The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Unveils 2024–2025 Jazz Season

The Kennedy Center’s 2024–2025 Jazz season—the 14th presented under Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran—will explore the uncharted, unplanned, and thrilling expression of “open play.” Throughout the season, audiences will have the opportunity to experience improvisational work through concerts with greats of the genre as well as some of the hottest young artists on the scene.

Moran, who lit up Kennedy Center stages twice this past season with his first-ever solo concert at the Center and in Family Ball with Alicia Hall Moran, will bring a cadre of special guests to the Eisenhower Theater to dive into playing open in Jason Moran & Friends (April 24, 2025).

“When we improvise onstage, we call it ‘playing open.’ It’s a term that only allows possibility. All the confining walls fall away, but a new narrative emerges. We tell a story,” said Moran. “Genre constraints are practically thrown out the window, and as long as integrity to the art form remains, experimentation is rewarded.”

2024 marks what would have been the 100th birthday of Max Roach, a drummer, composer, bandleader, and activist whose work paved the way for the bebop era. In celebration, luminaries Cassandra Wilson, Ravi Coltrane, Sonia Sanchez, Saul Williams, and Nasheet Waits will come together in the Concert Hall for a modern reimagining of Roach’s groundbreaking masterpiece, We Insist! Freedom Now Suite (October 12, 2024).

In the Terrace Theater, the thread of “open play” will be woven throughout performances by the remaining three members of Wayne Shorter’s quartet—Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade—along with Mark Turner in Legacy of Wayne Shorter (October 23, 2024), a celebration of the 2018 Kennedy Center Honoree who likened his band to “flying without a net,” and an exciting new ensemble from Grammy Award®–winning saxophonist Joe Lovano and virtuoso guitarist Julian Lage, Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet featuring Julian Lage (March 28, 2025). Early in 2025, jazz piano great and NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron (January 31, 2025) will also take to the Terrace Theater stage.

The Club at Studio K continues to be one of D.C.’s premier destinations to witness artists at the top of their craft in an intimate setting. This season even more so as audiences experience the improvisational mastery of Jeremy Pelt Quintet (January 31, 2025), women-led Afro-Caribbean trio Nite Bujti (February, 1, 2025), and vibraphonist Joel Ross (March 15, 2025).

Jason Moran’s protégé, 24-year-old pianist, composer, and producer, Sequoia “REDWOOD” Snyder (February 7, 2025), will also take to the Club at Studio K stage. Of the Washington, D.C. native, who has already worked with a “who’s who” of jazz artists, Moran says, “When I can’t do a gig, I always recommend Sequoia.”

Beloved annual Kennedy Center traditions return with exciting artists. For the holidays, audience favorite NPR’s Jazz Piano Christmas will feature Doris Duke Impact Award–winning pianist Kris Davis, and A Jazz New Year’s Eve will ring in the New Year with Grammy Award®–winning vocalist Kurt Elling and hybrid guitarist Charlie Hunter in SuperBlue: Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter with Nate Smith and the Huntertones Horns. Then, in May, Kennedy Center favorite Dee Dee Bridgewater returns to host the 28th Annual Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, which, over two days, will include performances by Bridgewater in duo with pianist Bill Charlap, the Jamie Baum Septet +, vocalist/sound artist/composer Fay Victor, and drummer Savannah Harris.

For its 25th year at the Kennedy Center, Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead—the Center’s international jazz career development program—includes two weeks of intense training in performance (May 27–June 6, 2025), composing, and arranging with established jazz artists. Artistic Director and Jazz Ahead alumnus Jason Moran will direct this residency program for emerging artists. Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead alumni include notable artists such as Charenée Wade, Aaron Parks, Lage Lund, Jazzmeia Horn, Matthew Whitaker, Ameen Saleem, Miri Ben-Ari, Grace Kelly, Millennium Stage favorites Elijah Balbed and Christie Dashiell, and many others.

THE 2024–2025 KENNEDY CENTER JAZZ SEASON

We Insist! Freedom Now Suite

Max Roach Centennial

October 12, 2024 at 8 p.m., Concert Hall

Celebrate the centennial of the great drummer, bebop pioneer, activist, and NEA Jazz Master, Max Roach (1924–2007), whose revolutionary 1960 album We Insist!: Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite explored issues of social and racial inequality through the lens of jazz and poetry. A star-studded roster—Cassandra Wilson (vocals), Ravi Coltrane (saxophone), Sonia Sanchez (poet), Saul Williams (poet), Nasheet Waits (drums), Music Director—presents the modern evolution of this landmark work that continues to live, expand, and inspire across generations. Produced by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Legacy of Wayne Shorter

October 23, 2024 at 7 p.m., Terrace Theater

Pianist Danilo Pérez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade—the three remaining members of Wayne Shorter’s legendary quartet—bring a lifetime of genre-blending and electrifying experimentation to the stage. Joined by special guest saxophonist Mark Turner, Legacy of Wayne Shorter honors Shorter’s pivotal contributions to jazz through new interpretations of the late saxophonist’s iconic compositions.

NPR’s A Jazz Piano Christmas

December 7, 2024 at 7 & 9 p.m., Terrace Theater

Your favorite holiday classics as you’ve never heard them! The Kennedy Center and NPR present A Jazz Piano Christmas, the annual sell-out event featuring jazz-infused renditions of the season’s most-loved tunes performed by pianist Kris Davis and more electrifying artists to be announced.

