The 15th Annual Winter Jazzfest | Jan. 4th-12th, 2019

15th Annual Winter Jazzfest
Announces First Wave of Artists,
Including British Jazz Showcase Artists,
ECM Records 50th Anniversary Performers,

And Much More…*Tickets On Sale October 26th at Noon*
From www.winterjazzfest.com

(Updated – Oct. 19th, 2018)

We are thrilled to announce the initial list of artists featured at the 15th annual NYC Winter Jazzfest! Please mark your calendars for January 4-12, 2019.

In our landmark 15th year we present an unprecedented NINE CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS offering standalone concerts, a “Half Marathon” showcase on January 5th to coincide with the annual APAP conference in seven venues, the returning PRS Foundation / BBC Music Introducing British jazz showcase hosted by BBC DJ and tastemaker Gilles Peterson featuring rising UK talent Ezra Collective, Emma-Jean Thackray, Yazmin Lacey and Yussef Dayes (of Yussef Kamaal) and five other single night events leading up to our epic two-night marathon Friday, January 11 and Saturday, January 12 in 11 venues around Greenwich Village to close the 2019 festival.

We welcome visionary singer-songwriter, bassist, producer and genre-defying artist Meshell Ndegeocello as our Artist-In-Residence who will appear as a leader and collaborator in various projects including an opening night event “Meshell Ndegeocello Plays The Music of Prince.” Ndegeocello will also participate in at least one Winter Jazzfest Talks, originally launched in 2017, this year helmed by award-winning journalist Nate Chinen of WBGO-FM, our radio sponsor.

NYC Winter Jazzfest again joins festivals across the globe in striving for gender parity on our festival stages. We are proud to be part of UK-based PRS Foundation’s international Keychange program, through which we’ve pledged to achieve a gender balance on our stages. We’ll be hosting a Keychange panel discussion and event as part of our Winter Jazzfest Talks series.

We also notably celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ECM Records with a special listening session with founder Manfred Eicher sharing the stage with performances by ECM artists David Virelles and Larry Grenadier. ECM will once again host a showcase stage featuring the new trio of Michael Formanek/Mary Halvorson/Tim Berne, Shai Maestro Trio, Ralph Alessi Quintet feat. Ravi Coltrane, Vijay Iyer/Craig Taborn, Mathias Eick, and the Billy Hart Quartet.

*Tickets On Sale October 26th at Noon*
From www.winterjazzfest.com

Initial Artist Lineup:
Meshell Ndegeocello (Artist-In-Residence)
Akenya
Alexis Cuadrado Group performs SHOES (Live Silent Film Score)
Alfredo Rodriguez & Pedrito Martinez Duo
Allison Miller and Carmen Staaf – Science Fair
Amina Claudine Myers
Amir Elsaffar’s Rivers of Sound
Angel Bat Dawid & The Brothahood
Artifacts Trio (Tomeka Reid, Nicole Mitchell, Mike Reed)
Ben LaMar Gay
Ben Wendel “High Heart”
Billy Hart Quartet
Blake Mills & Pino Palladino
Bria Skonberg
Butcher Brown
Cleaver, Cline & Ochs
David Virelles Solo
Donny McCaslin Group
Edmar Castaneda
Emma-Jean Thackeray
Expansions: The Dave Liebman Group
Ezra Collective
Gary Bartz plays Another Planet with Pharoah Sanders
Ghost Train Orchestra plays Moondog
Gilles Peterson
Jason Lindner’s Now vs Now
JD Allen Encounters David Murray
Jenny Scheinman & Allison Miller’s Parlour Game
Jeremy Cunningham
Joel Ross
Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society
Kandace Springs
Kassa Overall Blue Swamini
Kassa Overall Trio featuring Mark Shim
Larry Grenadier
Leyla McCala
Liebman, Rudolph & Drake
Makaya McCraven
Maria Grand
Mary Halvorson Code Girl
Mathias Eick
Matthew Stevens Trio
Melissa Aldana
Michael Formanek, Mary Halvorson, Tim Berne
Mikel Patrick Avery’s PLAY
Nate Wood: fOUR
Nubya Garcia
Pedrito Martinez Group
Pocket Science w/ Gary Bartz, Kahil El Zabar, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Robert Irving III
Ralph Alessi Quintet featuring Ravi Coltrane
Ralph Peterson and The Messenger Legacy
Roxy Coss Quintet
Samora Pinderhughes Transformations Suite
Sarah Elizabeth Charles and SCOPE
Seun Kuti
Shai Maestro Trio
Sisterhood of Swing (Led by Bria Skonberg)
Spencer Zahn
Subtle Degrees: Travis Laplante & Gerald Cleaver
Takuya Kuroda
Tawiah
Terence Blanchard featuring The E-Collective
Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science
The JuJu Exchange
Theo Bleckmann and The Westerlies
Tia Fuller
Unfold Ordinary Mind
Vijay Iyer & Craig Taborn Duo
Will Miller’s RESAVOIR
Yazmin Lacey
Yussef Dayes
+ Many more artists TBA
(subject to change)

NYC Winter Jazzfest is a destination for avid jazz fans, industry professionals, and new listeners to come together and experience the exciting and vibrant contemporary jazz scene. Since the inaugural year in 2005, the festival has grown organically, with more artists performing and a continually increasing audience—proving the true vitality and urgency of this music. Winter Jazzfest’s programming is inclusive of a broad spectrum of musical styles under the banner of jazz. Inherent to the tradition of jazz as protest music, Winter Jazzfest strives to support and highlight artists who create music with relevant messages of social justice and positive change.

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