Jazz at Lincoln Center Radio

Schedule May 4 Kenny Barron solo redux —Pianist Kenny Barron, a behemoth of modern jazz improvisation, built his legacy as a sideman with Yusef Lateef and Dizzy Gillespie, but playing solo is where he truly shines. At the Stanley Kaplan Penthouse, he sweeps through standards and originals, with a touch that is the envy of classical players. We'll hear "Well You Needn't," "Gone with the Wind," and "Song for Abdullah." May 11 Essentially Ellington —The nation's top high school jazz bands and the young men and women who make them swing converge on Avery Fisher Hall to Duke it out in our Essentially Ellington competition. This year, it's a bi-coastal showdown: ensembles from Massachusetts, California, Washington, and Oregon take the bandstand to compete for the crown. And check out this fierce generation of players. This "battle" rocks! May 18 Jazz and Art —From the "Utility Wild Man" of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra - saxophonist Ted Nash - a commission inspired by 20th century paintings from the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Nash renders Monet, Van Gogh, Dali, Matisse, and more in the language of jazz - from the canvas to the stage in seven movements. May 25 Guitarists Galore: Russell Malone, Ron Affif, Jim Hall, Romero Lubambo —Listeners to Jazz at Lincoln Center, adjust your ears - as we bring you performances from Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, an intimate jazz club overlooking romantic Central Park. Guitarist Jim Hall joins alto saxophonist Greg Osby in a duo. Then, Russell Malone and Ron Affif share a six-string session. To cap the session, we've got jazz sambas by Trio da Paz with the innovative Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo. Those strings can swing.