There are moments on tour when you realize that music truly has no borders.
For the past week, we’ve been performing Harlem After Dark at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy. Night after night, more than 5,000 people gathered under the Italian sky, singing, laughing, dancing, and embracing the stories of Harlem as if they had lived them themselves. Watching audiences halfway around the world connect so deeply with this music reminded me why we created this show in the first place.
Jazz has always been America’s greatest ambassador. It carries our history, our struggles, our joy, and our hope to every corner of the world. To see Italian audiences respond so enthusiastically to the music and stories born in Harlem was both humbling and inspiring.
Now, we’re bringing all of that energy home.
This Friday through Sunday, July 17–19, Harlem After Dark returns to one of my favorite musical homes—Birdland Jazz Club in New York City.
What makes this show so special isn’t just the music. It’s the remarkable artists who bring these stories to life.
I’m incredibly fortunate to share the stage with the brilliant Rick Germanson at the piano, Brandi Disterheft on the bass, whose touch and imagination continue to inspire me, and the always-swinging Damon DueWhite on drums. Their musicianship transforms every performance into a conversation.
Then there are the extraordinary vocalists who add another layer of excitement. Maya Azucena brings a voice filled with soul, power, and joy. AC Lincoln reminds us that tap dancing is percussion, storytelling, and pure celebration all at once. Together, we don’t simply perform songs—we create a Harlem party where every audience member becomes part of the evening.
No two performances are ever exactly alike.
That’s the beauty of jazz.
The conversations change. The solos evolve. Someone on stage takes a chance, someone else answers, and suddenly we’re all experiencing something that has never happened before and will never happen again.
After the incredible response in Italy, I can’t wait to share this show with friends, family, and all of you here at home.
If you’ve been meaning to come, this is the weekend. If you’ve seen Harlem After Dark before, you’ll discover something new. And if it’s your first time, I promise you’ll leave smiling.
I’d love to welcome you personally.
Harlem After Dark
Birdland Jazz Club
July 17–19
Come celebrate Harlem, jazz, and the incredible musicians who make this music come alive every night.
I’ll see you at Birdland.
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