Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Rings In December With Festive Celebrations And More

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club continues its return to in-person concerts with a full slate of performances throughout December.

Lighting up the winter season with the swing that has made the club a year-round favorite for local jazz aficionados, out-of-town visitors, and live music lovers.

Since reopening for live, in-person performances this past August, the club presents a different lineup of outstanding artists each week. This December, Dizzy’s revives traditions new and old, ringing in the holidays and welcoming the new year with festive celebrations, up-and-coming talents, and Club favorites gracing the House of Swing’s stage for the first time in nearly two years. Audiences can enjoy performances by renowned jazz artists set against a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline, alongside Dizzy’s signature craft cocktails, curated wine selection, Southern American-inspired dinner menu, and intimate atmosphere.

Grammy-winning drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. kicks off Dizzy’s December concerts with his masterful big band (December 2-5). Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O, a mainstay of the holiday season, brings its signature festive flair to Dizzy’s following years of sold-out shows at the Jazz Standard (December 13-14). Hot on the heels of a collaboration with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in Moscow during the JLCO’s European tour this fall, Russian bandleader and saxophonist Igor Butman brings his quartet into the club for a five-night run (December 15-19). Additional artists featured throughout the month include JLCO’s own Sherman Irby, the venerable vocalist, 82-year old Mary Stallings, making her first East Coast appearance in nearly two years, student jazz ensembles from The Juilliard School, and Dizzy’s not-to-be-missed annual New Year’s Eve celebration featuring the all-star nonet of JLCO bassist Carlos Henriquez.

Dizzy’s Club is located in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Broadway at 60th Street on the 5^th Floor of the Shops at Columbus Circle, New York City.

DIZZY’S CLUB DECEMBER LINEUP:

Ulysses Owens, Jr. Big Band

December 2-5 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

Drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. brings his high-octane big band back to Dizzy’s Club. The group’s varied repertoire includes originals and a range of tunes by such artists as Terence Blanchard, John Coltrane, and Mulgrew Miller, arranged by a number of the talented musicians in the band. The Ulysses Owens, Jr. Big Band’s musical selections offer a strong foundation for improvised solos and big band fireworks in the spirit of great big band drummers like Sonny Payne, Buddy Rich, and Mel Lewis-musicians who inspired Ulysses to create his own band.
Cover:
Thursday: $40
Friday: $45
Saturday: $45
Sunday: $30
Student: $25

Juilliard Jazz Ensembles

December 6 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

The Juilliard School has provided world-class music education since it was founded in 1905, and these incredible young musicians will exemplify that legacy in this performance. The Juilliard School Jazz Ensembles feature some of the world’s most talented emerging jazz artists, each taught by today’s most active, innovative, and respected jazz musicians. No stranger to Dizzy’s Club, the ensemble has also performed at noted venues such as the Blue Note Jazz Club and Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. These gifted young musicians, proof of jazz’s bright future, return to Dizzy’s Club for the first time since February 2020.
Cover:
Monday: $35
Student: $15

Mary Stallings and the Emmet Cohen Trio

December 9-12 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

“Perhaps the best jazz singer singing today” according to the New York Times, Mary Stallings has performed with the likes of Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Geri Allen, and Harry “Sweets” Edison. On these evenings, she graces the Dizzy’s stage alongside Emmet Cohen’s impeccable trio with a beautiful backdrop of the New York City skyline. This performance will be a true multigenerational showcase, bringing a veteran vocalist together with a trio of young, first-rate instrumentalists.
Cover:
Thursday: $40
Friday: $45
Saturday: 45
Sunday: $30
Student: $20

Matt Wilson Christmas Tree-O

December 13-14 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

Matt Wilson is an endlessly creative and infectiously joyful drummer whose Christmas Tree-O shows at the Jazz Standard were sold out each holiday season. This year, he brings the celebration to Dizzy’s with bandmates Paul Sikivie on bass and Jeff Lederer on reeds. In addition to his extraordinary instrumental skills, Wilson garners consistent praise as a bandleader and creative force who experiments and pushes both sidemen and genre boundaries alike while remaining welcoming and accessible to audiences and his fellow musicians.
Cover:
Monday: $35
Tuesday: $35
Student: $25

Igor Butman Quartet

December 15-19 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

Russia’s most popular and esteemed jazz musician, saxophonist Igor Butman is a firm proponent of cross-border and cross-genre collaborations with top artists including Wynton Marsalis, Mike Stern, and Bill Evans. Butman regularly tours in the United States and performs at prestigious jazz festivals in Europe and Asia. He helped create today’s thriving jazz culture in Russia, playing a role in developing festivals, seminars, and musicians. For this show, he brings his quartet to Dizzy’s for a CD Release event Only Now with an all-star group including the winner of the 2019 Herbie Hancock International Guitar Competition Evgeny Pobozhiy on guitar, Matt Brewer on bass and Antonio Sanchez on drums.
Cover:
Wednesday: $40
Thursday: $40
Friday: $45
Saturday: $45
Sunday: $30
Student: $20

A Very Irby Christmas

December 21-23 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

December 24 | 7:00 p.m.

