Join trombonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader Nick Mesler for an evening celebrating the life and legacy of the great trombonist Lawrence Brown, whose trombone NJMH currently has on permanent display. Nick will perform this concert on Brown’s horn, a King Liberty 2B from 1950, and will be accompanied by a rhythm section (TBA) of other young lions steeped in the jazz idiom. Musical selections will include compositions Brown wrote (or co-wrote with Duke Ellington and others), as well as premieres of rare original works; the evening will also include conversation and expert discussion of Brown’s life and legacy with NJMH Senior Scholar Loren Schoenberg. Enjoy hearing Nick’s signature, beautiful sound on Brown’s horn, which has been played very little since he passed. This will be a true night to remember! Lawrence Brown, one of the forefathers of the trombone and a pioneer in melodic playing across the jazz idiom, is under-appreciated in the modern day. Born in 1907, Brown influenced nearly every notable trombonist of his era and beyond, from balladeers Tommy Dorsey and Jack Jenny (who copied his intense, melodic style and embellishments) to J.J. Johnson, Curtis Fuller, and beyond. Not only was his soloing studied and emulated, but his lead playing in Duke Ellington’s Orchestra from 1932-1950 and again from 1960-70 solidified him as a true musician’s musician; reliable, emotive, and responsible for much of the trombone section stylings heard in big bands from the 1930s to the present. Nick Mesler was born and raised in Seattle, WA, where he quickly established himself as a preeminent jazz trombonist, composer, and scholar during his formative years. After moving to NYC in 2021, he quickly immersed himself in the scene as a passionate young musician dedicated to embodying and furthering the jazz idiom. Nick is currently earning both his Bachelor’ and Master’s degrees in jazz studies from the Juilliard School via their five-year program, and has performed at venues across the world. He has played/collaborated with many luminaries of the music, including the Jazz at Lincoln center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Rufus Reid, Melissa Aldana, Ingrid Jensen, Russell Malone, Warren Wolf, Elio Villafranca, Loren Schoenberg, and many others. An accomplished composer and arranger, Nick leads his own big band, which recently premiered his first long-form suite, “Alone in the Dark”. Additionally, he has become a specialist on Duke Ellington, his legacy, and his band through both a musical and historical lens by transcribing many rare Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn works. (fb)

Louis Armstrong’s America is a recording project developed by the saxophonist, composer, and music historian Allen Lowe in order to examine the musical world in which Louis Armstrong lived. Working from the belief that the period of time Armstrong lived – 1900-1971 – was a time of amazing musical variety and creativity in the realm of American popular music, Lowe composed an epic set of music – 69 pieces – which was then released on four compact discs by the legendary label ESP DISK. The CDs include music inspired by James Reese Europe, Edward Jenkins’ legendary Orphanage Band (which taught Jabbo Smith, Freddie Green, and Cat Anderson); by James Reese Europe, Charles Mingus, the integration of schools in Little Rock, Arkansas (after which Armstrong protested angrily against the US Justice Department’s inaction) early hillbilly music, Steve Albini, Charlie Parker, Roswell Rudd, Albert Ayler, Duke Ellington, Aaron Copeland, and many others. The reviews have been strongly positive; the CDs were named in several Top 10 lists, and was called “a revelation” (Francis Davis);” Lee Rice Epstein described wrote: “Louis Armstrong’s America sounds like a reaffirming celebration of all that’s good about great American music. Lowe’s music is personal, deeply thoughtful, and addictively listenable.” Jon Karp, a professor at Suny Binghamton said: “It’s Allen’s unequalled grasp of the entire history of American music that emerges in such idiosyncratic and creatively beautiful ways throughout this collection. I can’t think of anyone else who could have pulled off such a remarkably ambitious undertaking. He is a genius, without question. Ladies and gentlemen, the Best jazz album of 2024 is Allen Lowe’s Louis Armstrong’s America! It’s exactly what you want to listen to throughout 2025.” The group appearing will be: Allen Lowe, tenor saxophone Elijah Shiffer, alto saxophone Daniel Bereket, trumpet Ray Suhy, guitar Lewis Porter, piano Colson Jimenez, bass Ethan Kogan, drums (fb)