Songbook Sundays at Jazz at Lincoln Center debuts May 22 with Tony-winner Karen Ziemba, Hamilton’s Sydney James Harcourt, and the iconic songs of George and Ira Gershwin.
By Shannon Hunt
Created and hosted by Deborah Grace Winer, Got Gershwin will feature fan favorites like “I Got Rhythm” and “Love Is Here to Stay,” as well as some lesser-known gems. “There are so many great Gershwin songs to choose from, and we have only 75 minutes or so,” Winer says. “There are of course songs that need to be in there, like “Embraceable You,” but also some wonderful tunes the audience may not have heard before. And it’s exciting to have the opportunity to introduce them.”
That’s the whole mission behind the new American Songbook concert series, which runs bi-monthly at Dizzy’s Club in Jazz at Lincoln Center through 2022. “We want to entertain fans, but also want to expose people who aren’t familiar with this music. In the past, I’ve had young people, even people in their 20s and 30s, come to me after a show and ask, ‘Where can I find this music?’ or ‘Can I can look these songs up on Spotify?’ As artists this is the greatest gift we can give. These are classics, but many younger people have never heard these songs before.”
To help attract these audiences, Jazz at Lincoln Center is adding a 5 pm show in addition to the 7:30. “They don’t normally do early shows, but we want to be very welcoming for families. Parents can bring their kids to a show and still get home early on a school night. And it’s a beautiful setting, anyone who has been there knows it’s a gorgeous venue with such a stunning view of the city. The idea is to bring new generations into the great tradition of the American Songbook.”
And she’s not just referring to the people in the audience. “On stage will be a talented and diverse mix of different ages and backgrounds from the worlds of cabaret, Broadway and jazz.
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For instance, rather than just one vocalist performing, each show will feature three singers: one will be a well-known, established name in the industry; one will be someone who has found success and is still on the rise; and the third will be a talented emerging artist who’s being mentored at Jazz at Lincoln Center. It’s an inter-generational approach. There’s such great collaboration between them and they all bring something different to the table. It’s such a wonderful mix of energy.”
For the first show, Got Gershwin, Winer says choosing a veteran was a no-brainer. “I immediately called up my close friend Karen Ziemba, who I’ve been lucky enough to have known for 25 years. She’s been in Contact, Crazy for You, Steel Pier, Curtains, to name a few, and has a Tony Award,” she says. “I was also fortunate enough to have known Sydney, who played Aaron Burr on Broadway, following Leslie Odom Jr. [in that role]. The third singer, Georgia Heers, is a graduate student at Juilliard and a truly wonderful singer with a great career ahead.”
The band is composed in the same way. “We have our established music director and pianist, Tedd Firth, who I absolutely love and have worked with many times. Our bassist, Endea Owens, is seen each night in the band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and drummer Bryan Carter is a successful percussionist. And on trumpet, we have a young rising star named Summer Camargo.”
Winer, who spent a decade as Artistic Director of 92nd Street Y’s Lyrics and Lyricists series, will highlight a different composer of the American Songbook on a Sunday every other month, with Cole Porter in July, Duke Ellington in September, and Irving Berlin in November.
“There is so much depth to these songs. The music speaks to people, and their magic supersedes any particular time period. We’re not trying to change anything. We’re simply taking something really classic and serving it with the best ingredients on a silver platter.”
And she believes the American Songbook is now more important than ever. “The past two years has made us look at things differently, and ask ourselves, ‘What is really important?’ We realize now just how valuable it is to have shared experiences. And the American Songbook fits this space perfectly, because its music is meant to be shared, it’s meant to move people and to bring people together.”
Shows will be at 5 pm and 7:30. Tickets for Songbook Sundays are , with student tickets available for .
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For tickets and more info, go to jazz.org/dizzys.
Dizzy’s Club is located in Jazz at Lincoln Center at Broadway and Columbus Circle, NYC
