Photo and video from the Grand Opening Concert
On October 18 at 8 pm, the Grand Opening Concert was held in the 1,200-seat Rose Theater.
It featured the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, led by Wynton, and an array of special guests. Other shows taking place simultaneously featured the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, with Arturo O’Farrill, in the 550-seat Allen Room, and the Bill Charlap Trio in the 140-seat Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who proudly proclaimed that he had “taken the A train” to the hall, welcomed the audience.
Beginning with a solemn original number, “Call to Prayer,” they played selections by the likes of Coltrane, Basie, Mingus, Goodman, Monk and Miles Davis, all in expert fashion and with dynamic arrangements that well showcased both the group’s seamless interaction and the individual talents of the many soloists.
Among the guest stars were Tony Bennett, singing an emotive rendition of “Lost in the Stars”; saxophonist Michael White, leading the way on a rollicking “Dippermouth Blues”; Joe Lovano, performing gorgeously supple solos on “Body and Soul”; Roy Haynes, who dueted with his young grandson on the epochal drum parts in “Sing, Sing, Sing”; Mark O’Connor, lending his violin to a quirky arrangement of a Thelonious Monk tune; Abbey Lincoln, displaying deep pathos if not her strongest voice on her own “Down Here Below”; and Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista, who enlivened the proceedings with his wildly eclectic drumming.
It was clearly an emotional occasion for all concerned, and a nice touch was provided by a series of numbers featuring individual members of the orchestra, such as Ted Nash and Walter Blanding Jr., performing with various family members. Of course, it was the extensive Marsalis clan itself that finished off the evening, performing “Crescent City Strut,” a joyful number written by father Ellis specifically for the event.
During the second set, Wynton joined the Lincoln Center Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra in the Allen Room to duet with Paquito D’Rivera on the notes of “Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite”, and also the Bill Charlap Trio in the Dizzy Gillespie Jazz Club to duet with Bill on the notes of “Just Friends”.
(Click the link below to open the Quicktime video directly or right-click to save the video on your hard disk)
Wynton soloing on Call to prayer (Quicktime Video 3.8 mb)
Wynton duets with Dr. Michael White (Quicktime Video 1.4 mb)
Wynton soloing (Quicktime Video 2.2 mb)
The Marsalis family playing (Quicktime Video 4.3 mb)
The Marsalis family playing (Quicktime Video 6.8 mb)
The LCJO around the stage(Quicktime Video 7.7 mb)
The LCJO around the stage - 2(Quicktime Video 7.7 mb)
(Photo © Hiroyuki Ito - The New York Times)
(Photo ©: AP Photo-Alfredo Estrella)
More high-res photos of the Grand Opening Concert from JALC web site
me said
on December 16, 2004 @ 12:02 pm
Luigi,
Thanks for making me feel a part of somthing big.
I do hope that the seats become overfull with listeners who can’t keep away!!
As a thought and observation of why the house seemed to be less than full capacity…..
As a theatre goer, employee of the Arts and also a lowly paid teacher-
sometimes we may need to lower our expectation (the PRICES) in order to get the audience we need??
me
me said
on December 16, 2004 @ 12:06 pm
PS
It’s always a treat to see and hear the whole Marsalis bunch play together.
It’s nice to see Elis get his groove from his boys and to watch as the boys try to out solo one another.
It’s all in the SPIRIT of the music and obviously ALL in the family!!
I love them for what they do together as well as apart!
Me