Arts & Entertainment

Wynton Marsalis and 'Heartbeat' of Jazz Play Huntington

Drummer Ali Jackson, Jr. is one of several headliners for Marsalis' Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra playing Monday at The Paramount.

When Ali Jackson Jr. talks about jazz, there’s a weight to his words.

Whether it’s about his latest trio collaboration or Monday’s performance at in Huntington, every word, every chord, vibrates with a sense of history – both his own and the music’s.  

Jackson is the drummer for Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, an ensemble that’s 15 members strong: Five woodwinds, four trumpets, three trombones and a rhythm section.

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Marsalis is the world-famous headliner, a trumpeter who plays both classical and jazz. That crossover appeal made him a star. That artistic range is what makes Lincoln Center Orchestra so electric.

And the cast is so deep, Marsalis may not even be the best trumpet player on stage. Yet together, they form a tour de force.

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“The trumpet section now has guys with unique abilities,” Jackson said. “Marcus Printup has a very southern, warm and down-home feel to his playing. Kenny Rampton has played with half a dozen big bands. Ryan Kisor is probably one of the world’s great trumpet players ever. And then you have Wynton. His work speaks for itself. You don’t want to mess with that trumpet section.”

Jackson, who lives in West Orange, N.J., traces his own musical roots back three generations and said he has collaborated on more than 200 albums. His namesake father was a bassist and uncle Oliver Jackson a jazz drummer.

“I grew up looking up to them – playing,” Jackson said. “That’s how I got into the music. I’ve been doing it my whole life.”

Jackson is on the road up to half the year. The Lincoln Center Orchestra completed a 25-city schedule earlier in the year. But Monday’s Huntington stop is a stand-alone concert not part of any tour. Expect to hear works by jazz greats Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Benny Goodman, as well as Lincoln Center Orchestra originals.

And expect Jackson to bring the energy.

“I’m the heartbeat of the band,” Jackson explained. “You can equate it to basketball: I’m the point guard of the team. You might not shoot, but you distribute the ball. You’re responsible for the chords. You’re the emotional leader of the team.”

Jackson is currently working on two solo projects, slated to be released in the fall. The first is a collaborative album while the second is an ebook / video podcast on how to listen to jazz.

His last album Yes! was released in January and features Jackson, renown Israeli bassist Omer Avital and Boston pianist Aaron Goldberg.

But it's working with Marsalis that brings Jackson pleasure. Jazz at Lincoln Center recently performed with Paul Simon and will play the Opening Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics in July.

“He’s a hard-working guy who is about the music,” Jackson said of Marsalis. “He’s a real cat, somebody who’s a doer. It’s a great thing to be around.” 

Tickets for The Paramount performance are still available (beginning at $63 for standing room). Doors open at 7 p.m.


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