Jazz in July at the 92nd Street Y has been a staple of NYC in the summer for decades. The great Dick Hyman was the inaugural artistic director, followed by a substantial tenure by the wonderful Bill Charlap.
Last year Aaron Diehl took the reins, and his sophomore season commences next week. It’s really great programming!
Hyman and Charlap usually showcased the dependable songbook swingers, which felt appropriate, especially because there were so many old-school talents still around town. Now, as jazz is well into its second century, it makes sense to prioritize the new.
THE CLAYTON HAMILTON JAZZ ORCHESTRA WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOHN PIZZARELLI
Tue, Jul 15, 7:30 pm
Kaufmann Concert Hall
CARLOS HENRIQUEZ NONET
Nuyorican Groove!
Wed, Jul 16, 7:30 pm Buttenwieser Hall at the Arnhold Center
TENORS OF OUR TIMES
Melissa Aldana · Chris Lewis · Walter Smith III · Lew Tabackin ·
Aaron Diehl · Yasushi Nakamura · Kush Abadey
Sat, Jul 19, 7:30 pm
Kaufmann Concert Hall
CELEBRATING GERI ALLEN & MARY LOU WILLIAMS
Vanisha Gould, Nicole Glover, Aaron Diehl, Yasushi Nakamura, Terri Lyne Carrington
Tue, Jul 22, 7:30 pm
Kaufmann Concert Hall
MARTA SÁNCHEZ QUINTET
Wed, Jul 23, 7:30 pm
Buttenwieser Hall at the Arnhold Center
DARCY JAMES ARGUE’S SECRET SOCIETY WITH AARON DIEHL AND THE AARON DIEHL TRIO
Sat, Jul 26, 7:30 pm
Kaufmann Concert Hall
[more info and tix here]
The right artistic director makes all the difference. Curation is not easy.
The resignation of the brilliant Jason Moran from his post at the Kennedy Center is a notable loss. Moran announced it quietly on Instagram: “I bowed on Juneteenth.”
Since Trump took over at the top of the year, many at the Kennedy Center have been fired or left. NPR followed up on the Moran departure, at least as much as they could: “The Kennedy Center declined to comment.”
Thank you for these timely updates, Ethan. Until People are Different receives private grant funding or ScienceDriven signs a client project, my spontaneous evenings listening to even the best live music (as Aaron has clearly programmed) is beyond my means. Hoping that Jason Moran's next phase is more meteoric and less plagued by status quo than mine.