Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz to Release New Project “We’re Still Here” on June 24th, 2022 | Announces New US Tour | LISTEN!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Carnegie Hall Announces Schedule for
NYO Jazz’s First US Tour Following June 24
Release of Debut Album We’re Still Here Led by
Artistic Director and Bandleader/Trumpeter Sean Jones

US Tour Kicks Off at Carnegie Hall in
New York City on July 28 Featuring
GRAMMY® Award-nominated Vocalist
Jazzmeia Horn as Special Guest

Carnegie Hall today announced the schedule for the first-ever US tour by its acclaimed NYO Jazz set to take place on the heels of the June 24, 2022 release of the ensemble’s first full-length studio album, We’re Still Here. The album features NYO Jazz Artistic Director and Bandleader/trumpeter Sean Jones and special guest Melissa Aldana on tenor saxophone, plus an appearance by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. Available for pre-order, the album will be released by Platoon and will be available for digital download and on all streaming platforms in standard and Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio formats.

Following NYO Jazz’s US tour kick-off concert at Carnegie Hall on Thursday, July 28, the ensemble—joined by this summer’s special guest vocalist Jazzmeia Horn—will tour seven US cities under the direction of Sean Jones. The tour stops include: Cleveland, OH on July 30 (Tri-C Metro Auditorium); Chautauqua, NY on August 1 (Chautauqua Amphitheater); Pittsburgh, PA on August 2 (The August Wilson African American Cultural Center); Chicago, IL on August 4 (Navy Pier, Lake Stage in Polk Bros Park); Detroit, MI on August 5 (The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center); Madison, WI on August 7 (Wisconsin Union Theater); and Washington, D.C. on August 9 (The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts).

“I’m very excited to perform with the amazing young musicians of Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz this summer,” said Jazzmeia Horn. “What a wonderful opportunity as this tour marks my first time playing an entire tour with a big band and I’m especially thrilled to sing selections from my new big band album, Dear Love. I’m curious to see how NYO Jazz will interpret my latest expression of love musically as we connect with audiences in cities around the US. This will be a fun journey to share with them!”

One of Carnegie Hall’s three acclaimed national youth ensembles, NYO Jazz—comprising outstanding young musicians ages 16–19 from across the United States—showcases the legacy and bright future of American jazz. Created in 2018 by the Hall’s Weill Music Institute, NYO Jazz annually brings together some of the nation’s finest teen jazz musicians to train, perform, and tour with world-class jazz masters while also serving as music ambassadors for their country. NYO Jazz’s successful international tours have included a 2018 inaugural European tour with Dianne Reeves as special guest, and the ensemble’s debut tour to Asia in 2019 with Kurt Elling as special guest. Although NYO Jazz was unable to travel during the past two years, the musicians convened virtually during the summer of 2020 and at Purchase College, State University of New York (SUNY) just north of New York City, in summer 2021, rehearsing and recording a wide range of repertoire, including its debut album.

We’re Still Here features four new works written for the band since its inception, a range of classic and contemporary charts that are hallmarks of its live concerts, and works exploring themes that include social justice, resilience, and the power of music to spark joy. The four Carnegie Hall-commissioned works on the album are: “Run with Jones” by Miguel Zenón, featuring Melissa Aldana as soloist; “Mr. Jones and Co.” by Ayn Inserto, featuring Sean Jones as soloist; “Fête dans la tête” by John Beasley; and “RPM’s” by Igmar Thomas. In addition to these commissions, among the album highlights include: “We’re Still Here” by—and featuring—trombonist and NYO Jazz faculty member Wycliffe Gordon, which has become the band’s rousing encore theme song; hence, the album’s title; “The Art of War” by Ralph Peterson; “Oyelo” by Miguel Zenón, featuring Melissa Aldana as soloist; “A Taste of Honey” by Duke Pearson; “Mr. Gentle and Mr. Cool” by Duke Ellington, arranged by NYO Jazz ensemble coach Reginald Thomas; and “Transitions” by Sean Jones.

“You close your eyes and think they’re all 20 years older than they are,” said Sean Jones, who pays it forward through his passionate leadership of NYO Jazz, carrying on the tradition of mentorship in jazz.

The album—recorded during the ensemble’s summer 2021 training residency at Purchase College, SUNY, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic—is a declaration of resilience and longevity. A summer that began with the disappointment of a year without touring evolved into the opportunity to create this 97-minute showcase of the incredible artistry and enormous versatility of this remarkable ensemble, a recording poised to reach audiences around the world just as the ensemble resumes touring in summer 2022.

“We’re thrilled for NYO Jazz to release its debut album this spring—the first recording by any of our national youth ensembles,” said Sarah Johnson, Chief Education Officer and Director of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for these gifted young players to train, perform, and now record alongside some of today’s leading jazz artists including special guest Melissa Aldana. It was especially meaningful for the musicians to gather for an extended residency last summer as it marked the first time many of them had the opportunity to come together to play in a full ensemble since the start of the pandemic. With We’re Still Here, we are proud to showcase the incredible depth of talent and high level of musicianship of these standout jazz musicians from across the country who will help ensure one of America’s quintessential art forms is preserved for generations to come.”

