Juneteenth Concert: Marcus Roberts and the Modern Jazz Generation

The St. Augustine Music Festival (SAMF) presents their fourth Juneteenth Concert on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at 7:30 p.m., at Lewis Auditorium.

Marcus Roberts will perform with the Modern Jazz Generation, featuring Jason Marsalis on drums and Rodney Jordan on bass. They will perform Marcus Roberts' program, From New Orleans to Harlem, which includes songs by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Jelly Roll Morton, and Fats Waller. 

After the intermission, Marcus Roberts and the Modern Jazz Generation will be joined by members of the St. Augustine Music Festival Chamber Orchestra to perform a special arrangement of "Rhapsody in Blue" on the 100th anniversary of Gershwin's composition. 

Pianist Marcus Roberts, bassist Rodney Jordan, and drummer Rodney Marsalis have performed together for decades. In concerts, they are an equal partnership, with each taking the lead in changing the tempo, mood, and texture of a song — at any time. 

Born in Jacksonville, Marcus started learning the piano at age five and was a student at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine. He has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Bèla Fleck, and Chick Corea. From Memphis, Tennessee, bassist Rodney Jordan is now the professor of jazz studies at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He has been called "one of the more versatile jazz bassists on the scene today." Jazz drummer Jason Marsalis is from the New Orleans musical Marsalis family. In addition to many other musical collaborations, Jason began touring with the Marcus Roberts Trio in 1994 when he was 19.

Admission: $40.00 per person. Some discounts may apply. To learn more and purchase tickets, go here.

When: Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Lewis Auditorium, 14 Granada Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084

This is the traditional opening evening for the annual St. Augustine Music Festival. To see the rest of the performances, go here.