Giants of Jazz

Join us for the 25th Anniversary of what has become a legendary South Orange event featuring the convergence of countless master practitioners in an unforgettable evening of spontaneity and swing. Curated by Grammy Award-winning producer and bass player, South Orange resident John Lee, Giants of Jazz delights audiences of every generation.

To commemorate 25 years of this iconic series, SOPAC honors one of the music’s most recorded artists: master drummer and Grammy Award-winning band leader Lewis Nash.

Past honorees have included Jackie McLean, Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Marian McPartland, Randy Weston, George Coleman, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Barron, and other legends and luminaries. 

This year’s lineup features Eric Alexander, Don Braden, Tommy Campbell, Cyrus Chestnut, Steve Davis, John DiMartino, Dezron Douglas, Roberta Gambarini, Benito Gonzales, Winard Harper, Billy Hart, Freddie Hendrix, Mike LeDonne, Brandon McCune, Rufus Reid, Evan Sherman, Terell Stafford, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Buster Williams, Steve Wilson, and more incredible artists announcing soon!

Lewis Nash

“And where it really counted, at the seat of the band, Mr. Nash upheld an unwavering, ebullient selflessness, so that each of his band mates was clearly featured.”
– The New York Times

“Where some see a complicated chart, he hears the
music of the spheres. Where some mean to express
themselves, he means to express the music. Lewis
Nash: jazz’s MVP.”
– Modern Drummer

Grammy Award-winning drummer and legendary band leader Lewis Nash appears on more than 500 recordings, including 10 Grammy Award winners and numerous Grammy nominees. A Phoenix, Arizona native, Nash arrived in New York City in 1981 at age 22 and gained international recognition as a member of Betty Carter’s trio, a pivotal era for his development. In the years to follow, Nash toured, recorded, and performed with Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, JJ Johnson, Sonny Rollins, Tommy Flanagan, Sonny Stitt, Clark Terry, Stan Getz, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Gerry Mulligan, Hank Jones, Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, Jimmy Heath, Randy Weston, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, and countless other icons.

An in-demand education, Nash presents clinics, masterclasses and workshops at institutions worldwide. He served as a member of the first jazz studies faculty at The Juilliard School in 2001, and has been a member of the faculty of the annual Vail Jazz Workshop for the past 20 years. In 2017, Nash joined the jazz studies faculty at Arizona State University, where he was named the Bob and Gretchen Ravenscroft Professor of Practice in Jazz. In early 2021, ASU created the Lewis Nash Scholarship Endowment to be awarded annually to a deserving undergraduate or graduate jazz performance student.

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
• Buffet
• One drink voucher (+ Cash Bar available)

Accessibility & Accommodation

If you or a member of your party needs assistance, please notify SOPAC at the time your tickets are purchased. Contact the SOPAC Box Office at (973) 313-2787 or boxoffice@SOPACnow.org.