“The big band has always been America’s orchestral format and one of the most wide-ranging ensembles ever devised,” said Sean Jones, NYO Jazz’s Artistic Director and Bandleader. “It can convey nearly any style of music in a sonically stimulating and interactive way. This recording exhibits that diversity by placing classics by Duke Ellington and Neil Hefti alongside pieces that utilize the big band as a vehicle for contemporary American music and represent a wide variety of genres.”

“Making this album was an absolute labor of love for the musicians, our incredible faculty and guest artists, and everyone involved,” said Joanna Massey, Director of Learning & Engagement Programs for Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, who has worked with the NYO Jazz program since its inception. “From their individual preparation prior to coming together as an ensemble, through long days of rehearsals and then recording sessions, the musicians were unwavering and inspiring in their dedication to producing something meaningful for the world to hear. It’s particularly special that by recording all of the original music written especially for NYO Jazz, the album also pays tribute to the outstanding musicians from previous NYO Jazz ensembles—who, like the players heard here, embody the future of jazz.”

US Tour Dates Include:

July 28 | Carnegie Hall | New York, NY
July 30 | Tri-C Metro Auditorium | Cleveland, OH
August 1 | Chautauqua Amphitheater | Chautauqua, NY
August 2 | The August Wilson African American Cultural Center | Pittsburgh, PA
August 4 | Navy Pier, Lake Stage in Polk Bros Park | Chicago, IL
August 5 | The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center | Detroit, MI
August 7 | Wisconsin Union Theater | Madison, WI
August 9 | John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | Washington, D.C.

DL Media

MORE News on T.U.M.S.!

Recording Artist IAmDJDrake Releases New House Track "Bother Me" feat. Keeyen Martin | WATCH LYRIC V...
Meshell Ndegeocello to Release Blue Note Records Debut Album "The Omnichord Real Book" on June 16th,...
Singer Mary Cross Releases New Single "Meet Me On The Moon" | LISTEN! Official Music Video to Premie...
Soul-Jazz Group BT ALC Big Band to Release New Album "Hearing The Truth" on April 14th, 2023
Reggae Singer Romain Virgo to Release New Single "Driver" on March 24th, 2023 | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
New Collection from Iconic Soul Music Duo Sam & Dave "Soul Man Explosion" to be Released on April 28...
Reggae Singer Zeeteah Releases New Single "Start" | LISTEN!
Music Artist Kwanza Jones Releases 3 New Tracks | LISTEN!
Jazz Trumpeter/Vocalist Johnny Britt Releases New Album "After We Play" | WATCH & LISTEN!
Singer JoDavi Releases New Single "I Won't Go" | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
R&B Singer LeVelle Releases New Single "Only If" | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Nigerian Afro R&B/Soul Singer Winny to Release New EP "WINNY" on April 7th, 2023 | WATCH NEW VIDEO f...
Saxophonist Walter Smith III Releases New Single "River Styx" | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Singer H'Atina to Release New Single "Foolish Heart" on March 17th, 2023 | WATCH & LISTEN!
The Top 100 Contemporary Jazz Songs – #97 | The Staff - Joy
Jazz Duo The Braxton Brothers Releases New Single "Let's Have a Good Time" | LISTEN!
Nigerian-Canadian Vocalist Sonia Aimy Releases New Single "TRACE" | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Country-Neo-Pop Artist Roberta Lea to Release New Single "Too Much Of A Woman" on March 24th, 2023 |...
Gospel Singer Melvin Crispell III Releases New Single "Alright" | LISTEN!
R&B Songstress Lettrice Lawrence Releases New Single "My Secret Lies" | LISTEN!
Singer Roderick Harper to Release New Single "Genuine" on March 13th, 2023 | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Does the Elvis Movie Do Justice to His Blending of Jazz, R&B, and Other Styles?
Gospel Singer Kelontae Gavin Releases New Single “Live Again” | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Neo Soul Singer KEA to Release New Single "We Made It Thru" on March 31st, 2023
Jazz Guitarist Jonathan Butler to Release New Album "Ubuntu" on April 28th, 2023
Soul Singer Bradd Marquis Releases Official Music Video for "Blowin' in the Wind" | WATCH!
Afro-Colombian Sister Trio MUSAS Releases New Single "Fantasy" | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Emerging Band People of Earth to Release Self-Titled Debut Album on May 5th, 2023 | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Soul Singer Bette Smith Releases Cover of "Tennessee Whiskey" feat. Guitarist Harvey Mandel | LISTEN...
Singer MARIAH. Releases New Single "MAYBE" | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Singer Osasioo Releases New Single “Home” | LISTEN!
R&B Singer Kem to Release New Memoir "Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith and Redemption" on Apr...
Vocalist Pierre L. Chambers to Release New Album "Shining Moments" on March 17th, 2023
Saxophonist Tobias Meinhart and Berlin People to Release New Live Project "Dark Horse" on April 28th...
Caribbean-American Singer Ronya-Lee Releases New Single "Runaway" | LISTEN!
Mercury/UMe Releases Digital-Only 40th-Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Donna Summer's "She Works Hard ...
Jazz Legend Wayne Shorter Dies at 89
Horn Arranger/Trumpeter Philip Lassiter to Release New Single "Purple" feat. Candy Dulfer in Tribute...
Gospel Group Spoken Praise Releases New Single "Make It" | LISTEN!
Pianist Keiko Matsui to Release 30th Album "Euphoria" on March 31st, 2023 | WATCH & LISTEN!