Blue Suite’ – 7:45 PM

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra trumpeter Kenny Rampton presents a suite of original music composed for award-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau’s Paradise Blue. Kenny Rampton joined the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in 2010. He also leads his own sextet in addition to performing with the Mingus Big Band, The Mingus Orchestra, The Mingus Dynasty, George Gruntz’ Concert Jazz Band, and The Manhattan Jazz Orchestra (under the direction of Dave Matthews). In 2010 Rampton performed with The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra at the Edinburgh International Festival and was the featured soloist on the Miles Davis/Gil Evans classic version of Porgy and Bess. He toured the world with The Ray Charles Orchestra in 1990 and with the legendary jazz drummer Panama Francis, The Savoy Sultans, and The Jimmy McGriff Quartet, with whom he played for 10 years. Some of his Broadway credits include Finian’s Rainbow, The Wiz, Chicago: The Musical, In The Heights, Hair, Young Frankenstein, and The Producers.

Carlos Henriquez presents “Dizzy Con Clave” – 9:30 PM

Carlos Henriquez is the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s bassist and “an emerging master in the Latin jazz idiom.” (DownBeat) Henriquez pays tribute to trumpet master Dizzy Gillespie and celebrates latest album release “Dizzy Con Clave.” As heard in transformative songs like “Manteca” and “A Night in Tunisia,” Gillespie integrated Cuban rhythms with the hot sounds of a modern jazz orchestra, becoming a leading pioneer in the infectious cultural fusion of Latin jazz—a tradition that Henriquez now embodies. Hailing from the Bronx, Henriquez is a rare virtuoso in both jazz and Afro-Cuban traditions, and he has performed with greats like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz since the age of 14. Henriquez regularly headlines concerts in The Appel Room (including the premiere of an earlier version of The Latin Side of Dizzy), making this shows an exciting chance to experience his talents from right up close while he honors one of the greatest artists in history.