“Highlights in Jazz” Remembering Erroll and Randy

Jack Kleinsinger’s “Highlights in Jazz” is New York City’s longest running jazz concert series.

The Erroll Garner Project – featuring Christian Sands, Luques Curtis, Ulysses Owens Jr.

Jazz pianist Erroll Garner was well-loved in the 1950s and ’60s for his energetic playing. Thanks to the Erroll Garner Jazz Project, much of his music is being restored.

Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1923 – January 2, 1977; some sources say b. 1921) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His best-known composition, the ballad “Misty”, has become a jazz standard. Scott Yanow of Allmusic calls him “one of the most distinctive of all pianists” and a “brilliant virtuoso.” He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6363 Hollywood Blvd.

A Tribute to Randy Weston – Featuring T.K. Blue and the Alumni Band: Steve Turre, Neil Clarke, Alex Blake.

Randolph Edward “Randy” Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection.[1]

Weston’s piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk,[2] whom he cited in a 2018 video as among pianists he counted as influences, as well as Count Basie, Nat King Cole and Earl Hines.[3] Beginning in the 1950s, Weston worked often with trombonist and arranger Melba Liston.[4][5]

Described as “America’s African Musical Ambassador”, he said: “What I do I do because it’s about teaching and informing everyone about our most natural cultural phenomenon. It’s really about Africa and her music.”

Admission: $50

For more information, contact the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center (TPAC).

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