Step into the world of Duke Ellington, one of the defining figures of American music, as experienced through the vision of Jason Moran, one of jazz’s most celebrated pianists, composers, and cultural curators. A Harlem-based visual artist as well, Moran blends inventive piano interpretations with bench-side storytelling and a striking video presentation of Gordon Parks’ iconic images of Ellington and Harlem. Moran transforms the concert into an experience that is immersive, bold, playful, and unforgettable. With music, stories, and imagery, this is more than a concert—it’s a declaration of independence for 2026.

EPSG:4326

Jason Moran: Ellington in Focus

College of Charleston

Brazilian legend Marcos Valle is coming to Bremen Theatre.
Across 22 albums, Marcos Valle has cemented his status as a pure Brazilian legend in everything from bossa nova, boogie-funk samba, jazz, disco to soul and much more.

His songs have been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn and Sergio Mendes, and he has been sampled by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Pusha T and many more. Last year he released the album "Túnel Acústico" in the wake of a packed summer concert in Copenhagen, and now he returns when he takes over Bremen Teater on June 1, 2026 with songs from his entire exuberant back catalog.

Marcos Valle

Bremen Teater

In August 1979, the ensemble was the opening band on the first night of the First Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. 44 years later, the CJO stands as not only the oldest professional big band in Chicago, but also the second oldest professional civic jazz orchestra in the United States (second only to the Columbus Jazz Orchestra).

Chicago Jazz Orchestra

Dearborn Station

Jazz Small Ensembles

Northwestern Bienen School of Music

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFe6mW6x9pc

The Artelize Podcast: 'Amplifying What Makes Us Human'. A conversation with Zuly E. Inirio

Podcast link: https://youtu.be/4hagYvrYbuM

The Artelize Podcast and Kasper Holten - Pedefining Opera for the modern world

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36M5Hi6O80

The Artelize Podcast - A legacy of innovation in Opera: Celebrating Marc A. Scorca

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59E40S_EQSY

The Artelize Podcast: A love letter that was never sent

Celebrate the music and legacy of legendary saxophonist John Coltrane in honor of his 100th birthday. Camp Coltrane invites young musicians to explore Coltrane’s powerful sound through jazz combos, improvisation, and ensemble playing—plus special masterclasses with world-renowned artists Chico Pinheiro (guitar) and Pedrito Martinez (percussion).

Jazz Combo Camp: Camp Coltrane

Charleston Jazz Academy

Grammy-winning percussionist Pedrito Martinez returns for a third appearance at Spoleto, where he’s thrilled audiences with his electrifying rhythms, powerful vocals, and infectious energy. The greatest living Afro-Cuban percussionist—he’s played with the likes of Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and Wynton Marsalis—Martinez transforms every performance into a celebration of dance, heritage, and improvisation. His ensemble turns rhythm into pure joy, making it impossible to sit still. A Festival favorite, this is an evening of unforgettable music, irresistible grooves, and sheer celebration—one of Spoleto’s most thrilling acts.

Pedrito Martinez Group

The Jazz Orchestra finishes the spring quarter with a concert highlighting fresh compositions and arrangements by jazz studies students and faculty.

Northwestern University Jazz Orchestra

JAMES BOND GALLA is a stunning and iconic concert led by Sinne Eeg, Scandinavia's greatest jazz singer. The Danish diva presents a string of famous theme songs from the Bond films. The music is performed by a hand-picked orchestra, including the participation of American pianist Josh Nelson (Natalie Cole, Ivan Lins, Kurt Elling) and star singer Patrick Dorgan.

James Bond Gala

Jutlandic Music Theatre

For more than 30 years, this Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble has set the high bar for jazz vocal artistry, blending their signature harmonies, inspired improvisation, and genre-spanning versatility, on stage as well as on over their acclaimed recordings. In 2025, New York Voices embarks on their much-anticipated final tour, a celebration of the group’s enduring legacy and a heartfelt thank you to generations of fans. Hear jazz standards, big band classics, and more in a poignant, unforgettable tribute to the art of jazz.

New York Voices: The Grand Finale

Sandler Center for the Performing Arts

Houston’s own Lyle Lovett joins the Houston Symphony for a one-night-only performance at Jones Hall. With countless accolades—including 4 Grammy Awards, the Americana Music Association’s Trailblazer Award, and the title of Texas State Musician—Lovett blends country, jazz, folk, swing, and blues into a sound that’s uniquely his own. Known for his dry wit, poetic lyricism, and genre-defying artistry, Lovett remains one of America’s most distinctive and enduring musical voices.

Lyle Lovett with the Houston Symphony

Jones Hall

Returning to Spoleto after his acclaimed 2025 collaboration with Cécile McLorin Salvant and the Festival Orchestra, Sullivan Fortner is one of today’s most celebrated jazz pianists. The first jazz pianist to receive a Gilmore Award, the inaugural 2026 Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award, Fortner is a virtuoso solo artist, bandleader, composer, and McLorin’s primary collaborator. At Spoleto 2026, experience two programs: an intimate solo recital showcasing his improvisational brilliance, and a trio performance highlighting playful counterpoint and ensemble mastery. Don’t miss this rare chance to see a visionary musician at the height of his powers.

