Columbus, OH – The Jazz Arts Group (JAG) has announced the lineup of concerts, guest artists, and special events on its 2019-2020 season including the Columbus Jazz Orchestra’s (CJO) popular Swingin’ with the CJO concert series at the Southern Theatre and the second season of its Jazz at The Lincoln Theatre, a series of chamber concerts featuring both internationally renowned touring artists and locally-curated events presented in the intimate setting of the historic Lincoln Theatre. JAG’s 47th anniversary season also includes the FREE Off-Stage at the Academy series that brings audiences and CJO guest artists together for informal conversations, and “One Night Only,” the annual gala fundraising event taking place this year at the Columbus Museum of Art.

The Jazz Arts Group’s 2019-2020 season sponsor is Mr. Jerry Jurgensen. Major funding is also provided by The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and the Ohio Arts Council. Additional support is provided by American Electric Power Foundation EP, Cardinal Health, Grange Insurance, Ann and Tom Hoaglin, L Brands, Plante-Moran, PNC, State Auto Insurance Companies, Fahn and Denny Tishkoff, The Westin Great Southern Columbus Hotel, and Southwest Airlines – the official airline of the Jazz Academy. Media partners include City Scene Magazine, the Dispatch Media Group, Sunny 95, WCBE Radio and WOSU Public Media.

Season subscriptions for the Columbus Jazz Orchestra’s Swingin’ with the CJO series are on sale now at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street) or via the Jazz Arts Group’s website, www.jazzartsgroup.org. Single tickets for all CJO concerts range in price from $10 – $68 (plus a $3.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee) with single tickets going on sale to the general public Monday, August 12 at 9 a.m. at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street), by phone at (614) 469-0939 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

The Jazz Arts Group’s Jazz at the Lincoln Theatre concert series tickets are also on sale now for $66.00 for the full four-concert package at the CBUSArts Ticket Center. Single tickets for the series go on sale August 12 priced at $20.00 (plus a $1.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee).

$10.00 student tickets for Jazz at the Lincoln Theatre, and $10 and $15 student tickets for Columbus Jazz Orchestra concerts at the Southern Theatre will be available throughout the season starting two hours in advance of show time at the door with proper I.D. (CAPA facility fees and other fees may apply.)

Swingin’ with the CJO Concert Series featuring Byron Stripling and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra at the Southern Theatre

The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World featuring John Clayton, Benny Green and Jeff Hamilton

Thursday, October 17 – Sunday, October 20, 2019

• Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.
• The Southern Theatre (21 East Main Street, Columbus)
• Guest artists: John Clayton (Grammy-winning bassist/composer/arranger), BennyGreen (pianist/composer), Jeff Hamilton (drummer)
• Tickets: $68, $60, $54, $50, $25, $10 (plus a $3.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee)
• Subscriptions are on sale now at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street). Singletickets go on sale Monday, August 12 at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street), allTicketmaster Outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at (614) 469-0939 or(800)745-3000. Day-of tickets will be available at the theatre starting two hours beforeshow time. $10-$15 student tickets available at the door with I.D.

Trumpet virtuoso and Columbus Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director, Byron Stripling, kicks off the 2019-2020 Swingin’ with the CJO concert series with The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World

In 1967, pioneering record producer and jazz impresario Norman Granz produced and recorded a series of concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles as part of his “Jazz at the Philharmonic” concert series. The resulting live recording was released in 1975 as “The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World,” an expansive collection of tracks featuring some of the world’s greatest jazz artists performing at the peak of their powers. Included among the luminaries were Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, Benny Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, Oscar Peterson, Clark Terry, and Zoot Sims.

Three leading figures in modern jazz – John Clayton, Benny Green and Jeff Hamilton – join with the outstanding musicians of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra led by Byron Stripling for the CJO’s own version of The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World. “Expect red hot solos, blistering ensemble playing and through-the-roof energy as we set the tone for our 47th celebratory season,” says Stripling. “This concert, and indeed the whole season, will be a true celebration of all things jazz – what was, what is, and what’s to come.”

