Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Marsalis follow giant steps to Ghana

Something that long-term Jazz enthusiasts in Ghana have been talking about recently is their excitement over the upcoming concerts in Accra by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) with Wynton Marsalis.  

The esteemed Orchestra and its outstanding Artistic and Musical Director, trumpeter, teacher and composer will perform at the +233 Jazz Bar and Grill on October 10 and October 11, 2025. 

Their coming to Ghana definitely stirs up memories of some major figures in the Jazz genre who had been to Ghana in the past. 

The United States, as part of its Arts America cultural programme sometime ago, regularly sponsored artistes abroad to illustrate the eminence and wide-scale influence of aspects of the country’s popular culture. Some artistes, however, also came to Ghana through other arrangements. 

Trumpeter Louis Armstrong and his band visited Ghana twice, first in May 1956 for a two-day trip and again in October 1960 as part of a three-month State Department tour of Africa. He was reported to have felt a deep connection to Ghana. 

Drummer Max Roach was in Ghana in July 1974 on a two-week visit to reconnect with his long-time friend, Ghanaian drummer Kofi Ghanaba, and to further explore the African roots of  Jazz. Roach and Ghanaba had known each other since the late-1950s when the Ghanaian drummer was active on the Chicago Jazz scene.

Renowned vibraphonist and composer Roy Ayers and his Jazz Soul Band came to Ghana in May 1984 to perform at the State House  in support of Ghana’s National Olympic Team. 

Tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and his Jazz Quartet were in Ghana in January 1992 as part of a four-week tour of Africa. They played concerts at the State House in Accra and Hotel Maxima in Kumasi. 

Trumpeter Donald Byrd came to Ghana with his All-Stars Band in December 2000 for a performance at the National Theatre. Byrd had in 1962, included a song called ‘Ghana’ on his album titled ‘The Jazz Soul of Donald Byrd.’

Notable Jazz musicians such as pianists Ahmad Jamal and Randy Weston, trumpeter Clark Terry, singer Joe Williams, drummer Andrew Cyrille and several others were in Ghana at different times either as  cultural ambassadors or to reconnect with their African musical roots.

The Grammy Award-winning Wynton Marsalis has consistently been aware of and appreciated his African ancestry. A new work of his called ‘Afro’ that hails his African roots, will be performed at the Accra concerts which form part of the Orchestra’s 2025 African tour. Other countries being visited are South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.

Guest musicians traveling with the JLCO are drummer Herlin Riley, percussionist Weedie Braimah and vocalist Shenel Johns. 

The JLCO Accra concerts are being hosted by the Ghana Jazz Foundation and the +233 Jazz Bar and Grill.