Downtown Alliance’s Free Concert Series Starts May 13

The Alliance for Downtown New York will bring its popular summer music and dance performances back to Lower Manhattan with the return of its Art Is All Around concert series on May 13. Lasting for six weeks, these free performances will entertain Lower Manhattan’s lunchtime crowds with energetic and engaging music and dance performances. The performances will feature nationally recognized artists bringing exhilarating sounds of jazz, blues, funk, salsa, cha-cha-cha, soul and pop music along with exciting tap, swing and modern jazz dancing. 

Concerts will take place each Wednesday at 12 p.m., beginning on May 13 and lasting until June 17, with the first three taking place at the World Trade Center’s Cortlandt Way and the final three occurring in front of the iconic Red Cube at 140 Broadway. The series expands on the Alliance’s Art Is All Around campaign, which features public art and performances that can be enjoyed throughout the neighborhood. Music and movement for the concert series will be programmed by New York musician and producer Svetlana Shmulyian. 

“The warm weather is coming, we promise! And when it does, we have a tremendous line-up of live musical performances to delight you this summer,” Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin said.

Art Is All Around Performance Schedule:

May 13 –  George Gee Swing Orchestra @ World Trade Center’s Cortlandt Way

May 20 – La Orquesta Esa @ World Trade Center’s Cortlandt Way

May  27  – Brass Queens @ World Trade Center’s Cortlandt Way

June 3 – Queen Esther and Wayne Tucker and the Bad Mothas @ 140 Broadway

June 10 – Svetlana & the New York Collective Orchestra @ 140 Broadway

June 17 – Alphonso Horne & the Gotham Kings @ 140 Broadway

George Gee Swing Orchestra  — May 13 @ World Trade Center’s Cortlandt Way

Chinese-American bandleader George Gee formed his own big band 46 years ago, and through the ups and downs of swing’s various revivals, he has kept his group working and performing throughout the world and done his part to carry on the tradition of his mentor, Count Basie.  A mainstay of the NYC swing dance community, George and the band recently concluded a 28-year residency at Times Square night club SWING46 Jazz & Supper Club upon the club’s closing.

Featured dancers:  Paolo Pasta Lanna and Laurentina

La Orquesta Esa —  May 20 @ World Trade Center’s Cortlandt Way

Ginita y La Orquesta Esa is NYC’s dynamic Mambo Orchestra powered by trombonist and vocalist Ginita. Their songbook features salsa, cumbia and cha cha cha classics by pioneers like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Titi Amadeo, Willie Colon and Celia Cruz, while contributing to the canon with original music that celebrates Latine heritage and Latine dance. 

Featured dancer: Selena Tornez 

Brass Queens — May 27 @  World Trade Center’s Cortlandt Way

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, the award-winning Brass Queens are a female-led brass band featuring all-female horns with a sound that sits right at the intersection of the Big Apple and the Big Easy. Their music is deeply inspired by and pays homage to the New Orleans brass band tradition while injecting the upbeat, multifaceted energy of their New York home into each performance. 

Featured dancer: Morgan Cohen

Queen Esther and Wayne Tucker and the Bad Mothas — June 3  @ 140 Broadway

Led by Queen Esther, an award winning multidisciplinary artist that “defies categorization” (New York Jazz Record), All Cats Are Beautiful is her latest immersive song cycle – original country songs performed by hard bop jazz musicians Wayne Tucker and the Bad Mothas. Wayne Tucker, a Grammy-nominated composer and multi-instrumentalist, leads the Bad Mothas, an electrifying ensemble known for blending jazz, hip-hop, R&B and funk into high-energy, reimagined classics and original works. Together, Queen Esther and this powerful collective use improvisation, spoken word, movement, storytelling and joy to bring this soulful and uplifting music to life.

Featured dancer:  AC Lincoln 

Svetlana & the New York Collective Orchestra — June 10 @ 140 Broadway

Svetlana is a NYC-based, chart-topping vocalist, composer and bandleader known for her vibrant blend of swing, straight-ahead jazz and original music. Leading the Svetlana New York Collective Orchestra, she brings together the spirit of classic swing-era big bands with thrilling, modern arrangements, creating an electrifying sound rooted in storytelling, powerful vocals and dynamic improvisation. 

Featured dancer: DeWitt Fleming Jr.

Alphonso Horne & the Gotham Kings — June 17 @ 140 Broadway

Gotham Kings is a high-energy immersive experience. Two-time Grammy-nominated trumpeter Alphonso Horne has assembled an all-star band that weaves the sound and tap dancing of New Orleans, funk, jazz and hip-hop to bring a celebratory spirit that uplifts every room they play. 

Featured dancer: Lisa La Touche