Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is the house band for the Lincoln Center in New York. The 15-piece orchestra performs regular concerts at the Lincoln Center and tours the US for six months a year. It also backs artistic director Wynton Marsalis.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra was founded in 1988 (it was first called the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra) and often conducted by David Berger. It became renowned for its annual Duke Ellington concerts and its first album release was 'Portraits by Ellington' in 1992.

Wynton Marsalis became artistic director in 1991 and the Orchestra has continued to promote innovative concerts as well as those celebrating historical figures like Ellington. There was a 2006 collaboration with Ghanaian drummer Yacub Addy on the album 'Congo Square' and 2015's 'Live in Cuba', a double live album showcasing the Orchestra's first visit to Cuba.

In 2016 the Orchestra released the album 'The Abyssinian Mass', an African-themed piece by Marsalis. In 2017 the Orchestra teamed up with pianist Jon Batiste to record 'The Music of John Lewis' and that year also released 'Handful of Keys', featuring pianists Myra Melford, Joey Alexander and Helen Sung.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra released a Latin-themed collection with singer Ruben Blades, 'Une Noche con Ruben Blades' in 2018. In 2020 the Orchestra released the album 'The Music of Wayne Shorter', a tribute to the innovative sax player.