Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents Songs We Love

Jazz is a uniquely American art form, and for more than three decades, Jazz at Lincoln Center has been a leading advocate for jazz, culture and arts education globally. Under the direction of Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center has brought the jazz from the heart of New York City to more than 466 cities in more than 40 countries. It is dedicated to inspiring and growing audiences for jazz through performance and education, including concerts, national and international tours, residencies, radio programs, recordings, an annual high school jazz band competition and festival, a band director academy, jazz appreciation curricula for students and interactive websites.

Now Jazz at Lincoln Center has collaborated with IMG Artists to create Jazz at Lincoln Center presents, a new touring initiative to present great jazz programming to an even broader audience. Featuring up-and-coming musicians who have been identified as rising stars at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the initiative allows Jazz at Lincoln Center to expand its mission to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz. As Wynton Marsalis explains, “This select group of gifted, intelligent and soulful young musicians come from all walks of life. They are virtuoso performers and dedicated teachers who understand that listeners must be invited into the feeling and tradition of this music. ‘Songs We Love’ is an entertaining and engaging program that will lift you to a higher place and inspire confidence in the future of jazz. This music still has a lot to say to us. Let them show you.”

“Songs We Love” is the initial show in the series and was first presented as the 2016 season opener at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Under the direction of Riley Mulherkar, “Songs We Love” is a journey through the first 50 years of jazz. Three guest vocalists will join an all-star band made up of New York’s rising stars. Combining their distinct talents, the group will take you on a trip through four decades of music, beginning with the early blues and jazz of the 1920s and ending in the early 1950s. Among the iconic singers to be explored are Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. The music is timeless, the songs unforgettable. They still have a lot to say to us.