Jazz Roots 2020-2021 Season: Dianne Reeves, Luciana Souza, Pat Metheny, Chris Botti, Ledisi & More
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts just released its 2020-2021 JAZZ ROOTS season showcasing five extraordinary, curated evenings of live music in the Center’s Knight Concert Hall. The new season celebrates jazz’s rich history of fusion and cross-pollination. EFG returns as the presenting sponsor for Jazz Roots 2020-2021.
December 18, 2020
DIANNE REEVES: CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE
Five-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves with opening act Brandon Goldberg trio.
Dianne Reeves – Photo by Jerris Madison
In addition to being a five-time Grammy Award recipient, DIANNE REEVES has received honorary doctorates from Juilliard and Berklee College of Music. The pre-eminent jazz vocalist in the world, DIANNE REEVES rings in the holiday season with music from her celebrated album, Christmas Time Is Here. Reeves melds her timeless grace, elegance, and charisma into unforgettable jazz renditions of holiday favorites such as “Little Drummer Boy,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Christmas Waltz,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “Let It Snow,” and many more. Opening for Reeves on this joyous occasion is 14-year-old keyboard wunderkind and Miami native BRANDON GOLDERG, whose “jazz IQ is phenomenal,” according to DownBeat magazine.
DIANNE REEVES’ many talents are richly on display in every song of her limitless repertoire. As a result of her virtuosity, improvisational prowess, and unique jazz and R&B styles, Dianne has received five Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album, an honorary Doctor of Music from Juilliard, and was named a 2018 National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master. Reeves’ magical, timeless voice, exceptional personality and the sheer force of her performance mark her as a captivating world-class artist. Wynton Marsalis has said “she has one of the most powerful, purposeful, and accurate voices of this or any time.”
Miami pianist BRANDON GOLDBERG returns to JAZZ ROOTS following the release of his debut album, Let’s Play!, which garnered rave reviews and four stars from Downbeat magazine. Already well known to hometown jazz fans from performances with the WDNA Miami Downtown Jazz Festival, the FAENA Summer Jazz Series and the Mia
January 15, 2021
LUCIANA SOUZA: STORYTELLERS
Grammy-winning Brazilian Vocalist Luciana Souza, Shelly Berg and The Mancini Institute Big Band With Opening Act Sammy Figueroa Latin Jazz Explosion
Luciana Souza – Photo by Kim Fox
Melding the worlds of Brazilian pop and American jazz, Grammy Award-winning vocalist LUCIANA SOUZA, in collaboration with Miami’s own SHELLY BERG and THE MANCINI INSTITUTE BIG BAND, brings her deeply personal, colorful, and illuminated musicality to big band arrangements of songs by her fellow Brazilians Antonio Carlos Jobim, Edu Lobo, Chico Buarque, Guinga, Djavan, Ivan Lins, and Gilberto Gil. "Her voice traces a landscape of emotion that knows no boundaries,” says Entertainment Weekly.
LUCIANA SOUZA is one of jazz’s leading singers and interpreters. Her work transcends traditional musical boundaries, offering solid roots in jazz, a sophisticated lineage in world music, and an enlightened approach to the latest sounds. Souza has been releasing acclaimed recordings since 2002 and has performed and recorded with many greats including Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Bobby McFerrin. Her complete discography contains more than 50 records as a side singer. LUCIANA SOUZA will be joined by Steinway piano artist and multi-Grammy Award-nominated arranger and producer SHELLY BERG and The Frost School of Music’s HENRY MANCINI INSTITUTE BIG BAND.
February 19, 2021
PAT METHENY SIDE-EYE
Grammy-winning Guitarist and Composer Pat Metheny With James Francies and Joe Dyson
Pat Metheny – Photo courtesy Artist Management
PAT METHENY, the internationally renowned guitarist, brings his new project “Side-Eye” to JAZZ ROOTS, a touring collaboration with a rotating lineup of new and emerging musicians who have impressed and inspired Metheny throughout the world. This edition of Side-Eye will feature James Francies (keyboards, piano) and drummer Joe Dyson. “While touring, I regularly listen to new musicians who claim to be influenced by my records,” says Metheny, “and I often invite them to play with me. This inspires me to see the way they challenge music represented by the old melodies, and I’m curious what could happen if I write new music just for them.”
