Apr 8, 2025 1:23 PM
Blue Note Jazz Festival New York Posts 2025 Lineup
Blue Note Entertainment Group has unveiled the lineup for the 14th annual Blue Note Jazz Festival New York, featuring…
“Jazz Icons: A Fine Romance” will present world premieres by renowned choreographers Jessica Lang and Dwight Rhoden.
(Photo: Courtesy The Washington Ballet)The Washington Ballet will present a spellbinding blend of ballet and jazz music featuring two highly anticipated world premieres by renowned choreographers Jessica Lang and Dwight Rhoden. “Jazz Icons: A Fine Romance,” a tribute to pioneering women in jazz and works inspired by groundbreaking pianists/composers, premieres at the Kennedy Center and runs Feb. 14–18. The event will celebrate jazz’s enduring influence on dance and art.
Jessica Lang infuses her choreography with improvisation and a deep appreciation for jazz’s legacy. She draws inspiration not only from the music itself but also from the art of Henri Matisse, whose cutouts and jazz series were influenced by the same spirit of improvisation and experimentation. Lang’s work emphasizes freedom, trust, communication and individual expression. By exploring movement and playing with dance, she creates a vibrant and ever-evolving physicality that mirrors the spontaneity of jazz itself.
Dwight Rhoden’s choreography will be a bold celebration of the courage, strength and pioneering spirit of these remarkable women. The ballet will pay homage to the unique and singular style of each artist, reflecting their vibrancy, character and musicality through movement.
As Rhoden artfully interprets the notes, rhythms and emotional depth of jazz music, he disrupts the typical structure of classic ballet, pushing the boundaries of storytelling and innovation. The result will be a visually stunning and immersive experience.
This evening’s program will showcase the artistry of jazz legends like Bill Evans, Dodo Marmarosa, Chick Corea, Chet Baker, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Mary Lou Williams performed by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, with New York Voices for Dwight Rhoden’s piece and the piano trio of Craig Davis, Ian Ashby, and Christopher Latona to bring the music for Jessica Lang’s ballet into being. The music for “Jazz Icons: A Fine Romance” was curated by Marty Ashby, a Grammy-winning producer and founder and executive producer for MCG Jazz.
For more information on “Jazz Icons: A Fine Romance,” click HERE. DB
The Blue Note Jazz Festival New York kicks off May 27 with a James Moody 100th Birthday Celebration at Sony Hall.
Apr 8, 2025 1:23 PM
Blue Note Entertainment Group has unveiled the lineup for the 14th annual Blue Note Jazz Festival New York, featuring…
“I’m certainly influenced by Geri Allen,” said Iverson, during a live Blindfold Test at the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival.
Apr 15, 2025 11:44 AM
Between last Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Ethan Iverson performed as part of the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival in…
“At the end of the day, once you’ve run out of differences, we’re left with similarities,” Collier says. “Cultural differences are mitigated through 12 notes.”
Apr 15, 2025 11:55 AM
DownBeat has a long association with the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, the premiere…
“It kind of slows down, but it’s still kind of productive in a way, because you have something that you can be inspired by,” Andy Bey said on a 2019 episode of NPR Jazz Night in America, when he was 80. “The music is always inspiring.”
Apr 29, 2025 11:53 AM
Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…
Davis was a two-time Grammy winner for liner notes.
Apr 22, 2025 11:50 AM
Francis Davis, an august jazz and cultural critic who won both awards and esteem in print, film and radio, died April…
