“Lancaster is fortunate to have The Arts at MU within arm’s reach. Who needs New York?”
In a performance that audiences hailed as “unbelievable,” the musicians of Jazz at Lincoln Center brought the sounds of the Crescent City to their sold-out performance of New Orleans Songbook at the Ware Center in Lancaster, PA on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
Through the music of Louis Armstrong, Ellis Marsalis, Jelly Roll Morton, and other music legends of the bayou, the band, led by acclaimed pianist Luther Allison, took audiences from downtown to uptown New Orleans and back again, featuring Allison’s exceptional jazz arrangements.
(Keep your eyes on Luther Allison! With a talent and a presence like that, he is bound to be a household name faster than you can say “Jon Batiste.”)
The smooth vocals of Milton Suggs spread like honey over the lush sound of the band, while the incredible versatility and nuance of Quiana Lynell—particularly in her show-stopping rendition of “La Vie en Rose,” which saw her sliding effortlessly between classical soprano and a jazzy, fluttery mezzo—brought audiences to their feet mid-show.
To top it off, guests enjoyed signature New Orleans-inspired cocktails and beignets from the Lancaster Beignet Company to make it, as one patron described, “a welcome evening of joy and exuberance.”
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