Sullivan Fortner Trio

Next up, on Monday, July 24, brings an Athenaeum debut by the Sullivan Fortner Trio, featuring Fortner on piano, Tyrone Allen on bass, and Kayvon Gordon on drums. New Orleans–native Sullivan Fortner has gained wide recognition as one of the most accomplished jazz musicians of his generation. His accolades include the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowship awarded by the American Pianists Association, the Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship, the 2016 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, and in 2020, the prestigious Shifting Foundation Grant for artistic career development. A Grammy Award–winner, he has earned recognition in multiple DownBeat Critics Polls, winning first place as both Rising Star Pianist and Rising Star Jazz Artist. His broad range of musical associations includes artists such as Roy Hargrove, Stefon Harris, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Wynton Marsalis. The New York Times wrote, “Fortner’s fundamentals as a player could hardly be stronger, and his instincts as a composer and bandleader are almost startlingly mature . . . he is an artist with his own distinct style.” Pulling elements from different eras, Fortner’s artistry both preserves the tradition and evolves the sound. He finds connections among different musical styles that are at once deeply soulful and wildly inventive. This concert is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts through the Western Jazz Presenters Network.

Tickets for the show can be bought online on their website. Doors do open at 7:00 pm to enter the event on a first come, first served basis, so arrive early!