A Jazz New Year’s Eve

SuperBlue: Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter with Nate Smith and the Huntertones Horns

December 31, 2024 at 7 & 9 p.m., Terrace Theater

Grammy Award®–winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling and visionary hybrid guitarist Charlie Hunter reignite their funk, soul, and fusion-inspired partnership in SuperBlue—a fierce collection of new songs and surprising covers. They’re joined by dynamic jazz/R&B/funk drummer Nate Smith and the Huntertones, known for their high energy, genre bending, horn-driven music.

Kenny Barron

January 31, 2025 at 7 & 9 p.m., Terrace Theater

The Los Angeles Times named Kenny Barron “one of the top jazz pianists in the world.” Jazz Weekly calls him “the most lyrical piano player of our time.” And The Guardian dubbed him “one of the most articulate and polished mainstream-to-bop improvisers in jazz.” An NEA Jazz Master, Barron brings soul, grace, wit, and an unmatched ability to mesmerize audiences with elegant playing and infectious rhythms.

Jeremy Pelt Quintet

January 31, 2025 at 7 & 9:30 p.m., The Club at Studio K

Firebrand trumpet player Jeremy Pelt balances a deep grasp of the jazz tradition with his trademark warm, searching post-bop sound. JazzTimes calls him a “technical marvel” who “executes intricate solos with ease, plays gorgeous ballads in a tasteful manner, and never lacks flair.” Performing music from his 2023 release The Art of Intimacy and more, Pelt delivers an evening of unadorned beauty, restraint, and improvisational mastery.

Nite Bjuti

February 1, 2025 at 7 & 9:30 p.m., The Club at Studio K

Nite Bjuti (pronounced “Night Beauty”) is a woman-led improvisatory trio of vocalist Candice Hoyes (Makaya McCraven, Theaster Gates), Grammy Award®–winning sound chemist Val Jeanty (Kris Davis’ Diatom Ribbons, Terri Lyne Carrington), and bassist Mimi Jones (Beyoncé, Kenny Barron). Their performances span jazz, Haitian voudon, acoustic/electric bass, turntables, mixed media, electronics, and more. According to the New York Times, “spirit, conjure, necromancy, and memory seem to be some of the grounding ideas behind Nite Bjuti’s stunning, fully improvised sound.”

REDWOOD

February 7, 2025 at 7 & 9:30 p.m., The Club at Studio K

Pianist, composer, producer, and Washington, D.C. native Sequoia “REDWOOD” Snyder blends contemporary jazz vibes and other Black genres with stunning individuality and sophistication. At only 24, she’s performed with esteemed musicians such as Rodney Whitaker, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kenny Barron, Cory Henry, and even popular R&B band The Internet.

Joel Ross’ Good Vibes

March 15, 2025 at 7 p.m., The Club at Studio K

A steadfast improviser, Joel Ross is one of the most thrilling new vibraphonists in America. He plays in the moment—his live sets saturated with a lyrical intuition that’s equally grounded in melody, phrasing, and post-bop sophistication. Ross’ live performances erupt “through the layers of lush arrangements,” raves Downbeat, “like consistent currents of electricity, high-powered and full of luminous energy.”

Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet featuring Julian Lage

March 28, 2025 at 7 & 9 p.m., Terrace Theater

Grammy Award®–winning saxophonist Joe Lovano and virtuoso guitarist Julian Lage team up in a new ensemble which, given its name and line-up, has every chance of becoming a major force on the jazz world. Featuring Santi Debriano on bass and Will Cahoun on drums, the new Paramount Quartet—formed in early 2024—has burst onto the scene with a distillation of jazz as adventurous as it is vigorous.

Jason Moran & Friends

April 24 at 8 p.m., Eisenhower Theater

Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran and some of his most talented friends take the stage for completely improvised concert! Since his formidable emergence on the scene in the late 90s, Moran has established himself as a risk-taker, innovator, and “the most provocative thinker in current jazz” (Rolling Stone). Join us for this one-of-a-kind performance challenging the status quo in free-form improvisation, composition, group concept, repertoire, technique, and experimentation.

Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival 2025

Hosted by NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater

May 9 & 10, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., Terrace Theater

NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater hosts the Kennedy Center’s 28th Annual Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, a two-day celebration honoring the “first lady of jazz” Mary Lou Williams (1910–1981) and the phenomenal women who continue to shape the genre.

On Friday, host and incomparable vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater takes the stage with prolific pianist Bill Charlap. The evening also features the Jamie Baum Septet +, led by the visionary jazz flutist and composer. Saturday’s performance spotlights utterly captivating vocalist/sound artist/composer Fay Victor, who has “invented her own hybrid of song and spoken word, a scat style for today’s avant-garde,” (The New York Times), and drummer Savannah Harris with the Savannah Harris “4”.

Stanley Clarke N 4Ever

June 21 at 8 p.m., Eisenhower Theater

The NEA Jazz Master and five-time Grammy Award® winner celebrates his jazz-fusion legacy and the music that made him a major star. Joining Clarke, 4EVER’s young band members—Jeremiah Collier (drums), Colin Cook (guitar), Beka Gochiashvili (piano), Emilio Modeste (saxophone)—bring a sensational combination of harmony and fierce improvisation encompassing rock, funk, R&B, hip hop, and more.

TICKET INFORMATION

Subscriptions to all Jazz 2024–2025 season series are available now via the Kennedy Center Subscription Office or website. Groups of 20 or more may contact Kennedy Center Group Sales at (202) 416-8400. Dates for sale of individual tickets will be announced later this year on www.kennedy-center.org.

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