By Marilyn Lester***That swingin’ seasonal tradition, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra‘s (JLCO) Big Band Holidays, offered a residency this year at Rose Theater that “brought new life to classic tunes”—goal achieved. But for its 13th year, the show was led not by trumpeter and Managing and Artistic Director of JLCO, Wynton Marsalis, but by 
longtime band member, trombonist and arranger Chris Crenshaw. It was a debut for the books, and one that revealed that the band’s legacy is collective; one of the many reasons for JLCO’s excellence is that Marsalis sets the bar high: members not only have to play at a high level but also have to compose, arrange and teach. For Crenshaw, fronting the band as music director and host added to his toolbox of skills, with, unsurprisingly and artfully, curating and presenting a dynamic set of music.
Opener was a tune that wasn’t written for Christmas, but has, over the years become associated with the Holiday Season: a jaunty “My Favorite Things” (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, arr. by Ted Nash) from The Sound of Music. To keep the mood danceably swinging, Percy Faith’s “Brazilian Sleigh Bells” (arr. by Carlos Henriquez) offered a samba-mambo vibe, reminiscent of the energetic 
bandleading of the “Rumba King,” Xavier Cugat, an early proponent of Latin music for the masses. Notably, on these instrumental pieces, the band’s ethos of egalitarianism shines forth. Each member can rely on being featured, with an opportunity to creatively improvise in the spotlight. For the swinger, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie, arr. by Carlos Henriquez) the focus was on the rhythm section, establishing a traditional jazz trio dynamic.
Two vocalists performed: rising star, Kate Kortum and the well-established Shenel Johns. The 23-year-old Kortum is the 2025 winner of the 14th annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. She hails from Houston, Texas, where she studied flute and saxophone (before transitioning to voice) at Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, which, as Crenshaw pointed out, has been a participant in 
the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival, with a third-place win in 1999. Kortum sang “Sorry to See You Go” (Arnold Miller, Connie Pearce, arr. by Sherman Irby), a witty old-year-out and new-year-in ditty. She also, via Victor Goines’ arrangement of “White Christmas,” (Irving Berlin) added jazzy midtempo swing with a touch of scat to this holiday staple.
Johns offered a smooth ballad in the tender “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram, arr by Christopher Crenshaw) with a Crenshaw trombone feature supporting the singer. Johns also voiced the Crenshaw-
arranged “Must Be Santa” (Hal Moore, Bill Fredricks), a fun tune based on a call-and-response German drinking song known as “Schnitzelbank.” With Kortum, the duo offered an up-uptempo “Winter Wonderland” (Felix Bernard, arr. by Carlos Henriquez).
This particular performance of Big Band Christmas was billed as “relaxed,” meaning that it was mindful of those with disabilities and special needs. In that spirit, on extreme stage right, an energetic and highly expressive Kate Lenore Pemberton provided ASL interpretation of the entire program.
Traditionally, when JLCO ends a program and takes bows, the music director will conclude with the words, “We are the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.” The mighty lineup for the performance featured trumpeters Michael Rodriguez, Ryan Kisor, Kenny Rampton and Marcus Printup; trombonists Crensahwm Vincent Gardner, Nick Mesler and Elliot Mason; woodwind players Sherman Irby, Alexa Tarantino, Chris Lewis, Abdias Armenteros and Paul Nedzela; pianist Dan Nimmer; drummer Obed Calvaire and bassist Carlos Henriquez.
Photos by Gilberto Tadday
