Festival Hall will host its Sixth season of The Jazz Legacy Project Series in 2027!
The Jazz Legacy Project Series
2027
Season Passes are available Now! Choose your seats for the series and secure you pass for the entire series!
2027 JLP Jazz Season with The Jazz Legacy Project
February 4 – Count Basie, The Professor of Swing, featuring the JLP Big Band
William “Count” Basie’s band defined the swing era. His mix of Kansas City Blues and deep swing made him the most popular dance band in the country. Come hear a special Jazz Legacy Project Big Band performance of Basie’s biggest hits like “April in Paris,” “One O’Clock Jump,” and “Corner Pocket.”
May 6 – Stan Getz – Blues, Ballads, and Bossa
Getz brought “Bossa Nova” to the States with such hits as “Girl from Ipanema” and “Corcovado,” but he was also a beautiful balladeer and fiery bebop player. The Jazz Legacy Project will cover Getz’ career from the swing era to his energetic entry into fusion.
August 5 – Carmen McRae, Miss Jazz, featuring Lahavi
Take Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan and roll them into one and you get Carmen McRae. Her unique style and soulful interpretations of jazz standards set her apart in the 1960s and 1970s, delivering hits such as “Misty,” “Star Eyes,” and “Good Morning, Heartache.” This show features Atlanta-based jazz phenom, Lavahi!
October 7 – Chick Corea, Spanish Heart
Corea’s Latin-infused music shaped the fusion era and beyond. From his early bebop days to his time with Miles Davis, to his supergroup Return to Forever, the Jazz Legacy Project pays tribute to Corea’s astounding 60-year career.
Weather Report – Fusion Dynasty
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Featuring some of jazz’s brightest stars such as Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, and Joe Zawinul, Weather Report set the gold standard for fusion bands. Their hits Birdland, Teen Town, and A Remark You Made catapulted them to pop stardom. Jazz, Funk, Pop, Rock, and Blues all mixed in the perfect recipe.
Each program is roughly 90 minutes, with the goal of bringing the casual jazz listener inside the minds and music of the most influential and interesting American musicians of all time. The life and music of the artist/composer is entertainingly narrated by the drummer, Mr. Justin Varnes, and seminal jazz pieces are played to illuminate the narration. These are NOT tribute concerts in the sense that the musicians are trying to recreate the original performances, but instead to celebrate the essence and accomplishments of the artist.
Cole Porter – Jazz in Technicolor
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Composing both the music and lyrics to nearly 1,000 songs, Porter stands alone with his unparalleled gift for contributing so much to the Great American Songbook. He also had a gift of matching the emotional content of the melodies and harmonies to the lyrics like no other. All while living a life that makes the most lavish rockstar pale in comparison. Featuring world-renowned jazz vocalist Sachal Vasandani.
Louis Armstrong – Pops, the Father of Jazz
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Put simply, all American music after 1930 came from Louis Armstrong. From his trumpet masterpieces during his early days in New Orleans and Chicago, to his mass appeal vocal hits such as Hello Dolly and What a Wonderful World, he fathered the sound of American Popular Music. This show features trumpeter, singer, and Armstrong scholar Michael Cruse.
Duke Ellington – the Sound of America
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Ellington took jazz from reinterpreting old songs to having its own songs, chords, and rhythms. These sounds and colors were Ellington’s description of America, proving along the way that jazz – America’s art form – belonged next to all other great music and art.