Home for the Holidays

Wednesday, December 4 – Sunday, December 8, 2019

• Wednesday & Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.
• The Southern Theatre (21 East Main Street, Columbus)
• Guest artists: Nicki Parrott (vocalist/bassist), Z.F. Taylor (vocalist)
• Tickets: $68, $60, $54, $50, $25, $10 (plus a $3.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee)
• Subscriptions are on sale now at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street). Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 12 at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street), all Ticketmaster Outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Day-of tickets will be available at the theatre starting two hours before show time. $10-$15 student tickets available at the door with I.D.

The Columbus Jazz Orchestra’s annual Home for the Holidays concerts are always festive, heart-warming and totally swingin’. This year’s installment is no exception with Australian-born vocalist/bassist Nicki Parrott, and Columbus’ own Z.F. Taylor.

Born in Newcastle, Australia, Nicki Parrott moved to New York City in 1994 to study with American jazz bassist Rufus Reid. She soon made a name for herself on New York’s vibrant and highly competitive jazz scene where she came to the attention of legendary guitarist and inventor Les Paul. He quickly hired the budding bassist for his Les Paul Trio’s long-running engagement at the famed Iridium jazz club. Since then, Nicki has garnered praise for her solo recordings, collaborated with some of the biggest names in the business, and found acclaim on the international jazz scene. Parrott has previously performed with Byron Stripling and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra at the Southern Theatre and with the band during its Jazzoo summer concert series at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Actor/singer Z.F. Taylor was a standout performer in “Renaissance MAGIC,” an original work premiered last season at the Lincoln Theatre as part of the city’s year-long celebration of the Harlem Renaissance. Taylor has performed at regional theatres and off-Broadway in productions of “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” among others.

Modern Romance

Thursday, February 20 – Sunday, February 23, 2020

• Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.
• The Southern Theatre (21 East Main Street, Columbus)
• Guest artist: Bria Skonberg (trumpeter/composer/vocalist)
• Tickets: $68, $60, $54, $50, $25, $10 (plus a $3.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee)
• Subscriptions are on sale now at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street). Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 12 at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street), all Ticketmaster Outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Day-of tickets will be available at the theatre starting two hours before show time. $10-$15 student tickets available at the door with I.D.

New York Times jazz critic Nate Chinen described trumpeter/vocalist/composer Bria Skonberg as having become “the shining hope of hot jazz on the strength of a clarion trumpet style indebted to Louis Armstrong, a smooth purr of a singing voice inspired by Anita O’Day, and the wholesome glow of youth.” Skonberg was among a handful of youthful jazz practitioners heralded by Vanity Fair Magazine in its recent roundup of “Millennials Shaking up the Jazz World.” And the Wall Street Journal calls Bria one of the “most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation.”

When the Jazz Arts Group presented Bria Skonberg at the Lincoln Theatre in 2014, she was a young jazzer on the rise. In just a few short years she has become a bona fide jazz star with critically acclaimed recordings and packed concert halls worldwide. She returns to Columbus to appear with Byron Stripling and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra performing a mix of great American songbook classics, jazz standards, and her own original compositions that showcase her unique, jazzy, relaxed intensity.

Speakeasy Hot Jazz

Thursday, March 12 – Sunday, March 15, 2020

• Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.
• The Southern Theatre (21 East Main Street, Columbus)
• Guest artists: Ian Finkel (xylophonist) and Tony Glausi (trumpeter)
• Tickets: $68, $60, $54, $50, $25, $10 (plus a $3.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee)
• Subscriptions are on sale now at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street). Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 12 at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street), all Ticketmaster Outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Day-of tickets will be available at the theatre starting two hours before show time. $10-$15 student tickets available at the door with I.D.

“Whisper! Speak easy. The police are watching!” warned one Pittsburgh newspaper when describing speakeasies, the illicit, hole-in-the-wall, unlicensed bars that sprang up in many of America’s big cities during prohibition. Bathtub gin flowed, flappers danced the Charleston, and the hot jazz of Duke Ellington and Bix Beiderbecke filled the air. The Columbus Jazz Orchestra recalls the roaring ‘20s and its impact on jazz and popular culture with a concert featuring 24-year old rising star trumpeter/composer Tony Glausi and veteran xylophone wizard Ian Finkel.

