All That Jazz: Upcoming NYC Events for Music Lovers

By Troy Segal

Are you a sucker for those syncopated sounds — be they big band, bebop, or ragtime? Then check out these jazz-themed talks, performances, and activities that celebrate America’s first original contribution to music.

At the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAMcafé on June 7, WNYC/WQXR DJ Terrence McKnight hosts the Brown Rice Family, a band blending jazz with other rhythms from around the world, courtesy of the internationally diverse members.

Learn more about two great ladies of the genre — Ella Fitzgerald (June 10) and Billie Holiday (June 24) — as part of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem’s series of in-depth musical programs, geared for the “curious listener.”

How about a little Dixieland with your déjeuner? The Gotham Jazzmen swing up a storm at their noontime concerts, held within the cozy confines of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts on June 10, 17 & 24.

Composer Leonard Bernstein’s score for West Side Story, with its unique use of jazz and Latino musical elements, was a revelation for Broadway back in the ‘50s (and is still pretty hot today). Learn about the making of the masterpiece at the 92nd Street Y on July 14.