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New York, June 2016 – Wynton Marsalis, JALC Orchestra, Johnny O´NealWynton Marsalis is such a hero of mine! I met him and and his amazing band when they came to Berlin in 2010 to perform the Swing Symphony with my orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic. Classical musicians are not renowned for their jazz skills and many of us felt a bit stiff and out of our depth playing Wynton´s music, but after spending a week with these incredible musicians, we all managed to loosen up and really loved the collaboration. Wynton and his band have such infectious enthusiasm for their music!
It was a real privilege to be allowed to spend a day filming behind the scenes at the House of Swing with the guys from Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC).
My favourite part of the day was being able to sit in on JALC´s rehearsal and watching them work close up. Jazz sounds so free and easy and is known for its amazing improvisation but JALC works hard to get everything right, and it was really interesting to see how they rehearse.
If you are ever in New York and can catch a live JALC concert, you really should! The energy in a live JALC concert is quite inspiring. They’re easy to find – at Columbus Circle and Central Park. Then take elevators J, A, Z or Z up to the 5th floor and be prepared to be amazed, also by the view from up there! I always try to go when I am in New York and recommend it wholeheartedly!
A big thanks to Wynton and the JALC for being so welcoming to me and my team, interviewing Wynton was one of my personal Sarah´s Music highlights so far. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did making it and that your foot won’t be able to stop tapping while you watch!