Join us for an unforgettable night where Jazz music bridges generations and lights up the soul.
DETAILS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2025
7:00 PM (DOORS OPEN AT 6:00 PM)
ST. GEORGE THEATRE
35 HYATT STREET, STATEN ISLAND, NY 10301
TICKETS: $37
ARTIST LINEUP
ARTURO O’FARRILL & THE AFRO LATIN JAZZ ENSEMBLE
WYCLIFFE GORDON
THE BRIANNA THOMAS BAND
SOUNDS OF APRIL & RANDALL
JULIE MANISCALCO DECTET
Universal Temple of the Arts promotes the Staten Island JAZZ Festival with images by Romare Bearden, America’s preeminent African American visual artist, signifying the special relationship between Universal Temple of the Arts with iconic cultural creators and innovators since its inception in 1967 as an art, cultural and educational nonprofit organization.
Staten Island JAZZ Festival 37
Universal Temple of the Arts’ Staten Island JAZZ Festival 37 promises an unforgettable night with Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble, Wycliffe Gordon, Brianna Thomas, Sounds of April & Randall, and the Julie Maniscalco Dectet. This year’s festival is set to be an electrifying celebration of jazz, community, and culture, bringing together friends, family, neighbors and music enthusiasts from across the globe for performances representing the highest level of artistic excellence.
Guiding the night’s festivities as the esteemed emcee will be none other than Sheila E. Anderson of WBGO, 88.3 FM, whose insightful commentary and passion for jazz will elevate the experience for all attendees.
A Stellar Lineup Ignites the Stage
Arturo O’Farrill
The Grammy Award-winning pianist and founder of the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble will grace the stage with his masterful blend of jazz and Latin influences.
-
ARTURO O’FARRILL, pianist, composer, and educator, was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Arturo’s professional career began with the Carla Bley Band and continued as a solo performer with a wide spectrum of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Belafonte.
In 2007, he founded the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the performance, education, and preservation of Afro Latin music. Learn more about ALJA here: http://www.afrolatinjazz.org
In December 2010 Arturo traveled with the original Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra to Cuba, returning his father’s musicians to his homeland. He continues to travel to Cuba regularly as an informal Cultural Ambassador, working with Cuban musicians, dancers, and students, bringing local musicians from Cuba to the US and American musicians to Cuba.
Arturo has performed with orchestras and bands including his own Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and Arturo O’Farrill Sextet, as well as other Orchestras and intimate ensembles in the US, Europe, Russia, Australia, and South America.
An avid supporter of all the Arts, Arturo has performed with Ballet Hispanico and the Malpaso Dance Company, for whom he has written three ballets. In addition, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company has in its repertoire a ballet entitled “Open Door,” choreographed by Ron Brown to several of Arturo’s compositions and recordings. Ron Brown’s own Evidence Dance Company commissioned Arturo to compose New Conversations, which premiered in the Summer of 2018 at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA.
Arturo has received commissions from Meet the Composer, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Philadelphia Music Project, The Apollo Theater, Symphony Space, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Young Peoples Chorus of New York, Columbia University and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Arturo’s well-reviewed and highly praised “Afro-Latin Jazz Suite” from the album CUBA: The Conversation Continues (Motéma) took the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition and the 2016 Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album. His powerful “Three Revolutions” from the album Familia-Tribute to Chico and Bebo was the 2018 Grammy Award (his sixth) winner for Best Instrumental Composition. Arturo’s album “Four Questions” (ZOHO) is the first to embody all original compositions, including the title track, which features the brilliant orator Dr. Cornel West. This album won a Grammy in 2021. Most recently, in February of 2023, Arturo was awarded his eighth Grammy for the album “Fandango at the Wall in New York.”
Arturo was Artist in Residence for The Greene Space in New York City, for which he created a four-concert series including a newly commissioned composition. The series title was “Radical Acts and Musical Deviancy.”
In 2020 Arturo’s weekly concerts with the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, dubbed “Virtual Birdland,” top the list of 10 Best Quarantine Concerts in the New York Times.
Arturo is Professor of Global Jazz Studies and Assistant Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has been honored as a Steinway Artist for many years, and is a Blue Note Records Recording Artist.
Wycliffe Gordon
Renowned trombonist and composer, and former member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Gordon is celebrated for his infectious energy and virtuosity.
-
Wycliffe Gordon experiences an impressive career touring the world performing to great acclaim from audiences and critics alike.
