Jan 21, 2025 7:54 PM
Southern California Fires Hit the Jazz Community
Roy McCurdy and his wife had just finished eating dinner and were relaxing over coffee in their Altadena home, when he…
“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
Gerald and John Clayton at the family home in Altadena during a photo shoot for the June 2022 cover of DownBeat. The house was lost during the Los Angeles fires.
Jan 21, 2025 7:54 PM
Roy McCurdy and his wife had just finished eating dinner and were relaxing over coffee in their Altadena home, when he…
“She said, ‘A lot of people are going to try and stop you,’” Sheryl Bailey recalls of the advice she received from jazz guitarist Emily Remler (1957–’90). “‘They’re going to say you slept with somebody, you’re a dyke, you’re this and that and the other. Don’t listen to them, and just keep playing.’”
Feb 3, 2025 10:49 PM
In the April 1982 issue of People magazine, under the heading “Lookout: A Guide To The Up and Coming,” jazz…
The Old Country: More From The Deer Head Inn arrives 30 years after ECM issued the Keith Jarret Trio live album At The Deer Head Inn.
Jan 21, 2025 7:38 PM
Last November, Keith Jarrett, who has not played publicly since suffering two strokes in 2018, greenlighted ECM to drop…
“The first recording I owned with Brazilian music on it was Wayne Shorter’s Native Dancer,” says Renee Rosnes. “And then I just started to go down the rabbit hole.”
Jan 16, 2025 2:02 PM
In her four-decade career, Renee Rosnes has been recognized as a singular voice, both as a jazz composer and a…
“If you don’t keep learning, your mind slows down,” Coleman says. “Use it or lose it.”
Jan 28, 2025 11:38 AM
PolyTropos/Of Many Turns — the title for Steve Coleman’s latest recording on Pi and his 33rd album overall —…
