The Adrienne Arsht Center Launches 2018-19 JAZZ ROOTS Season with LEONARD BERNSTEIN 100 AND BEYOND

The Adrienne The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) proudly launches the 11th season of its internationally acclaimed JAZZ ROOTS series with Leonard Bernstein 100 AND BEYOND, a centennial celebration of one of America's greatest and best-loved music superstars, on Friday, November 9, 2018. The one-night-only tribute to the world-renowned composer, conductor and pianist features performances by vocalists Ann Hampton Callaway and Jon Secada, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, pianist Shelly Berg and the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra.

Tickets range from $45 - $125* and can be purchased by phone at (305) 949-6722, online at arshtcenter.org or in person at the Arsht Center Box Office, located at 1300 Biscayne Blvd.

"We are excited to open our JAZZ ROOTS season with this distinctive tribute to a true musical icon," said Liz Wallace, Arsht Center vice president of programming. "With this concert we join the worldwide centennial celebration of Leonard Bernstein's musical genius."

"It is right, and it is thrilling to celebrate Bernstein's genius at the Center," says Shelly Berg, JAZZ ROOTS Artistic Advisor. "From jazz to classical music, from the concert hall to theaters, movies and more, few artists have done more than America's beloved Lenny to instill a love of music in performers and audiences alike."

A genre-busting genius who composed symphonic, keyboard, musical theater, jazz and ballet masterpieces; conducted the world's greatest orchestras; recorded dozens of best-selling, GRAMMY-winning albums and nurtured the love of classical music in millions of Americans through his groundbreaking television specials, Bernstein has been honored and celebrated this season by arts organizations, festivals and venues throughout the world. The JAZZ ROOTS concert will feature some of the 20th century's most iconic music reinterpreted and reimagined for today.

Ann Hampton Callaway is one of the leading champions of the great American Songbook, having made her mark as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host and producer. Her unique singing style blends jazz and traditional pop, making her a mainstay in concert halls, theaters and jazz clubs as well as in the recording studio, on television, and in film. Callaway is a Platinum Award-winning writer whose songs are featured on seven Barbra Streisand CDs. The only composer to have collaborated with Cole Porter, she has also written songs with Carole King, Rolf Lovland and Barbara Carroll to name a few. Ann's new record "Jazz Goes to The Movies" will be released October 19 on Shanachie Records.

With a career spanning over two decades, three GRAMMY Awards, 20 million albums sold in English and Spanish, and starring roles on Broadway, Jon Secada is one of the first bilingual artists to have international crossover success. With a soulful, romantic voice, he is recognized as an international superstar by both fans and peers alike. Beyond his own hits, Secada is widely recognized for his impeccable producing and songwriting skills, collaborating with Gloria Estefan and creating countless popular songs for superstars such as Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin. Secada is also widely recognized for his philanthropic activism, assisting various charitable groups all over the world through his personal organization, Jon Secada Charities, and in 2016 he was named Humanitarian of the Year by The Muhammad Ali Foundation.

Soulful, passionate, stirring...these are the words most often used to describe the music of Kirk Whalum. Forged from his Memphis gospel roots and his 1980s initiation into the thriving Houston nightclub scene, his big, rich tenor saxophone sound is unmistakable. Whalum is the recipient of three Dove Award nominations, an NAACP Image Award nomination and two Stellar Awards - gospel music's highest honor. A 12-time GRAMMY nominee, Kirk won his first Grammy in 2011 for Best Gospel Song "It's What I Do" featuring Lalah Hathaway. For decades he has been an in-demand session player for top artists like Barbra Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones and most notably, Whitney Houston. It's his sax heard on her mega-hit, "I Will Always Love You."

JAZZ ROOTS Artistic Advisor SHELLY BERG is a Steinway piano artist and five-time Grammy-nominated arranger, orchestrator, and producer. He has appeared as a performer and lecturer throughout the United States as well as in Canada, China, Mexico, Europe, Israel, Japan, Romania and Venezuela. Recent projects include recording and/or performing with Tony Bennett, Seal, Lizz Wright, Andra Day, Clint Holmes, Renée Fleming, and Arturo Sandoval. An award-winning educator with 39 years of leadership in higher education, Shelly Berg is Dean and Patricia L. Frost Professor of Music at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

UM's Frost School of Music Henry Mancini INSTITUTE ORCHESTRA is a highly-acclaimed ensemble made up of composers, arrangers and musicians who play a multitude of musical styles, including classical, jazz, Latin, and world music. They often work with artists and composers on the cutting edge of today's music to create unique and contemporary blends of these genres. These experiences inform their musical expression upon graduation and help transition them into the music industry. Henry Mancini Institute (HMI) Fellows are a step ahead in the professional world, leading them to success in the field of their choosing.

Leonard Bernstein 100 AND BEYOND is presented by the Arsht Center with generous support from Baldwin Richardson Foods, Quint Family Foundation, Steinway & Sons, the official piano of the Adrienne Arsht Center, and EAST Miami. WLRN 91.3 and JAZZIZ Magazine are media sponsors.

ABOUT JAZZ ROOTS

JAZZ ROOTS has been credited with revitalizing America's art form in South Florida. More than 90,000 people have attended the annual six-part concert and educational series. JAZZ ROOTS was co-created by the Adrienne Arsht Center in 2008 in collaboration with the late music industry entrepreneur Larry Rosen and since then has presented a rich variety of thematically based concerts exploring the spectrum of jazz. The series has featured more than 160 of the greatest living jazz artists/ensembles on the scene today and has introduced Miami audiences to dozens of rising stars and local talent. JAZZ ROOTS has showcased every unique style and incarnation of jazz - from Latin jazz and fusion to bossa nova and straight ahead. Quincy Jones has heralded JAZZ ROOTS as "the most important new jazz and educational series in America!" This history-making series has sold out dozens of concerts.

JAZZ ROOTS also features JAZZ ROOTS: Sound Check, an in-depth educational partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools which has brought more than 9,000 high school music students to the Center for a complimentary and unique behind-the-scenes experience including: a pre-concert sound check; a Q&A session with featured artists followed by workshops with local jazz experts; and free entry to the evening's performance. The JAZZ ROOTS education program is presented by Baldwin Richardson Foods, and made possible in part by Wells Fargo, Green Family Foundation, Quint Family Foundation, Citizens Interested in Arts, and Encore Circle members.

*All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Visit www.arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information for details and schedules.