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| Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra |
| Origin | New York City |
| Genres | Jazz, Big band, Swing |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | Columbia Records, Blue Engine Records |
| Associated acts | Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York Philharmonic, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, John Coltrane |
Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is an American big band ensemble centered on the trumpet soloist and artistic director Wynton Marsalis. The ensemble performs historical and contemporary jazz, presents concert programs at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and records for labels including Columbia Records and Blue Engine Records. The organization links performance, scholarship, and education through collaborations with institutions such as Smithsonian Institution, National Endowment for the Arts, and New York City Ballet.
The ensemble emerged from initiatives at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in the late 1980s, building on residencies and commissions connected to figures like Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billy Strayhorn, and Coleman Hawkins. Its formation consolidated musicians drawn from Art Blakey-influenced groups, Charles Mingus projects, and Broadway pit orchestras, creating a roster that included alumni of Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and Juilliard School. Early seasons featured repertory linked to Harlem Renaissance cultural programs and commemorations for artists such as Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman.
Under the artistic direction of Wynton Marsalis—whose career intersects with Columbia Records contracts, Pulitzer Prize recognition, and collaborations with Ornette Coleman and Marcus Roberts—the orchestra developed a dual mission of performance and pedagogy. Marsalis guided programming decisions, commissioning works from composers associated with George Gershwin, Jelly Roll Morton, and living composers affiliated with Bang on a Can. Administrative partnerships have involved executives from Lincoln Center Education and trustees linked to Rockefeller Foundation initiatives.
The orchestra's style synthesizes swing-era arranging practices from Count Basie Orchestra and Duke Ellington Orchestra with post-bop vocabulary derived from John Coltrane and Miles Davis ensembles. Repertoire spans classic big band charts, extended suites honoring Scott Joplin and George Gershwin, and contemporary commissions referencing Tadd Dameron, Mary Lou Williams, and Eubie Blake. Arrangements often spotlight soloists trained in conservatory settings such as Manhattan School of Music and New England Conservatory, while also drawing on vernacular idioms associated with Harlem, New Orleans, and the Great Migration musical legacy.
Recordings include studio and live albums released on Columbia Records and the orchestra's imprint Blue Engine Records, featuring projects that pay tribute to Duke Ellington and survey American music alongside original suites. Notable performances encompass annual seasons at Rose Theater (Jazz at Lincoln Center), concerts at Avery Fisher Hall with symphonic partners like New York Philharmonic, festival appearances at Montreux Jazz Festival and Newport Jazz Festival, and international tours to venues such as Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall. The ensemble has presented premieres at commemorative events for figures including Barack Obama receptions, Smithsonian Folklife Festival programs, and cultural exchanges with institutions like British Council.
Educational initiatives link the orchestra to Lincoln Center Education programs, school residencies in partnership with New York City Department of Education, and curriculum projects associated with The Juilliard School and Berklee College of Music. Outreach includes the "Essentially Ellington" competition model, master classes at Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz events, and multimedia resources developed with support from National Endowment for the Arts and the Kennedy Center. Collaborations with community arts organizations and youth ensembles echo earlier civic arts efforts seen in programs tied to The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Critical response has alternated between acclaim for preservationist projects—praised by critics in outlets covering The New York Times and reviewers of Grammy Awards-winning projects—and debate over interpretive orthodoxy vis-à-vis innovators like Ornette Coleman and Anthony Braxton. The orchestra's role in shaping institutional perceptions of jazz engages scholars affiliated with Smithsonian Institution research, dissertations at Columbia University, and analyses in journals connected to Routledge and Oxford University Press. Influence is evident in contemporary big bands, conservatory curricula at Manhattan School of Music and New England Conservatory, and in the careers of proteges who have joined ensembles led by Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride, and Roy Hargrove.
Category:American jazz ensembles Category:Big bands