Vincent Herring, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra to Perform ‘Charlie Parker With Strings’

News, Vincent Herring, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra

By DownBeat I Jan. 27, 2026

“It’s a rare opportunity for New York audiences to experience *Charlie Parker With Strings* live,” said Vincent Herring. “This music reveals the full range of Bird’s imagination and reminds us why his voice continues to matter.”
(Photo: Courtesy Vincent Herring)

The Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra will bring classical and jazz music into conversation in a tribute to jazz legend Charlie Parker on Feb. 13. Featuring saxophonist Vincent Herring, the concert offers a one-night-only live orchestral presentation of Charlie Parker With Strings. Presented as a complete work, the performance also includes music from the original score that was never recorded, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience the full scope of Parker’s landmark string project live in concert. The performance takes place at 7:30 p.m. at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church in New York as part of Black History Month.

Marking the first time the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra has dedicated a full program to jazz, the concert represents a deliberate artistic expansion for the ensemble, engaging directly with a foundational chapter of American music and the musicians who shaped it. The program centers on Charlie Parker With Strings, the groundbreaking 1955 recordings that became the most commercially successful chapter of Parker’s career. Blending Parker’s improvisatory brilliance with lush string arrangements, the sessions revealed another dimension of his artistry — deeply melodic, expressive and expansive — while bridging bebop’s radical language with a broader musical audience. Charlie Parker With Strings affirmed Bird’s vision of jazz as an elastic art form capable of existing alongside classical traditions.

Selections are drawn from the Great American Songbook — music Parker transformed through the Strings sessions — including “Summertime,” “April In Paris,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” and “I’m In The Mood For Love.” Presented in their original string arrangements, these works spotlight the lyrical beauty, harmonic daring and emotional range that defined Parker’s playing, even within the lush sweep of an orchestral setting.

Herring brings deep authority and personal insight to this performance. Known for his intense, soulful sound and commanding swing, Herring has performed and recorded with jazz greats including Nat Adderley, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Cedar Walton and the Mingus Big Band. He will be joined by his quartet Jazz: The Story with Jon Faddis, featuring Eric Reed (piano), John Weber (bass) and Ari Hoenig(drums).

“Charlie Parker didn’t just push jazz forward, he redefined what was possible,” noted Phil Nuzzo, artistic director of the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra. “The concert honors Parker not only as a towering innovator, but as one of America’s most influential artistic voices. Bringing his work into a symphonic setting allows us to hear his imagination with new depth and color for our Brooklyn audiences.”

“It’s a rare opportunity for New York audiences to experience Charlie Parker With Strings live,” Herring added. “I am thrilled to be playing alongside the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra to honor the legacy of such an important and influential artist. This music reveals the full range of Bird’s imagination and reminds us why his voice continues to matter.”

In addition to the Parker tribute, the orchestra will present a newly commissioned orchestration of Gershwin’s Three Preludes For Piano, offering a contrasting lens on the ensemble’s own artistic voice. The work features Samantha Atlas, principal trumpet of the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, in a newly expanded orchestral version.

Tickets start at $60. CLICK HERE for more information. DB