Who is Billie Holiday?
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Rose Theater
Feb 7, 2015, 3:00pm
(Broadway, between 62nd & 65th Sts.)
Manhattan
(212)875.5456
In President Barack Obama’s children’s book Of Thee I Sing: A Letter To My Daughters, which profiles thirteen Americans who helped shape present-day America, the President describes singer as a woman with her “own song.” Indeed, Lady Day is one of the most distinctly recognizable voices of the 20th century. This family concert will introduce budding enthusiasts to the woman with the gardenia in her hair, whose highly individualized artistry and embodiment of the blues influenced jazz and popular song indelibly. Aaron Diehl, a pianist The New York Times calls a “revelation” and the recipient of the 2011 Cole Porter Fellow in Jazz of the American Pianists Association among other accolades, will serve as musical director. Vocalist Charenee Wade, who has been making waves on the New York jazz scene and beyond, continues to ascend as an impressive and necessary voice in jazz. As part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Billie Holiday Festival honoring the singer’s centennial, this landmark concert celebrates not only the iconic musician’s own song, but her story as a courageous, exquisite, and singular cultural icon. Joining the performance will be Alphonso Horne, Dan Block, Patrick Bartley, Adam Moezinia, Paul Sikivie, and Lawrence Leathers.