Tony Glausi has already established himself as an accomplished and award-winning trumpeter, keyboardist, composer and producer, crafting works for small and large jazz ensembles, pop and hip hop groups, and independent film and television projects. He has appeared on over 25 recordings including six of his own music. Glausi makes his Columbus Jazz Orchestra debut with Speakeasy Hot Jazz.

Ian Finkel has been called the world’s greatest xylophone virtuoso. He has appeared with and written for such stars as Michael Feinstein, Sid Caesar, Ginger Rogers, Tito Puente, Larry Gatlin, Martin Mull, and Madeline Kahn to name just a few. Finkel has also appeared Off-Broadway, on numerous television programs, collaborated with Philip Glass and has heard his works performed by numerous orchestras such as the American Symphony Orchestra and the Little Orchestra Society.

There’s a reason the 1920s were hailed “The Jazz Age.” An article in the August 1921 edition of The Ladies’ Home Journal posed the question, “Does Jazz Put the Sin in Syncopation?” The CJO intends to find out with Speakeasy Hot Jazz.

Soul Time Machine: From Cab Calloway to Little Richard

Thursday, April 23 – Sunday, April 26, 2020

• Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.
• The Southern Theatre (21 East Main Street, Columbus)
• Guest artist: Ty Taylor (vocalist/songwriter)
• Tickets: $68, $60, $54, $50, $25, $10 (plus a $3.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee)
• Subscriptions are on sale now at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street). Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 12 at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street), all Ticketmaster Outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Day-of tickets will be available at the theatre starting two hours before show time. $10-$15 student tickets available at the door with I.D.

The Columbus Jazz Orchestra concludes its 2019-2020 season with Soul Time Machine: From Cab Calloway to Little Richard featuring Ty Taylor, lead singer of the Los Angeles-based soul/rock band Vintage Trouble. Taylor was formerly the vocalist/guitarist for the band, Dakota Moon, and was the voice of character ‘Lester Grimes’ in the Martin Scorsese/Mick Jagger-produced HBO series, “Vinyl.” In addition to voice work for the series, two of Taylor’s songs, “Cha-Cha-Twist” and “The World is Yours,” were featured on the series soundtrack. Ty Taylor and Vintage Trouble have toured with such showbiz heavy weights as Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Macy Gray, Fiona Apple, The Who, the Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, the Rolling Stones, Lenny Kravitz and AC/DC. Audiences and critics alike compare Taylor’s on stage performance style to both James Brown and Freddie Mercury.

For his appearance with the CJO, Taylor traces soul music’s vocal and performance styles from their roots with Cab Calloway and Little Richard to James Brown and Taylor’s own self-penned neo-soul stylings.

Jazz Arts Group Presents Jazz at the Lincoln Theatre

During the 2019-2020 season, the Jazz Arts Group presents its second season of Jazz at the Lincoln Theatre, four intimate concerts featuring both established and rising jazz stars, presented at the historic Lincoln Theatre (769 East Long Street in the King-Lincoln District).

Amizade: An Evening with Ken Peplowski and Diego Figueiredo

Saturday, November 2, 2019

• 8 p.m.
• The Lincoln Theatre (769 East Long Street, Columbus)
• $20 per person | $10 students (plus a $1.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee)
• Four-Concert Packages on sale now at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street). Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 12 at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street), all Ticketmaster Outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Day-of tickets will be available at the theatre starting two hours before show time.

In Portuguese, the word amizade means friendship. The remarkable musical friendship between virtuoso Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo and clarinet master Ken Peplowski takes center stage as the opening concert on the Jazz Arts Group’s 2019-2020 Jazz at the Lincoln Theatre concert series.

Montreux Jazz Competition winner Diego Figueiredo has performed with Cyrille Aimee, Larry Coryell, Los Hermanos and many others. His unique style, which fuses jazz, classical and bossa nova, has captured the imagination of international music fans, and been captured on 19 recordings and three DVDs. The great American jazz guitarist George Benson summed up Diego’s gifts this way: “He’s one of the greatest guitarists I’ve seen in my whole life.”

