You don’t have to go to the humid south to enjoy a great Jazz Festival. Granted, New Orleans is the birthplace of bluesy jazz music, but New York has its own Jazz Festival in the Lincoln Center in April. In 2014, the New York City Jazz Festival, under the direction of Dr. Steve Zegree, is taking place at the Lincoln Center April 11-14.
In past years, participants have enjoyed interacting with some Jazz legends including Kurt Elling, Bob Mintzer, and Janis Siegal. If you’ve never heard the soft, deep voice of Kurt Elling singing “I Like the Sunrise” check out the video footage below.
New York City Jazz Festival 2014
This year is going to be exciting to say the least. There are plenty of amazing events, and the venue for this Jazz Festival is absolutely outstanding in the Allen Room and the Rose Theater. We want to make sure your group enjoys the festival so we've taken the time to explain the best way to get to the New York City Jazz Festival and what you can expect from the experience.
Download the official New York City Jazz Festival Flier here.
NYC Jazz Festival Venues
This years festival is taking place in The Allen Room, one of Manhattan’s most amazing venues. The Allen Room is designed like a Greek Amphitheater, and it’s backdrop is the envy of New York with views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline. The evening Gala performance will be held in the Rose Theater, a venue acoustically designed to be the premier jazz performance hall in the world.
What to expect at this year’s Jazz Festival
Matinee performances will take place in the Allen Room, and comments from each of the guest clinicians will be recorded for the participants. Rehearsals by the New York City Jazz Festival Chorus will also take place in the Allen Room under the direction of Dr. Zegree.
These practices will prepare the Jazz Festival Chorus for their performance at the Rose Theater concert. Participants will benefit from the sharing and developing of musicianship skills which will go with them long after the Jazz Festival is over.
You will also get the chance to attend a Q&A session with featured guest artists in the Jazz Lincoln Center’s Atrium. Participants will have the unique, special honor of being on the same stage as legendary jazz artists from both the past and present.
The Best Way to Get to the New York City Jazz Festival
In New York City, there are plenty of options for getting your ensemble to the Festival. Some are better options than others, depending on how many are in your group, and the travel needs your group present.
Hotel Shuttles
Some hotels provide shuttle services for their guests, and these shuttles have luggage space if you’re transporting musical instruments. Just be careful to check with your hotel beforehand, some shuttles are busy and due to airport transfers, a vehicle to take your group to the Lincoln Center may not be available.
Black Car Services
Some black car services can provide multiple vehicles, or larger vehicles such as vans for your group, depending on it’s size and luggage needs. Not to be rude but these taxi/car services have a reputation in New York for being unreliable. I’ve used them before and they’ve always met my needs, but special requests are often agreed to and then not met.
It’s advisable to call ahead of time and discuss transfer options with them ahead of time. Get a feel for their customer service and when you find one that’s ready to help and provide the level of service you require, book with them. I also recommend to book the travel times about 20 minutes early, just to make sure you have enough time to audible if the driver is late or gets lost.
Limousine Services
This option is probably a better option if you want a reliable car service for the Jazz Festival. There are many to choose from in the New York area, some more willing to work with groups than others.
We recommend checking with EmpireCLS or Carey when coming to New York. These two world-wide transportation companies have a lot of experience with different events, and will be a reliable option for your group.
We also offer a luxury van limo service in the New York area. Our clients come to us when they want a more spacious option than sedans or SUVs because our customized Sprinter vans give a lot more room, as well as luggage space. Our clients also appreciate our attention to detail, and our 99% on-time rate as well.
If you’re interested in getting pricing from Brilliant for the New York City Jazz Festival, click here. We’ll be glad to give you a quick quote so you can compare with other options and make the right choice in which transportation company to choose.