The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music will present a 25th anniversary concert this Wednesday, April 25, at Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street, Manhattan. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and will feature performances by faculty members, alumni and NEA Jazz Masters Jimmy Heath, Jimmy Owens and Frank Wess. The show will also and include trumpet battles among faculty members Jimmy Owens and Cecil Bridgewater and others. Alumni trumpeter/arranger Kenyatta Beasley will lead a tribute to former faculty members Frank Foster and Benny Powell, featuring New School alumni such as Keith Loftis, Arun Luthra, Josh Ginsburg and Marcus Baylor, among others. They will also be joined by faculty members Billy Harper on tenor sax and Rory Stuart on guitar.
In addition, between sets will be brief piano duos between Junior Mance (former faculty) and Michi Fuji (violin, alumna) and Andy Milne (faculty) with the harmonicist Gregoire Maret (harmonica, alumnus).
Each set will be approximately 20 minutes. Tickets are $30 for general admission and $100 for preferred seating (call 212-229-5896 x4579). General admission tickets may be purchased in person at the New School box office at 66 West 12th Street, main floor (Monday-Thursday 4-7pm + Friday 3-6pm). Reservations and inquiries can be made by emailing box office or calling 212.229.5488.
The concert is the final in a series of events in celebration of the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music’s 25th anniversary year.