“When you grow up in Cleveland, Ohio, playing in a Polish polka band, you learn to think fast on your feet,” says Ken Peplowski, who played his first pro engagement when he was still in elementary school. But it wasn’t just fast thinking but rather phenomenal talent that took this Cleveland lad clear around the world performing with one of the greatest big bands of all time – the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. In addition to the Dorsey band, Ken has performed with Benny Goodman, Mel Torme, Leon Redbone, Charlie Byrd, Peggy Lee, George Shearing, Madonna, Hank Jones, Dave Frishberg, Rosemary Clooney, Tom Harrell, James Moody, Cedar Walton, Houston Person, Steve Allen, Bill Charlap, Woody Allen, Marianne Faithfull, Isaac Delgado, Erich Kunzel, and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. His return to Columbus with Diego Figueiredo is timed to the release of the pair’s first duo recording, “Amizade.”

Swingin’ in the New Year

Saturday, December 28, 2019

• 8 p.m.
• The Lincoln Theatre (769 East Long Street, Columbus)
• $20 per person | $10 students (plus a $1.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee)
• Four-Concert Packages on sale now at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street). Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 12 at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street), all Ticketmaster Outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Day-of tickets will be available at the theatre starting two hours before show time.

Columbus Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director Byron Stripling steps into the spotlight singing, swinging and playing trumpet with his quartet in Swingin’ in the New Year. An audience favorite, the concert sold out when it was presented in 2016 and 2017.

Classically trained at the Eastman School of Music, Byron Stripling got his start performing professionally with the great American jazz trumpeter, Clark Terry. He would go on to perform with several of the most esteemed big bands in America including Lionel Hampton’s band, the Woody Herman Orchestra and the Count Basie Orchestra.

Byron has also performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and the GRP All Star Big Band. He has appeared with over 50 different symphony and pops orchestras including the Boston Pops under the direction of Keith Lockhart and John Williams, the Pittsburgh Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Utah Symphony and the Toronto Symphony. In addition to his own recordings, Stripling has appeared as a guest artist with others and his trumpet can be heard on a number of film soundtracks and original Broadway cast recordings.

In 2002, Byron Stripling became the artistic director and conductor of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra where he as has presented such guest artists as Branford Marsalis, Chuck Mangione, Patti Austin, John Pizzarelli, Mavis Staples, Melba Moore, and Wycliffe Gordon. And yet, Byron remains the orchestra’s biggest draw. His performances are full of remarkable musicianship, wit, showmanship, and a joyous spirit.

Ariel Pocock Quartet

Friday, February 14, 2020

• 8 p.m.
• The Lincoln Theatre (769 East Long Street, Columbus)
• $20 per person | $10 students (plus a $1.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee)
• Four-Concert Packages on sale now at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street). Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 12 at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street), all Ticketmaster Outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Day-of tickets will be available at the theatre starting two hours before show time.

AXS.com calls pianist/singer/composer Ariel Pocock “the real deal, a blazing combination of chops, stunning original artistry, and hidden emotional depth.” Whether re-harmonizing the Great American Songbook, dancing on Brazilian turf, or tapping into the music of modern pop masters, she remains a riveting presence.

Ariel’s notable performances as a headliner include the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the 2014 Jazz Cruise, the Tokyo Jazz Festival, the Quebec City International Jazz Festival, the Stanford Jazz Workshop, and many more. Her original compositions and songs draw inspiration from a wide array of sources: Cuban and Brazilian folk music, the Great American Songbook, modern jazz composers such as Chick Corea and Brad Mehldau, and songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, and Paul Simon. Columbus music lovers will discover a new and original voice in jazz during this special Valentine’s Day performance.

Melissa Aldana Quartet

Friday, April 3, 2020

• 8 p.m.
• The Lincoln Theatre (769 East Long Street, Columbus)
• $20 per person | $10 students (plus a $1.50 per ticket CAPA facility fee)
• Four-Concert Packages on sale now at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street). Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 12 at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 East State Street), all Ticketmaster Outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Day-of tickets will be available at the theatre starting two hours before show time.

In 2013, Chilean-born saxophonist Melissa Aldana made history and shattered jazz’s glass ceiling when she became the first female instrumentalist and the first South American ever to win the prestigious Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition. She is also a recipient of the Martin E. Segal Award from Jazz at Lincoln Center and a double recipient of the Altazor Award, Chile’s prestigious national arts prize.

