For this historic concert, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis returned for his final Bay Area appearance with the greatest large group in jazz, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, before he steps down as director after the 2026-27 Season.
A 2011 NEA Jazz Master and arguably the most famous jazz musician alive, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is an iconic figure in the evolution of the art form and a tireless advocate for jazz as America’s classical music. On this bittersweet occasion, he returns for his final Bay Area appearances with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra before he steps down after the 2026-27 Season.

Formed in 1988, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra has been the standard bearer of the large group format for over 35 years. The 14-piece assemblage of virtuosos has contemporized the notion of a "big band” by simultaneously honoring the rich heritage of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong while debuting a stunning variety of commissions from jazz’s greatest names including Joe Henderson, Christian McBride, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Lovano, and Wynton Marsalis.

Assembled as an outgrowth of the Lincoln Center’s Classical Jazz series, the orchestra was originally directed by composer, arranger, and Duke Ellington scholar David Berger before Wynton Marsalis became Artistic Director in 1991, issuing their debut release Portraits by Ellington the following year.
Since then, the orchestra has constantly toured the world as cultural ambassadors for the music and released no less than 45 albums including Wynton Marsalis’s 1997 jazz oratorio Blood on the Fields, winning the first Pulitzer Prize for Music ever awarded to a jazz ensemble.
Featuring a stellar lineup including saxophonist Sherman Irby, trumpeters Ryan Kisor and Marcus Printup, and former SFJAZZ Collective drummer Obed Calvaire, the band performs a selection of timeless compositions highlighting the power of swing.

PERSONNEL:

Wynton Marsalis: trumpet, bandleader
Abdias Armenteros: tenor and alto saxophone, clarinet
Alexa Tarantino: alto and soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet
Sherman Irby: alto and soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet
Chris Lewis: tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet
Paul Nedzela: baritone and soprano saxophones, clarinet
Marcus Printup: trumpet
Ryan Kisor: trumpet
Kenny Rampton: trumpet
Christopher Crenshaw: trombone
Vincent Gardner: trombone
Elliot Mason: trombone
Dan Nimmer: piano
Carlos Henriquez: bass
Obed Calvaire: drums