Jazz Journalists Association named him 2022 “Trombonist of the Year” for the record-breaking 15th time, and he’s topped Downbeat Critics Poll for “Best Trombone” for an unprecedented six times (2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2013 & 2012). Recent awards include the “Louie Award”, the International Trombone Award and the Satchmo Award, among others. Wycliffe is a prolific recording artist and is extremely popular for his unmatched signature sound, plunger technique and unique vocals. He can be heard on hundreds of recordings, soundtracks, live DVD’s and documentaries, and has an extensive catalog of original compositions that span the various timbres of jazz and chamber music. His arrangement of the theme song to NPR’s “All Things Considered” is heard daily across the globe.
In addition to a successful solo career, Gordon tours regularly leading the International All Stars performing at festivals and performing arts centers worldwide. Gordon is also one of America’s most persuasive and committed music educators and is highly sought after as a clinician and guest speaker.
In Botti at Sea ’25 with fellow McDonald’s All-American High School Band alum trumpeter Chris Botti, was a week of fun-filled days listening to amazing jazz and pop musicians. He had an amazing week playing with some of the best musicians on the planet, including my good friends Terell Stafford, Herlin Riley, along with Ben Williams and Emmet Cohen, earlier in February 2025.
Wycliffe Gordon is a Yamaha Performing Artist and has his own line of Wycliffe Gordon Pro Signature Mouthpieces by Pickett Brass. Visit www.wycliffegordon.com.
Brianna Thomas
This jazz vocalist’s greatest asset is the soulful quality of her sound. Distinctively unique, her voice ranges from sweet invitations to confident assertions, creating a personal and timeless style that leaves listeners mesmerized after her performances.
-
A dynamic, evocative, and powerhouse vocalist, Brianna Thomas captivates audiences worldwide with her remarkable artistry. Hailed by Vanity Fair, The New York Times, NPR, and Rolling Stone Magazine, she is celebrated for her vocal virtuosity, emotional depth, scat mastery, and impeccable phrasing. DownBeat Magazine praised her for “giving the impression of inventing the song in the moment, as if it’s never been done before.”
Born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, Brianna began performing at age six with her father’s band and, by twelve, was touring Europe, becoming the youngest inductee into the African American Hall of Fame Museum in Peoria. Her path led to New York City, where she studied voice at The New School and won the prestigious New York City Jazzmobile Vocal Competition—establishing her as a standout force on the music scene.
The Brianna Thomas Band is an electrifying ensemble of virtuosic musicians whose sound is rooted in Black American Music and World Music influences, featuring original compositions delivered with emotional intensity and improvisational fire. Led by Brianna, the group features renowned artists: Conun Pappas (piano), Marvin Sewell(guitar), Ryan Berg (bass), Fernando Saci (percussion), Curtis Nowosad (drums), and Greg Ward (saxophone). Having performed together for nearly 10 years, the band brings a seamless synergy that reflects their deep connection as artists with values that honor tradition while exploring bold new creative territory.
Julie Maniscalco Dectet
The Staten Island-based ensemble, celebrated for its innovative sound and deep community roots, will showcase the borough’s rich musical talent.
-
New York-based composer, educator, and musician Julie Maniscalco draws inspiration from the world around her. Her debut project, Terroir: Music for Jazz Orchestra, features compositions that incorporate her myriad influences growing up in her native Staten Island and New York City surroundings.
Intended for music fans of all genres, Maniscalco’s often genre-fluid compositional style, marries Western classical instrumentation and orchestration with jazz. It sheds light on the evolution of the traditional big band into today’s jazz orchestra.
Beginning her journey at the College of Staten Island, she went on to continue her studies at William Patterson University earning a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and Music Management. She earned an Advanced Certificate in Music Education and a master’s degree at Brooklyn College.
Julie Maniscalco has been a music educator in the New York City Public School System for almost ten years, teaching in programs for elementary and middle school age students. She credits working with her younger students and exploring music to finding her own identity as a composer.
Dr. Darrell Smith
Musical Director of Universal Temple of the Arts Staten Island JAZZ Festival 37
The festival’s captivating musical journey is curated under the expert direction of Dr. Darrell Smith, a distinguished Staten Island native, educator, composer and bandleader, ensuring a program that resonates with both jazz aficionados and newcomers alike.
