Cedar Walton

One of the famed alumni of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Cedar Walton is one of the most acclaimed—and busy—pianists of his generation. This week, Walton takes the stage at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola (Jazz at Lincoln Center) with a quintet of sidemen that would make any bandleader drool—Steve Turre, Vincent Herring, David Williams and Lewis Nash.

Charlie Haden

Considered one of the greatest-ever jazz bassists, Charlie Haden’s career spans five decades. As a mere toddler in his native Shenondoah, Iowa, Charlie sang on his parents’ country & western radio show, and started playing bass in his early teens. Since arriving in Los Angeles in the late 50s where he first performed with Art Pepper, Hampton Hawes, Dexter Gordon, and Paul Bley, Haden has proven himself to be one of the most creative jazz musicians. His work with Ornette Coleman was visionary, as was his work with Keith Jarrett and Carla Bley, with whom he founded the seminal project, the Liberation Music Orchestra, in the late 60s. He later was a founding member of Old and New Dreams. Haden has since explored world music, film noire, performed in acclaimed duo with Pat Metheny, and has maintained Quartet West over two decades.