An accomplished bandleader and a saxophonist with the sweetest tone, Sherman Irby is a longtime member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. A Very Irby Christmas features special guest vocalists Sofija Knezevic (December 21 and 22) and Camille Thurman (December 23 and 24), trombonist and fellow JLCO member Vincent Gardner, pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Willie Jones III. Stop by Dizzy’s for holiday cheer and an unbeatable view of New York City’s winter skyline.
Cover:
Tuesday: $35
Wednesday: $35
Thursday: $40
Friday: $50
Student: $25

Carlos Henriquez Nonet

December 27-30 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

Carlos Henriquez is the bassist for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and “an emerging master in the Latin jazz idiom” (DownBeat). This week at Dizzy’s, he leads an all-star nonet to close out 2021 with a series of energetic concerts. Hailing from the Bronx, Henriquez is a rare virtuoso in both jazz and Afro-Cuban traditions and a vital voice in the infectious cultural fusion of Latin jazz. He has performed with greats like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz since the age of 14. As a JLCO fan favorite and leader of his own small groups, Henriquez regularly headlines concerts in The Appel Room and music directs shows in Rose Theater (including Rubén Blades’ historic performances with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra). His Dizzy’s engagements are rare, intimate experiences for lovers of Latin rhythms and the swing tradition.
Cover:
Monday: $40
Tuesday: $40
Wednesday: $45
Thursday: $45
Student: $25

New Year’s Eve Celebration with the Carlos Henriquez Nonet

December 31 | 7:30 p.m. & 11:00 p.m.

Carlos Henriquez rings in the New Year with his all-star nonet, featuring tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, vocalist/flutist (and Spanish Harlem Orchestra member) Jeremy Bosch, and renowned trumpeter Terell Stafford. Hailing from the Bronx, Henriquez is a rare virtuoso in both jazz and Afro-Cuban traditions and a vital voice in the infectious cultural fusion of Latin jazz. He has performed with greats like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz since the age of 14. Henriquez regularly headlines concerts in The Appel Room and music directs shows in Rose Theater (including Rubén Blades’ historic performances with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra). Join him at Dizzy’s Club to kick off the New Year with good vibes, incredible food, an unbeatable view, and some of the world’s best musicians. Each performance includes a 3-course meal.
Cover:
Friday, 7:30pm set: $285 per person (includes gratuity)
Friday, 11:00pm: $400 per person (includes gratuity)

Health and Safety Guidelines

We believe in the power of music to uplift, inspire, and create a sense of community. We very much look forward to welcoming you back to the House of Swing at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall this season and are committed to employing all measures to ensure your safety as well as the safety of our artists and staff. Learn more about our health and safety guidelines, COVID-19 Liability Waiver, and enhanced refund policy on jazz.org.

Jazz at Lincoln Center requires proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 with a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a prerequisite to entering, visiting, and working in its facilities.

All guests entering Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) venues must present proof of a COVID-19 vaccination authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and/or World Health Organization (“WHO”) for emergency use, with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before entry.

Jazz at Lincoln Center has partnered with Health Pass by CLEAR, which provides a secure, digital proof of COVID-related health insights via the free mobile app. Guests can use the CLEAR health pass to confirm identity and vaccination status by downloading the CLEAR app (for more details visit https://www.clearme.com/healthpass). For the most efficient entry possible, we encourage attendees to enroll with CLEAR at least 24 hours before the event.

In addition to Health Pass, JALC will also accept physical vaccination cards or NY State’s Excelsior Pass (for more details, visit: https://epass.ny.gov), both requiring an accompanying photo ID.

Vaccines are now available for children ages 5–11, and fully vaccinated children are welcome at FPRH, two weeks after they have received their final dose. Proof of Vaccination is required but Photo ID for children under 12 will not be required as long as they are accompanied by parents/guardians with valid photo ID.

Jazz at Lincoln Center will consider, on an individual basis, requests for reasonable accommodation to the vaccination requirement for individuals with a qualifying medical condition that prevents them from receiving the vaccination, or who objects to being vaccinated on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs and practices. Please contact reasonableaccommodations@jazz.org for further information.

Ticket Information:

All guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance for Dizzy’s Club in-person performances. A limited number of walk-up tickets will be available on the night of each performance.

To purchase tickets for Dizzy’s Club in-person performances all guests are required to acknowledge and accept our COVID-19 Liability Wavier. The full waiver can be found here.

Upon completing your purchase, you will receive an email with your electronic tickets that must be shown at time of entry. You will also receive an email within 3–5 days of your show date that will contain all the information you need to know prior to your arrival at Dizzy’s-including health and safety protocols and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s requirements for entry.

Should your plans change, Jazz at Lincoln Center has a very flexible refund and exchange policy that can be found here.

More information and tickets to Dizzy’s Club live and virtual performances are available only at jazz.org/dizzys.

Facebook: facebook.com/dizzysclub | Twitter: @jazzdotorg | Instagram: @jazzdotorg | 
YouTube: youtube.com/jalc | Livestream: jazz.org/live

Jazz at Lincoln Center

The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center is to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. We believe jazz is a metaphor for Democracy. Because jazz is improvisational, it celebrates personal freedom and encourages individual expression. Because jazz is swinging, it dedicates that freedom to finding and maintaining common ground with others. Because jazz is rooted in the blues, it inspires us to face adversity with persistent optimism. With the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and guest artists spanning genres and generations, Jazz at Lincoln Center produces thousands of performance, education, and broadcast events each season in its home in New York City (Frederick P. Rose Hall, “The House of Swing”) and around the world, for people of all ages. Jazz at Lincoln Center is led by Chairman Clarence Otis, Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis, and Executive Director Greg Scholl.

Please visit us at jazz.org; follow us on Twitter @jazzdotorg and Facebook; watch our free, global webcasts at new.livestream.com/jazz; and enjoy concerts, education programs, behind-the-scenes footage, programs and more at youtube.com/jazzatlincolncenter.

Photo credit: LincolnCenter © Illustration Ceylan A. Sahin Eker.