Sullivan Fortner

The GRAMMY-nominated voice-and-piano duo celebrate classic jazz traditions, blending Sean Mason’s sophisticated piano with Catherine Russell’s brilliant, timeless voice. Their new album, My Ideal, nods to the roots of blues, R&B, jazz, and pop while offering fresh, invigorated interpretations.

Catherine Russell & Sean Mason

McCarter Theatre Center

Experience the enchanting sounds that inspired White Lotus and Classic Exotica at the unforgettable HapaSymphony finale! Join Waitiki 7—a captivating fusion of Waikiki and Tiki—as they partner with Music and Artistic Director Dane Lam and your Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra for an extraordinary evening that celebrates mid-century Exotica music. Inspired by legendary figures such as Les Baxter, Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, Gene Rains, and Robert Drasnin from the late 1950s and 1960s, Waitiki 7 is dedicated to recreating the timeless Tiki sound, ambiance, and sheer joy that defined an era.

HapaSymphony Featuring Waitiki 7

Blaisdell Concert Hall

Expect world-class funk when Tower of Power returns to Musikhuset with a concert in the summer of '26. For over five decades, Tower of Power has thrilled audiences worldwide, and the orchestra has become world-renowned for their catchy genre fusions and strong brass and rhythm sections. The band's popularity in Denmark is also undeniable, and they have drawn full houses and praise from music critics at their previous concerts with their captivating mix of funk, soul, jazz and rock.

Tower of Power

Aarhus Music Hall

A central figure in contemporary European jazz, Bugge Wesseltoft has long been recognized as one of the most original shapers of the jazz language, through his solo albums, projects such as New Conception of Jazz, OKWorld! and RYMDEN, as well as collaborations with artists including Sidsel Endresen, Henning Kraggerud and Henrik Schwarz.

Bugge Wesseltoft – solo

Teatro La Fenice

James is equally at home as a concert pianist. He has played concertos with the Philharmonia and the BBC Concert Orchestra amongst many others. His performance of Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto was broadcast on Classic FM and Gershwin’s Piano Concerto and Rhapsody in Blue on BBC Radio 2. With collaborations ranging from Paul McCartney to Wynton Marsalis, James is fast becoming one of the country’s most sought after pianists.

Recent commissions by the BFI and BBC have seen James back in the composing chair. The Big Smoke, commissioned by the BFI, is a collection of footage of London accompanied by an 80-minute score composed by James. His work can also be heard performed by Brodsky String Quartet, Sir John Dankworth, The BBC Concert Orchestra and The BBC Big Band.

James Pearson & Friends

Clonter Opera Theatre

Nellie McKay has released an eclectic bunch of critically acclaimed albums, her songs and sound ranging from jazz to pop to indefinable, and with her latest, HEY GUYS, WATCH THIS, ably assisted by The Carpenter Ants, she taps into the soulful sounds of West Virginia. Coming soon, GET AWAY FROM ME demos on Omnivore Records.

Nellie McKay

The Chapel Restoration

The Pesto Music Festival is preparing to close in style with an unmissable event: on Sunday, June 7, the Carlo Felice Theater in Genoa will host a concert bringing together Stefano Bollani, Danilo Rea, and Dado Moroni, three of the most influential pianists on the Italian jazz scene

Bollani Moroni Rea

Carlo Felice Theater

Christian McBride is an eleven-time GRAMMY-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. He is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth, and serves as Artistic Director of Jazz House KiDS and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Sessions. In addition to artistic directing and consistent touring with his ensembles, he hosts NPR’s “Jazz Night in America” and "The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian" on SiriusXM. Whether behind the bass or away from it, Christian McBride is always part of the music. From jazz to R&B, and pop/rock and hip-hop/neo-soul to classical, he is a luminary with one hand ever reaching for new heights, and the other extended in fellowship—and perhaps the hint of a challenge—inviting us to join him.

Christian McBride & Ursa Major

Internationally acclaimed musician and educator Oran Etkin brings his beloved Timbalooloo show to life in an interactive musical adventure for the whole family. Known for performances on concert stages around the world and on a Grammy Award–winning album, Etkin is equally at home surrounded by children, spinning imaginative stories where instruments become living, breathing characters.

Jazz events in Shipshewana, Indiana next month

Jason Moran: Ellington in...

Spoleto Festival USA

Marcos Valle

Bremen Teater

Chicago Jazz Orchestra

Jazz Showcase

Jazz Small Ensembles

Northwestern Bienen School of Music

The Artelize Podcast: 'Am...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast - A ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast: A l...

Artelize

Jazz Combo Camp: Camp Col...

Charleston Jazz

Pedrito Martinez Group

Spoleto Festival USA

Northwestern University J...

Northwestern Bienen School of Music

James Bond Gala

Jysk Musikteater

New York Voices: The Gran...

Virginia Arts Festival

Lyle Lovett with the Hous...

Houston Symphony

Sullivan Fortner

Spoleto Festival USA

Catherine Russell & Sean ...

McCarter Theatre Center

HapaSymphony Featuring Wa...

Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra

Tower of Power

Musikhuset Aarhus

Bugge Wesseltoft – solo

Teatro La Fenice

James Pearson & Friends

Clonter Opera Theatre

Nellie McKay

Chapel Restoration

Bollani Moroni Rea

Opera Carlo Felice Genova

Christian McBride & Ursa ...

McCarter Theatre Center

Oran Etkin: Timbalooloo

McCarter Theatre Center