The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis presents the world premiere of Marsalis' new extended work: The Ever Fonky Lowdown. This Jazz at Lincoln Center-commissioned piece is the latest entry in Marsalis' renowned canon of music exploring America's relationship to racial matters, a topic he revisits once per decade. This subject has yielded some of his best work: the 1986 Grammy Award–winning Black Codes (From the Underground), 2007's From the Plantation to the Penitentiary, and 1994's Blood on the Fields—the first jazz composition ever to win a Pulitzer Prize. Guitarist Doug Wamble and and an outstanding vocal trio of Camille Thurman, Brianna Thomas, and Jazzmeia Horn join the orchestra for these performances, and actor Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Treme) will serve as narrator. Jared Grimes—one of the star dancers in Wynton Marsalis' Spaces—has crafted new choreography for the show's three dancers: Ian Klein, James Cabrera, and Muata Langley.

Composed specifically for the JLCO's current lineup, The Ever Fonky Lowdown will masterfully utilize the group's virtuosic soloists, stylistic versatility, and unparalleled ensemble cohesion. It will also serve as a sophisticated musical platform for Marsalis to convey his hopes, concerns, and historically informed insights about our culture and society. On this momentous final weekend of our 30th concert season, we're proud to pair this timely new commission with other treasured works by our Managing & Artistic Director.

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