The Kremlin Meets The Crescent City: Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra Battle The Igor Butman Jazz Orchestra

Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra go head-to-head with the Igor Butman Jazz Orchestra when…

THE KREMLIN MEETS THE CRESCENT CITY
Friday, January 24, 2014 at 8pm
NOCCA’s Freda Lupin Memorial Hall
2800 Chartres Street, New Orleans

Tickets: $20 students / $30 in advance / $40 at the door

On Friday, January 24, 2014, at 8pm, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts hosts an historic battle of the big bands when “The Kremlin Meets The Crescent City”.

The two groups waging war will be Grammy Award-winning producer, trombonist, and composer Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra versus the internationally renowned Igor Butman Jazz Orchestra from Moscow, Russia. Pulling out all the stops for this engagement, UJO will showcase New Orleans’ top jazz talents, including legendary pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr., extraordinary vocalist Davell Crawford, and the masterful funky drummer, Herlin Riley. The elder Marsalis will provide the unique wisdom and touch of a true Jazz Master, Crawford brings excitement and joy in the traditions of Ray Charles and Fats Domino, and Riley’s drumming will surely make you want to get up and shake that thing!

Consisting of Moscow’s finest jazz players, Igor Butman Jazz Orchestra is a force to be reckoned with, led by Russia’s #1 jazz personality, saxophone virtuoso Igor Butman. Butman trained at the prestigious Berklee College of Music with Delfeayo, and the two share a love for spreading the news of jazz around the world. Butman has shared the stage with jazz greats including Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny and Gary Burton. His 50th birthday concert took place at the 6000-seat Kremlin Palace and featured Wynton Marsalis and Natalie Cole. At a state dinner hosted by Vladimir Putin, American President Bill Clinton—a tenorman himself—stated that Igor Butman “…may be the greatest living jazz saxophone player, who happens to be Russian.” IBJO will feature the sensational vocalist Fantine Pritoula, known for her passionately soulful and dynamic style.

The Uptown Jazz Orchestra has been rocking houses since its inception in 2008, receiving standing ovations each year at the Jazz & Heritage Festival, on road excursions, and regularly at Snug Harbor. Under the direction of Delfeayo Marsalis, UJO displays extreme versatility, playing everything from traditional New Orleans music, swing and bebop to modern-day brass band funk. Marsalis is known for his “technical excellence, inventive mind and frequent touches of humor.” Named an NEA Jazz Master in 2011, he has shared the stage with many jazz greats including Elvin Jones, Max Roach, and Art Blakey.

As the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans has influenced musicians around the world for over a century. This one-of-a-kind show will highlight the great jazz legacy as interpreted by two entirely different cultures with the same objective. Let’s have a party, New Orleans-style, when the Kremlin meets the Crescent City!

“The Kremlin Meets The Crescent City” concert will be held Friday, January 24, 2014, at 8pm, at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, in Freda Lupin Memorial Hall. Tickets are $20 for students (with valid ID), $30 in advance, and $40 at the door.