-
Darrell Smith DMA (jazz percussion, music director, band leader, composer, producer) is a jazz percussionist and composer endorsed by Canopus Drums. He has performed in numerous festivals both nationally and internationally including the Montclair Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, the Bern Jazz Festival (Switzerland), the Mumbai NCPA Jazz Festival (India). As a band leader, he has led his original trio (Dal Segno Trio) in local performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smoke Jazz and Supper Club, The Jazz Standard and Gotham. As a composer, Dr. Smith co-wrote an original off- broadway show entitled “Interludes” that features New Orleans themed music. “Interludes” was featured in the San Diego International Fringe Festival and the New York Fringe Festival. Dr. Smith has also performed in off-Broadway productions of “West Side Story”, “The King and I”, “Pearl”, and “Magdalene”. Since 2018 Dr. Smith has been the music director of the Staten Island Jazz Festival (via Universal Temple of the Arts). Dr. Smith is a board member of The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, Long Island. He has just started his own non-profit organization “3 Degrees” to build an arts center on Staten Island. He is currently the Director of Education for Jazz House Kids under the artistic direction of bassist Chrisitian McBride. Dr. Smith serves on the faculties of the New School University and the College of Staten Island, CUNY.
Sheila E. Anderson
Host of the Universal Temple of the Arts Annual Staten Island JAZZ Festival 37
Sheila Anderson joined the staff of WBGO-FM, in 1995, where she hosts Weekend jazz Overnight.
-
Sheila Anderson joined the staff of WBGO-FM, in 1995, where she hosts Weekend jazz Overnight. From 1995-2002 she hosted the award-winning TV show “The Art of Jazz” on Manhattan Neighborhood Network. She authored four books: The Quotable Musician: From Bach to Tupac (2003), How to Grow as A Musician: What All Musicians Must Know to Succeed (2005) (both published by Allworth Press) The Little Red Book of Musicians Wisdom (Skyhorse Press, 2012) and in 2019 the 2nd edition of How to Grow as A Musician (Skyhorse Press.) As a producer, for eighteen years, Ms. Anderson curated Jazz in the Garden at The Newark Museum of Art (NMOA) and she continues to curate the Central Jersey Jazz Festival (CJJF).
Ms. Anderson is a (2017) Columbia University Community Scholar, an inaugural Dan Morgenstern Fellow at the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University-Newark (2020,) is a graduate of Baruch College and resides in Harlem, NYC.
Sounds of April & Randall
An award-winning jazz ensemble led by vocalist April May Webb, 2024 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition winner, and trumpeter Randall Haywood, named “Male Rising Star” by Hot House and Jazzmobile NYC. The dynamic duo blend jazz, with Country, R&B and Gospel influences – together they create music that inspires.
-
Sounds of April & Randall is an award-winning jazz ensemble led by vocalist April May Webb, 2024 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition winner, and trumpeter Randall Haywood, named “Male Rising Star” by Hot House and Jazzmobile NYC. Their musical chemistry, first sparked at a New Jersey jam session. April & Randall blend jazz with Country, R&B, and Gospel influences. April May studied under Mulgrew Miller at William Paterson University, while Randall earned his master’s at Juilliard. In 2023, they were named U.S. Cultural Ambassadors, touring Fiji and Tonga through the State Department. They also received grants from Chamber Music America and South Arts. Their music has earned national acclaim – “Horizon” hit #17 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts, and “Questions Left Unanswered” peaked at #12 on the National Jazz Week charts in 2025. “Everybody Ain’t Gonna Like You” won Gold at the Annual Songwriters Association Competition of Washington. Randall was the youngest Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra member at 15, and April May was the first Black woman to graduate from William Paterson’s Jazz Education program. Together, they create music that inspires.
Honoring Pillars of Jazz, Culture, and Community
In addition to the distinguished musical performances, SIJF 37 will formally honor three outstanding individuals who embody the festival’s spirit of excellence, justice, and joy through their contributions to jazz and community:
The incredible Antoinette Montague, blues and jazz singer, entertainer and educator, aka, “Jazz Woman to the Rescue,” and acclaimed jazz producer and educator, Amilcar Mtu, will both receive the Sajda Musawwir Ladner Jazz Legacy Award.
Edwina Frances Martin, Esq. Commissioner, Public Administrator of Richmond County, honored for her unwavering dedication to civic engagement and advocacy will receive the Community Leadership Award.
“These honorees represent the values our founder, Sajda Musawwir Ladner, stood for: excellence, justice, and joy through culture,” said Rashida Ladner-Seward, UTA Executive Director. “Their contributions are a testament to the enduring power of community and the arts.”
Antoinette Montague
Sajda Musawwir Ladner Jazz Legacy Award
Antoinette Montague is an incredible Blues and Jazz singer and entertainer. She consistently delivers an amazing experience for audiences to enjoy.
