The wonderful world of jazz is on full display this Sunday, February 23, 2025 evening inside Kean University's Enlow Recital Hall in Hillside, NJ as Jazz at Lincoln Center presents a concert of music entitled New Orleans Songbook.
For over three decades, NYC’s Jazz at Lincoln Center has been a global advocate for jazz, culture, and arts education. Under the direction of trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, the organization has brought performances of this uniquely American art form to over 446 cities in more than 40 different countries.
The lights dim and Kean Stage manager Steve Cochran welcomes tonight’s crowd and introduces JALC’s New Orleans Songbook musicians. Jonathon S. Muir-Cotton on cowbell, trombonist Mariel Bildsten, Luther S. Allison on cowbell, Markus Howell on clarinet, Marcus Grant on tambourine, and trumpeter Brandon Woody march onto the stage as they perform a high-energy rendition of the Dixieland jazz tune, “Liza Jane.”
Allison takes a seat at the piano, Muir-Cotton switches over to stand-up bass, Howell picks up his saxophone, and Grant sets himself up behind the drums as the musicians segue into an instrumental version of the syncopated swing tune, “Night Life.” After Howell, Woody, and Bildsten play the melody in harmony, Howell is featured on a funky saxophone solo, Bildsten bends notes on her trombone, and Allison’s fingers fly around the keyboard with ease as he improvises on the Steinway grand.
Following avid applause, the horn section once again plays in harmony with flair and style as the entire ensemble’s big sound reverberates throughout this superior listening space.
Allison greets the audience and identifies his fellow musicians before introducing his arrangement of the Jon Baptiste song, “Prince.” On this uplifting and melodic jazz tune, Grant starts off playing tambourine and bass drum before adding cymbals, Muir-Cotton slides up and down the fretboard of his bass, and the horn section kicks in playing with dynamics and alternating solos on trumpet, sax, and trombone.
Allison offers up a cascading piano solo as the rhythm section grooves before the horns return with their rhythmic calls and the piece ends with bass, tambourine, tinkling piano, and swells from the horn section.
The crowd cheers and Allison introduces vocalist Milton Suggs whose smooth and warm tenor fills the theater on his heartfelt version of the Louis Armstrong classic, “Hello Dolly.” Following swinging clarinet, trombone, and piano solos, Suggs’ has fun vocally improvising on the tune as the arrangement comes to a satisfying conclusion.
Suggs announces, “We’re going to have a little church tonight,” as he introduces Mahalia Jackson’s “How I Got Over You.” Tight horn harmonies open this rhythmic gospel tune where Suggs croons with feeling, “You know my soul look back and wonder/How I got over.” Music lovers clap along as Suggs vocally improvises over the swinging band, commanding the stage with confidence and power.
Suggs introduces vocalist Quiana Lynell and the duo launches into a swinging version of “Cheek to Cheek.” As Lynell sings, “Heaven, I’m in heaven/And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak,” she demonstrates her range and control as she pops effortlessly from her rich chest voice into her floating head voice.
Following a round of instrumental solos, Lynell and Suggs take turns telling their story, singing to one another and bending notes to audience cheers and shouts.
Suggs exits the stage leaving Lynell and the band to perform “Mardi Gras Mambo.” After Lynell sings, “Down in New Orleans/Where the blues was born/It takes a cool cat/To blow a horn,” music lovers happily join in on the “Mardi Gras mambo” lyric of this jazzy tune with a zydeco feel.
Lynell asks, “Are you having a good time tonight?” and concertgoers respond in the affirmative before Lynell dedicates her next number to her 17-year-old daughter. Here, Lynell and the ensemble steal the show with their sonically superior rendition of “La Vie en Rose.” Crooning in French, Lynell’s voice soars eliciting hoots, hollers, and cheers from the crowd.
After explaining, “The blues brings people together,” Allison leads the band on an instrumental version of “St. Louis Blues.” Shifting rhythms characterize this New Orleans jazz staple which features inspired trumpet, trombone, clarinet, and piano solos.
Next, the ensemble performs the slow and mournful “St. James Infirmary” where Howell renders a haunting and crying clarinet solo, Bildsten plays a low and growling trombone solo, and Allison skillfully and creatively blends the ragtime music of Scott Joplin, the classical piano style of Ludwig von Beethoven, and more in a stunning piano cadenza.
Music lovers cheer as Lynell and Suggs return to perform a modern jazz arrangement of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.”
Afterwards, the performers march from the stage down into the audience and out into the lobby as music lovers stand and clap along.
After following the musicians into the lobby, several concertgoers chat with JALC performers including vocalist Quiana Lynell who reveals, “I’ve been singing in church since I can remember. I call myself a ‘jazz-ical-soul-funk’ singer so it’s a real gumbo! I’m classically trained — I’ve got a five-octave voice — but it’s the ‘heart’ that keeps me in jazz; it’s live — it’s in the moment — and it’s where our emotions are feeling what we’re doing.”
Acknowledging that she’s happy to be back performing in the Garden State, Lynell explains, “I’m from Louisiana between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, but I won the Sarah Vaughn vocal competition in 2017 in Newark, so I know Jersey!” prior to concluding, “The pandemic slowed things down a bit for musicians like me, but I’m like The Little Engine That Could — I call my myself a running back because I always keep my feet moving and, as long as I do, I’m gonna score that touchdown!”
Several audience members in the lobby also comment on tonight’s New Orleans Songbook production. Remarks Allison from Leonia, “I thought the show was fantastic tonight — the musicians were extremely talented, the vocalists were incredible, and the energy was amazing!”
Gloria from Elizabeth exclaims, “It was a great show! I love New Orleans jazz — there’s nothing else like it! The performers were great and it was so good to see young musicians keeping this music alive.” Victor from Ridgewood agrees, adding, “It was an excellent show and there were three performers I especially enjoyed — the pianist, the trombonist, and the female vocalist.”
Lastly, Michael from Queens, NY, contends, “The show was absolutely excellent! The musicians had incredible energy and they played beautifully. The quality of the musicianship was way up there — high as the sky — but more importantly, the musicians had heart; you could hear all the technical things each of them had going on, but they all played with heart… and I felt it!”
To learn more about musical performances sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center, please go to jazz.org. For info on great upcoming events at Kean Stage’s Enlow Recital Hall — including the a cappella group Voctave on April 11 and singer Michael Feinstein on April 25 — please go to keanstage.com.
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