Jazzmobile Continues Its Celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month
with Wycliffe Gordon’s International All-Stars & Friends
on International Jazz Day, April 30, 7:00 pm, at Aaron Davis Hall
New York, NY, NY, April 16, 2025 – Jazzmobile, the first U.S. not-for-profit arts and cultural organization created just for jazz 60 years ago, continues its celebration of National Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM), and International Jazz Day, UNESCO’s global celebration of jazz, with a night of straight ahead jazz and down home swing with the world-renowned trombonist, vocalist, trumpeter and bandleader Wycliffe Gordon and his International All-Stars & Friends at Aaron Davis Hall, 129 Convent Avenue in Manhattan, on Wednesday, April 30, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. The concert, in conjunction with the City College Center for the Arts, takes place on International Jazz Day, which caps off Jazz Appreciation Month.
General seating tickets are $20/$10 for students and seniors and are available here.
“Throughout the years, Wycliffe has been an audience favorite and powerful presence on many Jazzmobile bandstands,” says Robin Bell-Stevens, Director and Executive Producer of Jazzmobile. “His command of his instrument, his deep knowledge of the history and traditions of jazz, and his devotion to swing, exemplify what Jazzmobile is all about as we continue to celebrate our 60th anniversary.”
This upcoming gig offers Gordon and his all-star friends a rare opportunity. “Several moons have passed since our last opportunity to perform together, so I'm extremely excited to perform with my group, The International All-Stars, at Aaron Davis Hall on April 30,” Gordon says. “Getting the opportunity to freely perform music from every period and idiom in jazz is a great feeling! This group – consisting of Adrian Cunningham on reeds and vocals, Ehud Asherie on piano, Yasushi Nakamura on bass, and Alvin Atkinson, Jr. on drums and cymbals – is a dream situation for me and the love we have for the music and for one another exudes from the bandstand.”
At the concert, Gordon and his esteemed ensemble will perform selections from their first recording, I Give You Love. “It speaks to the sentiments we wish to share with all of our audiences and everyone that hears our music," Gordon relates. “From the early classics of New Orleans artists such as Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, and Louis Armstrong to that of Ellington, Basie, Parker, Waller, Gillespie etc... "
A dominant musician on the trombone for four decades, the Georgia-born Gordon, was selected by Wynton Marsalis, to join many of his bands and ensembles, including Marsalis’ septet from 1989 to 1995, and he was a founding member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra from 1995 to 2000. Gordon played with a wide variety of musicians as a sideman including Paul Simon, David Sanborn, Dianne Reeves, Dizzy Gillespie and Branford Marsalis. Gordon’s albums as a leader include Hello Pops, Signature Series, Somebody New and Within These Gates of Mine.
Gordon’s commissioned works include creating new music for two of the prolific silent film director Oscar Micheaux “Body and Soul” (Jazz at Lincoln Center) and “Within Our Gates” (Jazzmobile, 2011); A Soldier’s Heart (Savannah Children’s Choir/ D-Day) and the Charles Henry Suite (Douglas Theatre/Macon Georgia). Gordon has taught on many college campuses including, the Peabody Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School and Temple University. Gordon is a 6-time winner of DownBeat Magazine’s Best Trombone category, was selected Trombonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Associated 15 times and was awarded The ASCAP Foundation Vanguard Award in 2007. Gordon is also a gifted composer, arranger, trumpeter and vocalist.
Gordon and company come to the Aaron Davis Hall stage, like Louis Armstrong, in the cause of happiness. “This band is ready to perform the music with exuberance and style, and all with a smile,” Wycliffe said.
Jazzmobile’s Jazz Appreciation Month concerts also included a performance by the Saturday Jazzmobile Workshop (SJW) Youth Band, with special guests pianist Danny Mixon, vocalist Antoinette Montague and tenor saxophonist Patience Higgins at The Interchurch Center on April 2 and Charenee Wade Sings Miss Roberta with Love: A Tribute to Roberta Flack, on April 9, both at the Interchurch Center.
Jazzmobile is the oldest charitable organization created with a mission just for jazz. The organization presents, preserves, promotes and propagates America’s classical music. Through Free core programs, (Summerfest, Jazzmobile|Sessions, Saturday Jazz Workshops (SJW), lecture demonstrations) Jazzmobile presents world-class artists in underserved communities. Programs not only educate and entertain; but also contribute to these communities’ well-being. Programs are accessible for all, including families. As Jazzmobile celebrates 60 years of presenting free programs, the team is proud to have also inspired other organizations to create programs inspired by Jazzmobile’s founders, NEA Jazz Master Dr. Billy Taylor, Ms. Daphne Arnstein and with programs developed with NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath and other jazz greats of that era. This year SJW students are finalists in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
“While April is Jazz Appreciation Month, Jazzmobile is Jazz, and we celebrate 12 months a year,” says Robin Bell-Stevens. Visit www.jazzmobile.org for more information.
