Walk with the Wind, a free concert series in New York’s Central Park that began last fall under the auspices of the nonprofit Giant Step Arts, will begin a new season of performances in the park on April 4. The new edition finds Giant Step Arts partnering with Jazz Generation’s KEYED UP! anti-poverty program.
The kickoff concert for the 2021 edition will feature the Wayne Escoffery/Jeremy Pelt Quartet as well as a quartet featuring alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan, trumpeter Giveton Gelin, bassist Phil Norris, and drummer Robert Lotreck. It will take place beginning at 11 a.m. at the south end of the Mall (at approximately 66th Street in the middle of the park).
Other announced performances include the James Brandon Lewis Trio with Rashaan Carter and Chad Taylor on April 10, and the Melissa Aldana Trio with Pablo Menares and Kush Abadey on April 11. Hanahan will open both concerts, which begin at 11 a.m. at pop-up locations in the park.
Future dates will include performances by William Parker, Nasheet Waits, Chris Potter, Mark Turner, Antonio Sánchez, Marika Hughes, and Immanuel Wilkins.
Curated by photographer Jimmy Katz and Nasheet Waits, Walk with the Wind not only supports artists who have struggled to find work during the COVID-19 pandemic but also honors the life and legacy of the late Congressman John Lewis (D-GA).
Previous concerts included Escoffery, Marquis Hill, Michael Thomas, Marcus Strickland, Eric McPherson, the Leap Day Trio, and Joel Ross.
Visit www.giantsteparts.org or http://jazzgeneration.org/ for more information.
