Review: JLCO Swings Into The Stratosphere With BEST OF Concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center
The evening was a joyful, reverent, and often spine-tingling celebration of jazz in its many hues.
By: Analisa Bell Jun. 18, 2025
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) was swingin’ its ever-lovin’ soul straight through the roof of the Rose Theater on Friday night, serving up a sizzling, soul-drenched Best Of showcase that reminded the audience - note by note, solo by solo - why this ensemble is one of the most electrifying forces in modern music.
From the moment the first downbeat hit on Carlos Henriquez' rhythmically intricate, sonically expansive, and unapologetically hot "2 - 3 Adventure", JLCO locked in with that trademark precision and passion, and didn’t let go for the next two hours. The evening was a joyful, reverent, and often spine-tingling celebration of jazz in its many hues - from the spiritual to the swinging, the blistering to the beautiful.
Trombonist Chris Crenshaw's piece "The Block" pulsed with energy and anchored by a deep sense of homage and proclamation. This was followed by another trombonist's composition - Elliot Mason's gorgeous "Summer Day" which featured Alexa Tarantino delivering a pyrotechnic solo on flute. Special guest for the evening, Vincent Gardner, gave a charming vocal rendition of Donaldson/Kahn's "Yes, Sir, That's My Baby."
Other highlights included Paul Nedzela on Baritone Sax delivered a hauntingly lyrical take on John Coltrane’s "Alabama," a performance that hung in the air like prayer - weighty, honest, and deeply felt. Marcus Printup's "Salvation", a soul-powered original that burst with passion and heart, opened with a gorgeous ringing trumpet. The ensemble's take on Sonny Rollins' "Freedom Suite: Movement V" was nothing short of incredible, with Chris Lewis' sax solo gliding through with razor-sharp grace and fire.
And then, of course, there was the man - Wynton Marsalis. Whether leading with quiet command or lighting up the stage with virtuosic bursts of brilliance, Marsalis reminded us all why his name is synonymous with jazz royalty. His presence? Majestic. His playing? Transcendent.
By the final notes, the audience had been taken on a journey - one of joy, struggle, liberation, groove, and glory. The JLCO didn’t just play the “best of” - they were it. If ever there was a night that proved the power of this music to move, uplift, and ignite the soul, this was it.
Learn more about the JLCO and their upcoming tour dates on the Jazz at Lincoln Center website here. Find other ucpoming shows at Jazz at Lincoln Center on their website's calendar.
For information on next season's Jazz at Lincoln Center subscriptions click HERE. The JLCO's 2025-26 season kicks off with a special summer concert July 24 to 25 and returns in the fall beginning September 18 to 20 with Afro!, a new commission by Wynton Marsalis.
Photo credit: Gilberto Tadday/Jazz at Lincoln Center.
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