The Messenger Legacy featuring the music of Ralph Peterson Jr.

Bill Pierce, tenor saxCraig Handy, alto saxRobin Eubanks, tromboneBrian Lynch, trumpetLonnie Plaxico, bassDrums-Kush AbadeyPiano-David HazeltineAn all-star sextet of Messenger Legacy and Jazz Messenger alumni celebrate the musical alchemy of Ralph Peterson: timeless drummer, bandleader, composer, and educator. Count on an evening of exciting jazz when the Messenger Legacy band appears at Scullers! The concert pays tribute to the late powerhouse drummer Ralph Peterson, who founded the Messenger Legacy ensemble to honor his mentor, Art Blakey and who played at Scullers regularly throughout his career. The septet taking the Scullers stage comprises a mix of former Jazz Messengers and Messenger Legacy stalwarts, including some of the best and most versatile players now on the jazz scene: tenor saxophonist Bill Pierce, alto sax, Craig Handy, trumpeter Brian Lynch, trombonist Robin Eubanks, Lonnie Plaxico bassist and two Messenger Legacy members. The concert will showcase compositions by Ralph Peterson and members of the forward-thinking Messenger Legacy band. The evening will include tunes from 2020s Onward and UpwardPetersons 25th release as a leader, and recently penned material from band members. This new chapter in the Messenger songbook bears all the hallmarks of great jazz, including the variety of sonic colors, the polyrhythms, the harmonies, the vast reservoirs of blues and soul, and the importance of continuity and telling a story. Peterson was a literal messenger of jazz, as shown by his lifelong drive to spread the good word of jazz around the globe. He first caught the public ear during the Young Lions jazz era of the 1980s, but even then he was far from a newbie. A third-generation drummer (following his grandfather and several uncles), he grew up steeped in jazz. Peterson knew his way around funk and rock n roll, studied with Michael Carvin at Rutgers, and gained more than his share of on-the-job training gigging with organ bands and more in Newark. The Messenger Legacy sextet set to play brings a vast array of jazz experience to the Scullers stage.All GA sections (Main Floor GA & Miles Davis Mezzanine) will be seated by host and are first come, first served (other than where a reserved sign is posted to table). If you require special seating, please call the venue for accommodations no later than 48 hours prior to show date.Please note: If you do not purchase all seats at a table, other customers may be seated with you.*Our new pre-show reception, Mix, Mingle and Groove, offered before the 7pm show, includes a variety of appetizers, carving board, and desserts. $60 includes all applicable taxes and an 18% gratuity, as well as parking while you are enjoying the show. Mix, Mingle and Groove reception is from 5:15pm until 6:30pm on show nights only, in the Boathouse 400 restaurant, on the 2nd floor of the hotel. All purchases are non-refundable.