Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts Announces its 2016-17 Jazz Series

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College is pleased to announce its 2016-17 jazz series, celebrating a truly American musical genre with an array of world-class artists that represent both classics from the past and today's more innovative and ever-changing sounds. This year's lineup includes Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Patti Austin, who will perform an Ella Fitzgerald centennial celebration; 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dr. Lonnie Smith and his trio; and an evening of Afro-Cuban music with saxophonist/percussionist/composer Yosvany Terry with his sextet. All of these incredible musicians reflect the artistic excellence and cultural diversity to which Brooklyn Center is dedicated.

"Over the past few years, we have worked to established ourselves as one of the premier presenters of jazz in Brooklyn," says Jon Yanofsky, Director of Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. "As a member of the Jazz Touring Network, a program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, we have hosted world-class artists here at Brooklyn Center including Grammy winners Robert Glasper and Take 6, as well as McArthur fellow Regina Carter. This coming season, we'll continue in this vein with concerts by jazz icon and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Lonnie Smith and Grammy-nominated Afro-Cuban saxophonist Yosvany Terry. Brooklyn has such a rich historical connection to jazz, and we're proud to be continuing to this ongoing cultural narrative."

Other artists who have played Brooklyn Center in the past few seasons include Monty Alexander, Freddy Cole, Michael Feinstein,Eddie Palmieri, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and, most recently Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzerelli teaming up to present Straighten Up & Fly Right: The Nat King Cole Tribute. They also partnered with WBGO Jazz 88.3FM last year to host one of Felix Hernandez's widely popular Rhythm Revue events, presenting a night of Latin Soul and Boogaloo with headliner Joe Bataan.

Tickets to Brooklyn Center's 2016-17 Jazz series range from $35-$55 and can be purchased at BrooklynCenter.org or by calling the box office at 718-951-4500 (Tue-Sat, 1pm-6pm).

About Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts

Founded in 1954, Brooklyn Center for the PerformingArts at Brooklyn College presents outstanding performing arts and arts education programs, reflective of Brooklyn's diverse communities, at affordable prices. Each season, Brooklyn Center welcomes over 65,000 people to the 2,400 seat Whitman Theatre, including up to 45,000 schoolchildren from over 300 schools who attend their SchoolTime series, one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the borough.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' programs are supported, in part, by public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Brooklyn Center's 2016-17 season is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of

Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
Major support for the 2016-17 season is provided by: Brooklyn College, Con Edison, TD Bank, National Grid, The Howard Gilman Foundation, the Jazz Touring Network, the Alice Lawrence Foundation, the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and the TD Charitable Foundation. Additional support provided by CNG Publications, The Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn Media Group, and WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM. The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott New York Brooklyn is the official hotel of Brooklyn Center's 2016-17 season. Backstage catering is graciously provided by Applebee's.

Brooklyn Center also acknowledges the following programmatic support for its 2016-17 season: Step Afrika! is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts; Coyote's Dance and Emeline Michel are part of The New York State Presenter-Artist Partnership Project made possible through a re-grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges generous support from New York State Assembly members Annette Robinson and Helene Weinstein; New York City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams; New York City Council Cultural Affairs Committee Chair Jimmy Van Bramer; New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Tom Finkelpearl.