Armstrong Now! An Evening of Spoken Word & Music

A Co-Presentation with the Louis Armstrong House Museum

Featuring:
Daniel J. Watts (actor, tap)
Jake Goldbas (music director, drums)
Alphonso Horne (trumpet)
Michael Stephenson (saxophone)
Mathis Picard (piano)
Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere (bass)

Tony nominated actor Daniel J. Watts (TINA: The Tina Turner Musical) teams up with Louis Armstrong House Museum Program Director Jake Goldbas for an evening of music, spoken word, and tap dance. Watts will lead the audience through poems, songs, and more that deconstruct the complexities of Armstrong’s life with a full house band. Watts will be joined on stage by Alphonso Horne (trumpet); Michael Stephenson (saxophone); Mathis Picard (piano); Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere (bass), and Goldbas on drums. Co-presented by Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives (LAHM) the presentation also includes an installation of footage from the museum’s extensive archives. The show takes place Thursday, February 17 at 7pm at Hudson Hall and will also be live-streamed for free.

Watts is a poet, writer, and actor best known for his role as Ike Turner in TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, exiting in Feb 2022. He is also known for his roles in Person of Interest, Vinyl, and Blindspot and appearances in Hamilton, In the Heights, and Memphis, and off-Broadway in Suzan Lori-Parks’ Death of the Last Black Man in the Entire World.

Also, in partnership with the LAHM’s “Voices of Freedom” project and the Hudson City School District, this event is preceded by a three week in-school spoken word workshop culminating in a masterclass led by Watts. Voices of Freedom is an educational series that explores the role of art as a vehicle for social change. The program encourages students to create new works while learning about the process and techniques of world-class artists.

Check out Watts (here) performing a jazz-inspired spoken-word piece, “Fish Heads,” filmed at the Louis Armstrong House Museum, the video is part of the museum’s Armstrong Now! initiative, providing museum-quality programming to wider audiences outside of its Queens community.

TICKETS:
$25 General Admission – SOLD OUT

General Admission Table of 2: $50, Cabaret-style table. To purchase a table of 4, please purchase two tables of 2 and our box office staff will make note of your order.

FREE Live from Hudson Hall Livestream (reservations required)

In partnership with the Louis Armstrong House Museum’s “Voices of Freedom” project and the Hudson City School District, the 2022 Hudson Jazz Festival is preceded by a 3 week in-school spoken word workshop led by Daniel J. Watts. 

To view the full Hudson Jazz Festival lineup and learn about HJF 2022 Festival Passes & Sponsorship opportunities, click here.