Charlotte, NC – March 28, 2022 – JazzArts Charlotte (JazzArts) launches Jazz Appreciation Month with Season 16 of its highly acclaimed monthly series – The JAZZ ROOM @ The Stage Door Theater. This new season features the JAZZ ROOM’s grandest lineup to date, featuring music of some of the biggest names in jazz kicking off on Friday and Saturday, April 8-9, with 2022 NEA Jazz Master, New Orleans cultural torchbearer and saxophonist Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr and his quintet performing his New Orleans grooves and his original creation, “Nouveau Swing,” a blend of jazz with R&B, hip-hop, rock, and soul. As with every JAZZ ROOM performance, there are two shows at 6:00PM and 8:15PM on Friday and 7:00pm and 9:15PM on Saturday at The Stage Door Theater, part of Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, at the corner of 5th and College in Uptown Charlotte.

Season 16 continues on Friday and Saturday, May 20-21 with Harlem-based pianist Emmet Cohen Trio playing homage to Piano Greats; French jazz vocalist Tatiana Eva-Marie paying tribute to Gypsy Jazz legend Django Reinhardt on Fri/Sat, June 9-10; Grammy-winning Drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts and his All-Star Quartet on Fri/Sat, July 8-9; “Tenor Madness” featuring 4 of the region’s top tenor saxophonists (JAZZ ROOM Favorite) on Fri/Sat., August 12-13; and Havana-born Latin Jazz superstar Perdito Martinez playing the Music of Cuba on Fri/Sat, September 2-3.
“With so much world-class talent in one JAZZ ROOM Season, along with the newly upgraded Stage Door Theater, we are just as excited as our audience about the shows ahead,” said JazzArts President and CEO Lonnie Davis. “We continue to be blown away by our audiences and the demand for tickets, which we attribute entirely to the outstanding caliber of musicians and artists we bring in and the amazing performances they continue to deliver. Season 16 will truly be one of our best yet.”

SEASON 16 LINEUP

April 8 & 9 (FRI / SAT) – Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. Quintet
May 20 & 21 (FRI / SAT) – Emmet Cohen Trio Plays Piano Greats
June 9 & 10 (THUR / FRI) Tatiana Eva-Marie Sings Django’s Caravan
July 8 & 9 (FRI / SAT) Master Drummer Jeff Tain Watts Quartet
August 12 & 13 (FRI / SAT) – Tenor Madness
September 2 & 3 – (FRI / SAT) – Pedrito Martinez, The Sound of Cuba

The JAZZ ROOM @ The Stage Door Theater spotlights some of the nation’s most gifted musicians, including top regional artists reimagining the sounds of legendary jazz artists in a casual, intimate setting with cabaret tables and a full bar. Limited tickets for all shows start at $20 and can be purchased at www.carolinatix.org, by calling 704-372-1000, or purchased at the door for $25 for select shows. JAZZ ROOM memberships and Season 16 bundle packages are also available. The public is advised to purchase tickets early as these shows tend to sell out quickly.

Having been displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans natives and JazzArts founders Lonnie and Ocie Davis relocated to Charlotte. After noticing an extreme void of jazz culture, they founded JazzArts Charlotte (formally Jazz Arts Initiative) in 2009 to bring New Orleans’ greatest gift – jazz music – to the Queen City.