Born in Santiago, Aldana began playing saxophone at age six under the tutelage of her saxophonist father, Marcos Aldana. Her first saxophone, an alto, had belonged to her grandfather. Early influences were Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley and Michael Brecker. But after hearing the music of the great tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, Aldana switched to tenor sax.

In her early teens, Melissa began performing in jazz clubs in her native Chile where a chance meeting with pianist Danilo Perez led to an invitation to perform at the Panama Jazz Festival and led to a number of auditions at music schools in the U.S. Aldana would ultimately attend and graduate from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Since relocating to New York City, Melissa has made several critically acclaimed recordings and now tours extensively as a headliner at jazz clubs and music festivals internationally.

Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune recently reviewed an Aldana performance and wrote, “Aldana stands as an irrepressibly creative phrase-maker, sidestepping cliché at almost every turn. It takes a certain amount of intellectual engagement to appreciate how much content and musical substance Aldana pours into every solo. The closer you listen, the deeper the reward.” And Jazz Times Magazine stated boldly: “Melissa Aldana is going to be an influential tenor saxophonist in jazz for decades to come.”

“One Night Only” Annual Gala Fundraising Event

Friday, November 15, 2019 at the Columbus Museum of Art

The Jazz Arts Group holds its annual fundraising event, “One Night Only,” Friday, November 15, 2019 at the Columbus Museum of Art. This year’s theme is “The Art of Jazz” and the evening will feature dinner, a silent and “live” auction, and performances by trumpeter and Columbus Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director, Byron Stripling, performance poet Barbara Fant, Grammy-nominated Columbus Jazz Orchestra keyboardist Bobby Floyd, and members of the Columbus Youth Jazz Program.

Honorees at this year’s “One Night Only” who will receive the Ray Eubanks Service Award are Columbus philanthropists Ann and Tom Hoaglin and Columbus Jazz Orchestra saxophonist Byron Rooker who has performed with the CJO for more than 40 years!

“One Night Only” | Friday, November 15, 2019 from 6-10:30 p.m.

• The Columbus Museum of Art (480 East Broad Street, Columbus)
• Tickets: $200 per person (includes guaranteed table seat, dinner, drinks, performance)
• Sponsor tickets/tables available at www.jazzartsgroup.org.
• Tickets for the event go on sale June 1, 2019 at www.jazzartsgroup.org.

OFFSTAGE AT THE JAZZ ACADEMY

This series of FREE events returns to offer audiences the chance to engage with Columbus Jazz Orchestra guest artists, share their thoughts and ask questions in the relaxed setting of the Jazz Arts Group’s Jazz Academy (769 East Long Street, 4th Floor, Columbus – Above the Lincoln Theatre). Southwest Airlines is the official airline of the Jazz Academy.

• Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 2 p.m.
  CJO Guest Artists: John Clayton, Benny Green, Jeff Hamilton
• Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 2 p.m.
  CJO Guest Artists: Nicki Parrott, Z.F. Taylor
• Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 2 p.m.
  CJO Guest Artist: Bria Skonberg
• Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 2 p.m.
  CJO Guest Artists: Ian Finkel, Tony Glausi
• Saturday, April 25, 2020 at 2 p.m.
  CJO Guest Artist: Ty Taylor

While these events are free and open to the public, capacity is limited and RSVPs through Eventbrite.com are encouraged to guarantee a seat.

FRIDAY NIGHT POST-SHOW JAM SESSIONS AT THE WESTIN

Following each of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra’s Friday night performances at the Southern Theatre, the audience is invited to the lobby of the adjoining Westin Great Southern Columbus Hotel for a free jam session featuring members of the CJO and its guest artists. Audience members get to chat with some of their favorite CJO band members, enjoy beverages and listen to an impromptu set of great jazz music. A wonderful musical send-off.

Friday, October 18, 2019 (following the concert at approximately 10 p.m.)
Friday, December 6, 2019 (following the concert at approximately 10 p.m.)
Friday, February 21, 2020 (following the concert at approximately 10 p.m.)
Friday, March 13, 2020 (following the concert at approximately 10 p.m.)
Friday, April 24, 2020 (following the concert at approximately 10 p.m.)