“QUEEN OF CABARET” MARILYN MAYE
TO JOIN JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER
ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS
FOR MODERN TWISTS ON CLASSIC NURSERY RHYMES

Nursery Song Swing in Rose Theater, March 9-10

New York, NY (March 2, 2018) – Embodying Jazz at Lincoln Center’s motto, “Timeless Is Modern,” the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will interpret classic nursery rhymes in modern jazz style in the unique concert event, Nursery Song Swing in Rose Theater, March 9-10. American cabaret singer Marilyn Maye, last seen headlining sold-out shows in Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola and The Appel Room earlier this season, will join the Orchestra. Featuring familar tunes including “Puff the Magic Dragon” arranged by trombonist Chris Crenshaw; “The Muffin Man” arranged by clarinetist/saxophonist Ted Nash; “If You’re Happy and You Know It” arranged by saxophonist Walter Blanding; and “Twinkle Twinkle” arranged by clarinetist/saxophonist Vincent Gardner, this performance has been popular for audiences of all ages since its debut in 2009. The program will showcase each arranger's musical instincts, revealing how they conceptualize music for the Orchestra when the foundation is simple, but the possibilities are endless. A free pre-concert discussion about the origins of the nursery song tradition in jazz will take place at 7pm each night in the Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Studio, located in the Irene Diamond Education Center.

“Singing with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis is always a thrill and joy for me,” says Marilyn Maye. “I’m so excited to be a part of this concert, Nursery Song Swing. It gives me the opportunity to revisit my childhood through these songs. My mother began teaching me to sing when I was only three years old. She played piano and together, we began performing for live audiences when I was nine, so I grew up quickly. I believe some adults are ‘forever kids.' I’m sure this audience and I will channel our childhood through the music of this swingin’ orchestra and these songs.”

For decades, jazz artists have been transforming novelty nursery rhymes into inspired, original compositions. Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb's swinging reworking of "A-Tisket A-Tasket" captured the heart of an entire generation, and bebop era horn players like Sonny Rollins, Fats Navarro, and Dexter Gordon, folded simple children's songs into boundary-pushing solos. No mere exercise in nostalgia or novelty, Nursery Song Swing will showcase the adaptability and diversity of jazz: transforming even the most familiar songs into something new.

Nursery Song Swing will take place in Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Frederick P. Rose Hall, located at Broadway at 60th Street, New York, New York. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit jazz.org.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2017–18 season celebrates the organization’s 30th anniversary. Since the first downbeat of its summer concert series in 1987, Jazz at Lincoln Center has been a vital part of the global cultural landscape. Jazz at Lincoln Center was established as an independent non-profit organization in 1996; opened Frederick P. Rose Hall, the “House of Swing”, in 2004, making it the world’s first venue designed specifically for jazz; and launched Blue Engine Records in 2014 to share its vast archive of recordings. Over the past three decades, Jazz at Lincoln Center has become an important advocate for jazz, culture, and arts education globally, reaching an audience of nearly 2 million people of all ages and experiences through concerts, webcasting, musical instruction, and distribution of music scores—the vast majority of which is free of charge. To date, Jazz at Lincoln Center has produced more than 1,200 original concerts in the New York City area, with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra having performed in over 446 cities in 41 countries on five continents.

This milestone season reflects on 30 years of celebrating the universal language of music and the influence of jazz in the present day. Throughout the 2017–18 season, Jazz at Lincoln Center will bring together a wide array of events, projects, virtuoso musicians, composers, and educators to illustrate the collaborative nature of the art form. Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2017–18 season features performances by renowned artists including Joey Alexander, Chick Corea, Paquito D’Rivera, Eliane Elias, Ellis Marsalis, Dick Hyman, Marilyn Maye, Steve Miller, and Dianne Reeves; as well as Jazz at Lincoln Center debuts by the Harlem Quartet and vocalist and songwriter Somi. The milestone season will conclude with a grand finale world premiere by Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director.

TICKET INFORMATION:All single tickets for The Appel Room and Rose Theater can be purchased at jazz.org 24 hours a day or through CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10am–9pm. Tickets can also be purchased at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located on Broadway at 60th Street, ground floor. Reservations for Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola can be made by calling 212-258-9595 or by visiting jazz.org.

Box Office Hours:
Monday–Saturday: 10am–6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain)
Sunday: 12pm–6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain)

For more information about Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 30th anniversary season, go to jazz.org.

Jazz and Bossa

Saturday, March 3, 2018