| Jazz |
A New Generation of Jazz Ambassadors: NYO Jazz Captures the Spirit of Innovation and Cultural Exchange in Live in Johannesburg
They may be young, but they are far more than merely promising. These musicians, the rising stars of American jazz, are confidently taking on the works of Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Billy Childs, Mary Lou Williams, and more, transforming each piece into something fresh, bold, and unmistakably theirs. These works, painstakingly reimagined for the powerful format of a full big band, are brought to life with dazzling precision and boundless energy by NYO Jazz, a Carnegie Hall–produced ensemble composed of 22 exceptional musicians aged 16 to 19, drawn from across the United States.
Founded in 2018 by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, NYO Jazz is one of three acclaimed national youth ensembles under the Hall’s umbrella. Each year, it selects and trains a new cohort of gifted young performers through an intensive summer residency program, culminating in a series of performances and international tours. Under the leadership of artistic director and trumpeter Sean Jones, these musicians evolve not only into a band, but into cultural emissaries, taking the legacy of American jazz to audiences around the world and sharing its transformative spirit across borders.
“Carnegie Hall has created an incubator for the most visionary young musical and artistic minds in the country,” says Jones. “These young people are true sonic poets, capable of telling humanity’s story, not just of today, but of tomorrow. This recording is a shining testament to that.”
The ensemble’s latest release, Live in Johannesburg, is both a musical celebration and a cultural statement. Recorded during the group’s 2023 tour to South Africa, the album is steeped in the spirit of exchange, a dialogue between continents, histories, and traditions. The program spans a rich array of American and South African jazz repertoire, weaving together timeless standards and daring original compositions, classic big band showpieces and newly commissioned arrangements. It’s a soundscape that not only honors jazz’s roots but also reaffirms its status as a living, breathing, ever-evolving art form.
Listeners will find familiar American works, many of them woven into the fabric of 20th-century jazz history, rendered here with youthful exuberance and extraordinary finesse. But the South African pieces may offer a deeper, more exploratory journey. These selections invite listeners into new territory, where musical language becomes a bridge between cultures, and discovery itself becomes part of the listening experience.
The audience’s energy, lively and responsive throughout the performance, infuses the recording with an infectious joy. But what is perhaps most striking is the musicians themselves: their sheer pleasure in playing, their deep engagement with each work, and their willingness to meet the considerable challenges posed by this repertoire head-on. These are not easy pieces, yet the ensemble rises to the occasion again and again.
One standout moment comes in their interpretation of Mary Lou Williams’s “New Musical Express”, a work known for its intricate textures and spiritual depth. To perform it convincingly requires not only technical mastery but emotional maturity. NYO Jazz delivers on both fronts. The performance is a triumph: complex, compelling, and alive with the youthful fervor that makes this ensemble so thrilling to witness.
The concert that yielded this recording took place at the John Kani Theatre within the Market Theatre complex in Johannesburg, a space named for the legendary South African actor, playwright, and anti-apartheid activist who received a Tony Award for his lifetime of cultural resistance and storytelling. During their residency, the young musicians had the rare honor of meeting Kani himself, whose presence added immeasurable depth and historical resonance to the experience. In fact, Live in Johannesburg was recorded just ahead of the Market Theatre’s 50th anniversary, which will be commemorated in 2026, making this album both a musical milestone and a symbolic offering of solidarity.
After the performance, Kani addressed the ensemble and the audience with words that transcended the occasion: “Tonight, youth has spoken, and we have heard the truth crossing the Atlantic, defying boundaries of culture. More than ever, we need your voices, your ideas, your vision of the world. I am honored to join you in this celebration of art, life, humanity, and freedom.”
In a time marked by division and dissonance, Live in Johannesburg offers something profoundly unifying. It reminds us that art remains one of humanity’s most enduring and universal gifts, a force capable of bridging time and space, of uplifting the spirit, and of telling the truths that words alone cannot express.
This album is more than a showcase of young talent; it is a document of musical diplomacy, emotional intelligence, and artistic excellence. It deserves a place in your collection not only for the joy it brings, but for the hope it embodies.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, May 21st 2025
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NYO Jazz – Live in Johannesburg
Sean Jones, Artistic Director, Bandleader, and Trumpet
Featuring Alicia Olatuja, Vocals
With Special Guests Romy Brauteseth, Bass and Linda Sikhakhane, Tenor Saxophone
Tracklist:
Theme from The Asphalt Jungle 04:07
Evidence 10:17
ISIGQI Suite 06:38
Trane 06:31
A Time for Love 07:29
Rejoice 11:04
New Musical Express 07:46
Shiny Stockings 05:25
The Confession 07:17
Kadara 04:41
Somewhere Over the Rainbow 05:42
Under the Moon and Over the Sky 07:56
We’re Still Here/ He’s Alright 06:16