Check out these highlights from Columbia’s upcoming Jazz Series season
Jazz was never a static sound.
The music keeps rolling and swirling, keeps roaring, keeps humming. At Columbia, the jazz series We Always Swing is living, swinging proof. The long-running concert series showcases the moving parts of jazz and then sits back to watch great musicians reassemble the music on stage.
The Jazz Series recently announced its 2024-25 season. Here are six dates that stand out in the schedule.
September 27: Something Else with Vincent Herring at the Missouri Theatre
Start the season off right and delve into the deep grooves of soul-jazz with this band led by saxophonist Herring. The project’s debut album, which rocked last month, centers around tunes from artists such as Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane and Stanley Turrentine.
November 3: Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble at Murry’s
Illinois-born drummer Wilson, a Jazz Series favorite, recently released the album Good Trouble, a fresh expression of his generous musical nature. The Good Trouble project features a serious who’s who, including saxophonist Tia Fuller, horn player Jeff Lederer, pianist Dawn Clement and bassist Ben Allison.
February 16, 2025: Charles McPherson Quintet with Terell Stafford at Murry’s
The brilliant saxophonist – most closely associated with Detroit, but born in Joplin – teams up with the outstanding trumpeter Stafford. AllMusic called McPherson a “torchbearer of the bebop tradition (building) on the work of Charlie Parker.” Stafford has worked with a host of modern greats while also making his own name with solo pieces.
More: Jazz Series and Dismal Niche collaborate on new Left Field concert series in Columbia
March 20, 2025: Hilario Duran Quartet at the Missouri Theatre
Each year, the Jazz Series celebrates the best and brightest representatives of Latin jazz with its Dr. Carlos and Laura Perez-Mesa Memorial Concert. This time, Duran, a Cuban pianist and longtime Toronto resident, will light up the stage. AllMusic praised Duran’s seamless blend of traditional and modern music, as well as his “harmonically nuanced ear.”
April 27, 2025: Geoffrey Keezer Quartet at Murry’s
Keezer, a Grammy-winning pianist with a resume that begins with Art Blakey and the Messengers will usher in this tribute to a group of pianists who play a major role in the collective heart of the Jazz Series: James Williams, Mulgrew Miller and Harold Mabern.
April 30, 2025: Columbia Jazz Orchestra conducted by Bobby Watson at the Missouri Theatre
The Jazz Series will celebrate the next International Jazz Day with a host of Midwestern talent. Kansas City-area saxophone legend — and another seminal figure in the series’ decades-long run — Bobby Watson will lead the Columbia Jazz Orchestra through a set of music that strikes its own unique chords.
Here’s a look at the rest of this season’s program:
- October, 16th: Anat Cohen, Peter Martin and Romero Lubambo at Whitmore Recital Hall, University of Missouri
- 19 November: Emmet Cohen Trio at Whitmore Recital Hall
- December 8: Peter Bernstein/Bobby Broom Quartet at Murry’s
- February 2, 2025: Rene Marie at Murry’s
- March 30, 2025: Nick Finzer All-Star Quartet at Murry’s
Learn more about the upcoming season at https://www.wealwaysswing.org/season/2024-2025/.
Aarik Danielsen is the Tribune’s features and culture editor. Reach him at [email protected] or call 573-815-1731. He is on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.
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