-
Sajda Musawwir Ladner Jazz Legacy Award
Antoinette Montague is an incredible Blues and Jazz singer and entertainer. She consistently delivers an amazing experience for audiences to enjoy. Her recent Jazz Journalists Association Heroes Award 2024 is a testament to the many assets she possesses. Antoinette Montague is a proud daughter of the Great City of Newark. Known as Jazz Woman To The Rescue for her stage persona and her humanitarian work with the foundation of the same name, Antoinette lives her big life with jazz in her heart and the blues in her soul. She is multi-talented and has been featured on Vox Humana (Grammy Nominated recording), featured lead Character o the 2025 Emmy Nominated George to the Rescue national television show.
She sings, teaches and has been named the 2025 Educator of the Year Award by The Newark School of the Arts and broke barriers by putting Jazz into the NJPAC Corolla Scholarship of Classical music. in numerous residencies, mentors, advocates, and even has a radio show! She has played the Blue Note, Birdland, The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, Litchfield Jazz Fest, Ashdod Jazz Fest in Israel, Russia, S. Korea, and many amazing sold out venues. Her dazzling smile, her way with a kazoo, and her deep understanding and love of the music we call the Blues and Jazz. Antoinette Montague can make an audience cry with “I Loves You Porgy” or bring a crowd to its feet with her joyful rendition of “Let The Good Times Roll.” Her vast knowledge of jazz, as Antoinette often quotes Willie Dixon, “Blues is the root; everything else is the fruit,” has secured her place as the 2024 Jazz Journalists Jazz Hero – Antoinette Montague, Jazz Woman to the Rescue!”
Amilcar (“Al”) Mtu
Sajda Musawwir Ladner Jazz Legacy Award
Amilcar (“Al”) Mtu. At the early age of 12, his father took him to see two of the greatest pianists at the time, Oscar Peterson and George Shearing. That experience is when he acquired a love of culture and modern American music, JAZZ. As a teenager, while attempting to become a saxophonist, he remembers that he played his favorite tune “Contemplation” written by Wayne Shorter, performed by the Art Blakely band, every day after school after walking his girlfriend back to her house.
-
Sajda Musawwir Ladner Jazz Legacy Award
Amilcar (“Al”) Mtu. At the early age of 12, his father took him to see two of the greatest pianists at the time, Oscar Peterson and George Shearing. That experience is when he acquired a love of culture and modern American music, JAZZ. As a teenager, while attempting to become a saxophonist, he remembers that he played his favorite tune “Contemplation” written by Wayne Shorter, performed by the Art Blakely band, every day after school after walking his girlfriend back to her house. Influenced by jazz greats like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, the Heath Brothers, Duke Ellington, Benny Golson, and many others, he was inspired to pursue music but ultimately chose to become a producer of the genre. For the past six years, Al produced the Modern American Music Series in Harlem, New York City at the renowned outdoor venue, Grants Tomb. Noteworthy achievements include publishing “Jazz News,” a music journal in the 90’s and early 2000’s and receiving a citation from the NYC Mayor’s office for service to New York City’s music community. He has a talent for recognizing emerging talent, an example is the introduction of jazz vocalist Samara Joy during his Modern American Music series a few years ago. This amazing talent garnered a Grammy, and she continues to perform at famous concerts all over the world!
Al is a graduate of Wingate High School and holds a Bachelor of Science from Ohio State University, where he was inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame. Al shares that his love of our music and culture has provided him with the strength and understanding to continue our struggle which has brought him to where he is now. As the great Duke Ellington stated, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.”
Edwina Frances Martin, Esq
Universal Temple of the Arts Community Leadership Award
Edwina Frances Martin, Esq., is a public interest lawyer experienced in Litigation, Public Policy, Government Relations, Non-Profit Management, and Strategic Communications.
-
Edwina Frances Martin, Esq., is a public interest lawyer experienced in Litigation, Public Policy, Government Relations, Non-Profit Management, and Strategic Communications. She is the Commissioner, Public Administrator of Richmond County, responsible for the administration of estates of persons that have left no will, and where there is no qualified person(s) to administer the decedent’s estate. Duties of the position include providing for burial arrangements when no close relative is available to do so; protecting the decedent’s property from waste, loss, or theft; and locating persons entitled to inherit from the estate and ensuring that legal distributes receive their inheritance.
