Interview: A BTS Look at Jazz At Lincoln Center's COOL SCHOOL & HARD BOP with Sherman Irby

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is back on January 16 at 7:30 pm with Cool School & Hard Bop. Under the music direction of JLCO saxophonist Sherman Irby and JLCO frequent collaborator, pianist, composer and arranger Joe Block, Cool School & Hard Bop explores the shared themes of the cool jazz movement, known for its mellow lyricism and striking, often surprising arrangements, and hard bop, distinguished by its bluesy melodicism and virtuosic vocabulary. The concerts will also feature the world premieres of two new works: For Duke Pearson by Benny Green and Milk Route by Luther Allison.

We spoke with Irby about the upcoming show and what to expect from the concert.

Tell us about the music direction for Cool School & Hard Bop at JALC. Are you doing anything specific?

Joe Block and I were asked to co-host this show, with Joe presenting the Hard Bop era, and myself presenting the Cool School style. We realized it would be easier to put together a show with each style showcased in each half of the concert. However, we both agreed that it would be more challenging and fruitful to tell a story by combining the two styles. Working on this has been extremely educational for us and we hope the audience will realize how great this music and musicians were. 

What can attendees expect to hear at Cool School & Hard Bop?

Attendees can expect to hear a concert, showcasing the works and musicians who created music in direct response to the power and popularity of Bebop. Our orchestra will be used in many configurations to give the audience a taste of everything we have to offer.

You're premiering two new works at this concert, For Duke Pearson by Benny Green and Milk Route by Luther Allison. How did you discover these pieces? What drew you to them?

We have always tried to find opportunities to build our library and partner with musicians in our jazz world, and others.  Also, just like two generations of musicians are working together to put this show together, we are featuring two generations of pianists to compose works for us.  Luther Allison is a budding pianist and composer, and Benny Green is a seasoned and highly regarded pianist, composer, and educator.  We look forward to their additions to this concert series and to our library.

Do you have any goals or projects you're working on so far for 2025?

Since completing the “Musings of Cosmic Stuff” project with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, I’m taking my time until something piques my imagination. I am open to suggestions!

Is there anything else you want to add?

We are taking Cool School & Hard Bop on tour after the Rose Theater performances. Once we perform a concert run, we like to take that music on the road.  We will start with a show at the Mayo PAC in Morristown, NJ, then head up to Boston, then on to the Midwest.  Most of the time, we perform some of our latest music with other works we performed earlier in the season. However, for our two-night run at Symphony Center in Chicago, we will perform a special night of this show, and a night of a concert entitled The Bebop Revolution.

We are looking forward to starting this new year swinging, so we invite everyone to come and join us at “The House of Swing” and abroad.

 

---

Cool School & Hard Bop take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater on Thursday, Jan. 16 through Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 pm. More info on the show can be found here.

Visit jazz.org for a complete list of upcoming performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra tour schedule.

Header photo of Sherman Irby by Gilberto Tadday / Jazz at Lincoln Center

To post a comment, you must register and login.