Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
The Wayne Escoffery/Jeremy Pelt Quartet kicked off the spring outdoor series on April 4.
(Photo: Jimmy & Dena Katz)Giant Step Arts and Keyed Up! have launched a spring performance series called “Walk With The Wind” honoring politician, statesman and civil rights activist John Lewis.
The concerts, which take place at pop-up locations in Central Park in New York, have served as a way for jazz musicians to perform live — safely — outdoors. When the pandemic hit, Jimmy and Dena Katz, photographers and founders of the not-for-profit Giant Step Arts, looked for a way to help the jazz community they have been documenting for decades.
Last fall, they launched the series to glowing reviews for the music and the mission with acts including the Leap Day Trio (drummer Matt Wilson, bassist Mimi Jones and saxophonist Jeff Lederer), the Joel Ross Quartet, drummer Nasheet Waits with saxophonist Mark Turner and bassist Rashaan Carter, and Chris Potter with Waits and bassist Joe Martin.
The spring season kicked off April 4 with the Wayne Escoffery/Jeremy Pelt Quartet. Twelve other shows have been booked:
April 10: William Parker Trio, Robert Lotreck Quartet
April 11: Melissa Aldana Trio with Pablo Maneras and Kush Abadey, Steve Slagle Trio, Robert Lotreck Quartet
April 17: Chris Potter Trio with Joe Martin and Nasheet Waits.
April 18: Antonio Sanchez Trio with Donny McCaslin and Matt Brewer.
April 24: Marquis Hill Quartet
April 25: Michael Thomas Quartet
May 1: James Brandon Lewis, Freed Style Free Trio, Aaron Burnett Quartet
May 8: Marika Hughes: The New String Quartet
May 15: Jason Palmer Quartet
May 23: Jonathan Blake Trio, Nasheet Waits Quartet
May 29: Abraham Burton Trio
May 31: Jason Palmer Quartet
To learn more, find the location for each show or to donate, go to giantsteparts.org. DB
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
“The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility.
Aug 18, 2026 2:15 PM
Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia has been released after being unexpectedly detained by ICE and taken…
Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.
Sep 1, 2026 11:06 AM
Gene Bertoncini, an esteemed jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator, died Aug. 29 at the Lillian Booth Actors…
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”
Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM
Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
