BLACK ART JAZZ COLLECTIVE
DIZZY'S / FEBRUARY 23
Founded by tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffrey, a major soloist in the Mingus Big Band, the Black Art Jazz Collective’s first gig was at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2013, so this concert is their welcome return home. Simply put, this group was created to celebrate the Black creators of jazz, including Miles Davis, Woody Shaw, Jackie McLean and Art Blakey. The group has released four albums from 2016 to 2024: Presented by the Side Door Jazz Club (Sunnyside), Armor of Pride (HighNote), Ascension (HighNote) and Truth to Power (HighNote). The current roster features Wayne, trumpeter Josh Evans, trombonist James Burton III, pianist Victor Gould, bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr. This sizzling sextet will definitely lift every jazzy voice and swing on this Black History Month date. E.H.