Since arriving on the jazz scene as an adolescent in the mid-'70s, guitarist, composer, and bandleader PAT METHENY has established himself as one of the most original jazz musicians in the world. He has won 20 Grammy Awards and is the only artist to do so in 10 different categories. Metheny melds a singular, euphoric sense of harmony with Latin and Brazilian sounds, rock, and global folk music into progressive and contemporary jazz.
March 12, 2021
AN EVENING WITH CHRIS BOTTI
Internationally Acclaimed Trumpeter Chris Botti
Chris Botti – Photo courtesy of Artist Management
There’s nothing like a CHRIS BOTTI concert. He is the complete package: a dazzling trumpeter at home in everything from jazz to pop to rock, a brilliant bandleader who lets his players shine, and a born showman whose joy at being onstage is infectious. Whether he’s performing with illustrious symphonies or at renowned venues around the globe, his unparalleled crystalline and poetic sound transcends musical boundaries.
For over two decades, Grammy Award-winning master trumpeter and composer CHRIS BOTTI has amassed a spectacular variety of honors, including multiple Gold and Platinum albums, to become the largest selling instrumental artist in the United States. His mesmerizing performances with a stunning array of legends such as Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Yo-Yo Ma, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Andrea Bocelli have cemented his place as one of the most brilliant and inspiring forces of the contemporary music scene.
April 9, 2021
LEDISI: NINA & ME
Vocal Powerhouse Ledisi Honors the Legendary Singer Nina Simone
Ledisi – Photo courtesy of Artist Management
LEDISI: NINA & ME originally premiered with two sold-out performances at The Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra, followed by a sold-out show at the Apollo Theatre to a roaring standing ovation. Now presented for Miami audiences by the Arsht Center, “Nina and Me” is a beautifully orchestrated mixture of classical, jazz and rhythm & blues sounds with a riveting narrative of the musical bond between an artist from one era influenced by a legend from the past. LEDISI returns to her roots in jazz while honoring one of her greatest inspirations, the brilliant NINA SIMONE, the celebrated American singer, songwriter, musician, arranger, and civil rights activist. Simone’s music spanned a broad range of musical styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop. Known as the “High Priestess of Soul,” Simone is regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
LEDISI is a 12-time Grammy-nominated vocal powerhouse who has wowed fans ever since she came onto the music scene more than 20 years ago, earning a place in the pantheon of the best soul singers of her generation. Ledisi has performed nine times at the White House, headlined two national sold-out tours, and shared the stage with Richie Sambora, Dave Matthews, and Kelly Clarkson, as well as jazz greats like Herbie Hancock. In 2015 she landed a role in the Oscar-nominated movie Selma portraying Mahalia Jackson. Ledisi is not only a singer and actress, she’s an author, playwright, film producer and now CEO of her record label Chinweya Entertainment.
TICKET INFORMATION
JAZZ ROOTS 2020-2021 series subscriptions, which include tickets to all five performances, are on sale to the public beginning June 25 with seating priority given to renewing subscribers. Packages range in price from $194-$514*. Subscriptions can be purchased by calling (305) 949- 6722 or online at arshtcenter.org/jazz. Single tickets, if available after the subscription campaign ends, will go on sale later this year.
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
Before the curtain rises once again, we will implement a series of new measures for your safety and peace of mind. They include reinforced hygiene practices with Arsht Center staff, enhanced cleaning protocols and, likely, requiring guests to follow additional safety practices. Your safety and well-being continue to be our top priority. We will share additional details as we get closer to welcoming guests to the Arsht Center once again. Please visit here for updates and details.