Local jazz powerhouse, the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, returns to the Hylton Performing Arts Center with a soaring celebration of two of America’s greatest inventions – jazz and aviation – in the world premiere of Paul Glenshaw’s “To Swing Through the Sky.” This unparalleled evening features exuberant dance, an insightful narrative and the swinging sounds of big band music as it celebrates the legacies of great American innovators like Louis Armstrong and Charles Lindbergh. The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra’s “To Swing Through the Sky” is at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on Saturday, October 3 at 8 p.m.
Born just one year apart, Louis Armstrong and Charles Lindbergh took very different directions in life, but both encapsulated the spirit of innovation and exploration at the dawn of the 20th century. Louis Armstrong, one of the most influential improvisers in jazz history, taught the world to swing with his stunning music and joyful performances. Aviator Charles Lindbergh took the boundaries of aviation to new heights by completing the first solo transatlantic airplane flight. The unique concert celebrates Armstrong, Lindbergh and the many creators and thinkers who rode a wave of new American energy that changed the world and inspired generations that followed.
Under the artistic direction of alto sax virtuoso Jim Carroll, The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra comprises outstanding jazz musicians from the greater D.C. metro area. Carroll, now the Director of Instrumental Studies at George Mason University, has a versatile music career, touring with artists from Michael Jackson to Woody Herman and The Thundering Herd. He is a charter member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, in residence at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
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