Giants of Jazz

Giants of Jazz is South Orange’s legendary gathering that brings together master musicians for an evening full of spontaneity, swing, and creative fireworks. This year’s honoree, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, joins a curated lineup helmed by Grammy Award-winning producer and bass virtuoso John Lee, a South Orange resident. Now a cherished tradition, this annual event continues to delight both longtime fans and newcomers with the vibrant energy and artistry of jazz’s finest.

• Honoree Cyrus Chestnut: One of the most gifted pianists of his generation, Chestnut fuses gospel roots, classical rigor, and straight-ahead swing into a sound instantly his own. Raised in a musical Baltimore family steeped in church music, he brings that same soulful, testifying energy to every performance — a sideman to jazz giants like Wynton Marsalis, Betty Carter, and Donald Harrison, and a bandleader whose trio has helped define contemporary jazz piano. A Steinway Artist, he’s equally at home with a symphony orchestra as a jazz quartet. Down Beat calls him “one of the finest jazz pianists of his generation.”
• Curated by John Lee: The vision of John Lee ensures each year’s lineup is a dazzling convergence of jazz elites, uniting generations and styles for a night of surprising collaborations.
• Spontaneity & Community Spirit: Each edition pulses with inventive improvisation, deep grooves, and the unmistakable camaraderie that only true jazz masters can create.

Whether you’re a dedicated jazz lover or a curious newcomer, Giants of Jazz offers you a joyful, high-caliber celebration where the spirit of innovation and community comes through on every note.

Ticket Information

Giants of Jazz VIP Package: $120
• One reserved prime Orchestra ticket
• Access to post performance VIP Reception plus jam session with event musicians
• Gourmet Buffet
• One drink voucher (+ Cash Bar available)

Cyrus Chestnut

Pianist Cyrus Chestnut can do it all. Equally adept playing with trios, small groups, big bands, vocalists, or alone, he tackles a broad range of styles with both taste and intelligence.

He is highly-regarded as the greatest jazz pianist of his generation and universally recognized as one of the leading jazz pianists in the world. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, his many credits include work with Kathleen Battle, Terence Blanchard, Betty Carter, Aretha Franklin, Chico Freeman, Dizzy Gillespie, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Bands, Benny Golson, Roy Hargrove, Donald Harrison, Isaac Hayes, Jon Hendricks, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Bette Midler, James Moody, The Turtle Bay String Quartet, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Pops among many others. He is also a noted jazz educator and is currently professor of piano at Howard University in Washington, DC. Cyrus has released over 30 solo recordings to date. In 2006, Josh Tyrangiel, music critic for Time Magazine, wrote: “What makes Chestnut the best jazz pianist of his generation is a willingness to abandon notes and play space.”

With a musical style that effortlessly combines the influences of gospel, classical music, and straight-ahead jazz, Chestnut has garnered acclaim from critics and peers alike for his soulful, virtuosic playing. His career spans decades of performances and recordings, establishing him as a pivotal figure in contemporary jazz. Raised in the heart of Baltimore in a musical family, Chestnut’s gospel roots have been a key influence on his musical development. His father, a church organist, and his mother, a choir director, were both deeply involved in the church, where Cyrus first encountered the powerful, emotional connection between music and spirituality.

This early exposure to gospel music provided him with a rich, emotive foundation that continues to permeate his jazz performances, infusing them with a soulful, dynamic energy that resonates deeply with audiences. Cyrus has often described how the gospel tradition taught him not only how to play the piano but also how to connect with listeners on a deeper, more emotional level. He has said, “I want to spread some feel good”, a sentiment that echoes the uplifting, transformative nature of gospel music.

Born in 1963, Chestnut started his musical career at the Mount Calvary Star Baptist Church at the age of six in his hometown of Baltimore. At age nine Cyrus was enrolled in the prep program at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore. He later headed to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he earned a degree in jazz composition and arranging. Before graduating from Berklee in 1985, Cyrus had received the Eubie Blake fellowship in 1982, the Oscar Peterson scholarship in 1983, the Quincy Jones scholarship in 1984, and the Count Basie award for exceptional performance standards.

Cyrus Chestnut has earned a reputation for his skillful versatility, his ability for blending sounds and for unabashedly bringing gospel into his performances. And despite his sense of playful showmanship, he takes jazz very seriously and believes that jazz has great staying power. “You can’t underestimate the power of this music,” Chestnut told the St. Petersburg Times. For Cyrus, there has always been a deep connection between jazz and God. He believes jazz to be a religious musical genre. “I believe the ability to play music is a gift from God and every time I play, I’m thankful. Every time I sit down to play, for me, is worship and expression,” he told Down Beat magazine.