The Trumpet Shall Sound: Big Band Holidays with Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis is arguably the most important musician of his generation. A nine-time Grammy award winning trumpet virtuoso, Pulitzer Prize winning composer, master educator, impassioned arts advocate and humanitarian, Marsalis has been at the forefront of the global music scene for more than 30 years.

On Friday, December 4, 2015, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, FirstWorks presents the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under the direction of Wynton Marsalis as part of its “Artistic Icons Series.” Coinciding with the release of its Big Band Holidays CD, JLCO will be performing its holiday program, which features new arrangements of classic holiday favorites. Though they have performed this program annually for the past decade, this is the first time it will be heard in Providence.

“[The program] gives people a chance to learn and understand the art of jazz because it’s attractive material that they already know,” said Marsalis in a recent interview with Motif.
The mission of the Jazz at Lincoln Center is to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education and advocacy. Featured in all aspects of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s programming, this remarkably versatile orchestra performs and leads educational events in New York, across the US and around the globe; in concert halls; dance venues; jazz clubs; public parks; and with symphony orchestras; ballet troupes; local students; and an ever-expanding roster of guest artists. Comprised of 15 of the world’s finest jazz soloists and ensemble players, this year’s tour also features guest vocalists Denzal Sinclaire and Audrey Shakir.

Education is a major part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s mission; its educational activities are coordinated with concert and tour programming.

“Not only is Marsalis an iconic artist, he is also a passionate advocate for arts education, and is a U.N. Messenger of Peace and cultural ambassador through the U.S. State Department’s CultureConnect program,” said Kathleen Pletcher, Executive Artistic Director of FirstWorks. “The start of this year’s Artistic Icons Series not only celebrates the holidays, but also marks FirstWorks’ 4th year of working with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Music for Young People education program so that Rhode Island students can benefit from their ground-breaking work.”

Also of note is the recent launch of “Blue Engine Records,” a new platform to make JLCO’s vast library of recorded material, both live and in the studio, available to audiences everywhere.

“We have a deep archive of over 80 recordings that we’re going to release over the next 10 years,” explains Marsalis. “We have performed the music of Duke Ellington, Gerry Mulligan, Louis Armstrong, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane; and with 10 arrangers in the band, we are always creating new material. With Blue Engine, we’re excited to make this archive available and also provide opportunities for some of the fantastic jazz musicians that continue to emerge.”

It is certainly a rare treat to have Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performing here in Providence this December. With its incessantly swinging rhythms, crunchy jazz harmonies, velvety vocals and raw energy, Big Band Holidays promises to be a unique and memorable holiday event.

Tickets are on sale now for Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis’ Big Band Holidays. Tickets are available online at www.first-works.org and at the Vets Box Office: 401-421-ARTS, Friends and Family four-pack code is JAZZ4. To learn more about Jazz at Lincoln Center, visit www.jazz.org