Prior to her current appointment Ms. Martin served as Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff to former New York City Council Member Debi Rose (49th District); Director of Government Relations, Communications & Pro Bono for Legal Services NYC; and litigation associate with the law firms of Shearman & Sterling LLP, Herrick Feinstein LLP, and Van Lierop, Burns & Bassett LLP. She began her legal career serving as law clerk to the Hon. Lawrence W. Pierce in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Ms. Martin volunteers extensively within her home community and the New York legal community. Her volunteer work includes the American Association of University Women (past New York State president; past Branch President; member, national board of directors);the Staten Island Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (Co-Chair, Social Action Committee; Chair, Health & Safety Community Fair); the New York State Bar Association (Delegate, House of Delegates (13th JD)); the Staten Island Women’s Bar Association (Advisory Council; past president); National Council of Negro Women/SI (Co-Chair, Social Justice Committee); Soroptimist International-Staten Island (Chair, Live Your Dream Award); Staten Island Meals on Wheels (member, board of directors); St. John’s Episcopal Church (member, Vestry); and the Alice Austen House & Museum (member, Advisory Board).
Ms. Martin graduated from New York University School of Law (Vanderbilt Medal, Arthur Garfield Hayes Civil Liberties Fellow, Convocation Speaker, and NAACP LDF Earl Warren Scholarship Fellow) and holds her B.A. in Art History from Williams College (Dean’s List, Art History Merit Award Winner). Ms. Martin lives in the West Brighton community of Staten Island with her partner Mickey Burns, where, in her spare time, she walks and bird watches in Clove Lakes Park.
Prior to her current appointment Ms. Martin served as Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff to former New York City Council Member Debi Rose (49th District); Director of Government Relations, Communications & Pro Bono for Legal Services NYC; and litigation associate with the law firms of Shearman & Sterling LLP, Herrick Feinstein LLP, and Van Lierop, Burns & Bassett LLP. She began her legal career serving as law clerk to the Hon. Lawrence W. Pierce in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Ms. Martin volunteers extensively within her home community and the New York legal community. Her volunteer work includes the American Association of University Women (past New York State president; past Branch President; member, national board of directors);the Staten Island Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (Co-Chair, Social Action Committee; Chair, Health & Safety Community Fair); the New York State Bar Association (Delegate, House of Delegates (13th JD)); the Staten Island Women’s Bar Association (Advisory Council; past president); National Council of Negro Women/SI (Co-Chair, Social Justice Committee); Soroptimist International-Staten Island (Chair, Live Your Dream Award); Staten Island Meals on Wheels (member, board of directors); St. John’s Episcopal Church (member, Vestry); and the Alice Austen House & Museum (member, Advisory Board).
Ms. Martin graduated from New York University School of Law (Vanderbilt Medal, Arthur Garfield Hayes Civil Liberties Fellow, Convocation Speaker, and NAACP LDF Earl Warren Scholarship Fellow) and holds her B.A. in Art History from Williams College (Dean’s List, Art History Merit Award Winner). Ms. Martin lives in the West Brighton community of Staten Island with her partner Mickey Burns, where, in her spare time, she walks and bird watches in Clove Lakes Park.
How to Buy Tickets
-
1
Call the St. George Theatre Box Office at 718-442-2900 Tuesday through Friday from 12pm to 5pm. There is a nominal credit card fee but no TM fees to pay.
-
2
Visit the St. George Theatre Box Office, 35 Hyatt Street, Tuesday through Friday from 12pm to 5pm. If paying cash, there are no additional fees.
-
3
For convenience, tickets can be purchased online Ticketmaster.com 24/7. TM fees are applied.
Thank you
UTA's Staten Island JAZZ Festival 37 is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional corporate support has been provided by Con Edison. UTA gratefully acknowledges Empire Outlets, WBGO and the Romare Bearden Foundation for their support.
A special thank you to Council Member Kamillah M. Hanks.
FEATURED ON
•
SILive.com
•
WBGO 88.3 FM
•
Around The Island
•
Hot House Jazz
•
The New York Amsterdam News
• SILive.com • WBGO 88.3 FM • Around The Island • Hot House Jazz • The New York Amsterdam News
-
“As we enter our third decade as Staten Island’s oldest continuously run jazz festival, we remain committed to presenting iconic and popular jazz artists as well as showcasing Staten Island performers who stand tall delivering their understanding of this world-wide, cherished music called jazz. Universal Temple of the Arts thinks of JAZZ in all capital letters. We explore every aspect of the art form.”
October 19, 2019: Quote from the late Sajda Musawwir Ladner, who was the Founder of the Staten Island JAZZ Festival and Artistic/Executive Director of Universal Temple of the Arts.
-
"The Romare Bearden Foundation shares a part of our mission with Universal Temple of the Arts - the arts education of young people and adults. UTA stays true to the spirit of its founder Sajda Musawwir. The annual jazz festival is also a jewel of the arts in New York City!"
Diedra Harris-Kelley
Co-director, Romare Bearden Foundation