For more information on International Jazz Day, click here.
“Throughout the years, Wycliffe has been an audience favorite and powerful presence on many Jazzmobile bandstands,” says Robin Bell-Stevens, Director and Executive Producer of Jazzmobile. “His command of his instrument, his deep knowledge of the history and traditions of jazz, and his devotion to swing, exemplify what Jazzmobile is all about as we continue to celebrate our 60th anniversary.”
This upcoming gig offers Gordon and his all-star friends a rare opportunity. “Several moons have passed since our last opportunity to perform together, so I'm extremely excited to perform with my group, The International All-Stars, at Aaron Davis Hall on April 30,” Gordon says. “Getting the opportunity to freely perform music from every period and idiom in jazz is a great feeling! This group – consisting of Adrian Cunningham on reeds and vocals, Ehud Asherie on piano, Yasushi Nakamura on bass, and Alvin Atkinson, Jr. on drums and cymbals – is a dream situation for me and the love we have for the music and for one another exudes from the bandstand.”
At the concert, Gordon and his esteemed ensemble will perform selections from their first recording, I Give You Love. “It speaks to the sentiments we wish to share with all of our audiences and everyone that hears our music," Gordon relates. “From the early classics of New Orleans artists such as Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, and Louis Armstrong to that of Ellington, Basie, Parker, Waller, Gillespie etc... "
A dominant musician on the trombone for four decades, the Georgia-born Gordon, was selected by Wynton Marsalis, to join many of his bands and ensembles, including Marsalis’ septet from 1989 to 1995, and he was a founding member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra from 1995 to 2000. Gordon played with a wide variety of musicians as a sideman including Paul Simon, David Sanborn, Dianne Reeves, Dizzy Gillespie and Branford Marsalis. Gordon’s albums as a leader include Hello Pops, Signature Series, Somebody New and Within These Gates of Mine.
Gordon’s commissioned works include creating new music for two of the prolific silent film director Oscar Micheaux “Body and Soul” (Jazz at Lincoln Center) and “Within Our Gates” (Jazzmobile, 2011); A Soldier’s Heart (Savannah Children’s Choir/ D-Day) and the Charles Henry Suite (Douglas Theatre/Macon Georgia). Gordon has taught on many college campuses including, the Peabody Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School and Temple University. Gordon is a 6-time winner of DownBeat Magazine’s Best Trombone category, was selected Trombonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Associated 15 times and was awarded The ASCAP Foundation Vanguard Award in 2007. Gordon is also a gifted composer, arranger, trumpeter and vocalist.
Gordon and company come to the Aaron Davis Hall stage, like Louis Armstrong, in the cause of happiness. “This band is ready to perform the music with exuberance and style, and all with a smile,” Wycliffe said.
Jazzmobile’s Jazz Appreciation Month concerts also included a performance by the Saturday Jazzmobile Workshop (SJW) Youth Band, with special guests pianist Danny Mixon, vocalist Antoinette Montague and tenor saxophonist Patience Higgins at The Interchurch Center on April 2 and Charenee Wade Sings Miss Roberta with Love: A Tribute to Roberta Flack, on April 9, both at the Interchurch Center.
Jazzmobile is the oldest charitable organization created with a mission just for jazz. The organization presents, preserves, promotes and propagates America’s classical music. Through Free core programs, (Summerfest, Jazzmobile|Sessions, Saturday Jazz Workshops (SJW), lecture demonstrations) Jazzmobile presents world-class artists in underserved communities. Programs not only educate and entertain; but also contribute to these communities’ well-being. Programs are accessible for all, including families. As Jazzmobile celebrates 60 years of presenting free programs, the team is proud to have also inspired other organizations to create programs inspired by Jazzmobile’s founders, NEA Jazz Master Dr. Billy Taylor, Ms. Daphne Arnstein and with programs developed with NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath and other jazz greats of that era. This year SJW students are finalists in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
“While April is Jazz Appreciation Month, Jazzmobile is Jazz, and we celebrate 12 months a year,” says Robin Bell-Stevens. Visit www.jazzmobile.org for more information.
For more information on International Jazz Day, click here.
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