friday night jazz
Since 2011, Woodmere has celebrated music & community with Jazz concerts.
With exceptional performers, an acoustically astounding space, and amazing works of art, the concert experience at the Museum is like no other.
Planning to attend a jazz concert? Please review our music performance policy page.
Members must be logged in to receive their benefit of discounted or pre-sale music tickets. Full price tickets must be added to your online shopping cart in order for your Member discount to appear.
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WRTI is a partner for Music at Woodmere.
Friday Night Jazz is offered in partnership with LifeLine Music Coalition.
Performances are conducted by Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble with weekly featured guests.
Friday Night Jazz concerts take place indoors. Seating will be provided by the Museum. Food and drink are not permitted in the galleries.
The Fall 2026 schedule is available below. Members, please remember to log in to your Member account to access your benefits. Full price tickets must be added to your online shopping cart in order for your Member discount to appear.
Showing 1-3 of 52 events
Fall season 2026
All Performance TicketsListen with your Eyes: Charlie Parker
Celebrate the groundbreaking music of alto saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker in a performance honoring artist Moe Brooker, an avid admirer of Parker and bebop. Emerging in the 1940s, bebop transformed jazz through its bold improvisation, rhythmic complexity, and revolutionary spirit. Saxophonist Michael Clay brings Parker’s music to life with classics such as “Now’s the Time,” “Confirmation,” and more.
$18 Members | $28 Non-Members
Oct 2
Friday
6 pm
Conversations: Motown Jazz Cafe
Vocalists Warren Cooper and Kim Payton come together for an engaging musical dialogue inspired by the sounds of Motown. Through timeless songs, expressive harmonies, and playful exchanges, the two artists explore how music can create connection, spark conversation, and tell the story of the ups and downs of a relationship.
$18 Members | $28 Non-Members
Miles Davis: Intention and Improvisation
Trumpeter Miles Davis was driven by a lifelong desire to create music that felt spontaneous, honest, and new. Trumpeter Daud El-Bakara channels Davis’s restless creative spirit through selections from his vast repertoire, including “So What,” “Milestones,” and “Tutu.”
$18 Members | $28 Non-Members
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser
Thelonious Monk’s unmistakable sound embodies jazz in its rawest and most original form. Often described as a pianist who played with the rhythmic force of a drummer, Monk transformed unexpected notes and silences into unforgettable music. This program features signature compositions such as “Straight, No Chaser,” “Blue Monk,” and “‘Round Midnight.”
$18 Members | $28 Non-Members
Future Moments: The Music of Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman boldly moved beyond the conventions of his time, helping to reshape the future of jazz. His innovative approach opened new possibilities for improvisation, expression, and musical freedom. Experience landmark compositions such as “Lonely Woman” and “The Shape of Jazz to Come.”
$18 Members | 28 Non-Members
The Measure of Every Part: The Music of Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday brought extraordinary honesty and emotional depth to every song she performed. Vocalist Mi’cal Beckham honors Holiday’s singular artistry with moving interpretations of classics such as “God Bless the Child,” “Good Morning Heartache,” and “My Man.”
$18 Members | $28 Non-Members
Nov 6
Friday
6 pm
Completely Yes: The Music of Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder’s music invites us to feel, reflect, celebrate, and hope. Vocalist El Barak brings Wonder’s joyful and enduring songbook to life with favorites such as “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” “Ribbon in the Sky,” and “Superstition.”
$18 Members | $28 Non-Members
I Come to Dance My Joy: Afrocentric Jazz
Explore the African roots of jazz and the many rhythms, sounds, and traditions that have shaped the music across continents and generations. Ghanaian vocalist Elle Gyandoh leads a journey through the African diaspora, celebrating artists such as King Sunny Adé, Hugh Masekela, Fela Kuti, and Miriam Makeba through songs including “Grazing in the Grass” and “The Click Song.”
$18 Members | $28 Non-Memebrs
Everything Is on Its Way to Somehow: Avant-Garde Jazz
Often called “the New Thing,” avant-garde jazz challenged expectations and expanded the possibilities of musical expression. Artists including Albert Ayler, Anthony Braxton, and the Sun Ra Arkestra created sounds that were daring, complex, and far ahead of their time. Woodmere welcomes Knoel Scott, a key member of the Sun Ra Arkestra, performing with the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble for an evening of adventurous music.
$18 Members | $28 Non-Members
Dec 4
Friday
6 pm
Substance of Things Hoped For: The Music of Marvin Gaye
Vocalist Roy Richardson takes audiences on a journey through the music of Marvin Gaye, whose songs gave powerful voice to love, hope, struggle, and social change. The program features favorites such as “What’s Going On,” “Inner City Blues,” and “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology).”
$18 Members | $28 Non-Members
Gift of the Spirit: David Winslow Gospel Singers
Experience an uplifting evening with the David Winslow Gospel Singers. Through soaring vocals, rich harmonies, and the joyful spirit of gospel music, the ensemble offers a moving celebration of faith, community, and the transformative power of song.
$18 Members | $28 Non-Members
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Dec 18
Friday
6 pm
I Can’t Keep from Singing: The Music of Nina Simone
Few artists could tell a story through music with the power and conviction of Nina Simone. Her interpretations of classic songs, along with her own unforgettable compositions, gave voice to love, resilience, injustice, and liberation. Vocalist Suzanne Burgess honors Simone’s extraordinary legacy with selections including “Four Women,” “Mississippi Goddam,” and “Feeling Good.”
$18 Members | $28 Non-Members
JAZZ from the ART
In partnership with Lifeline Music Coalition, Woodmere presents JAZZ from the ART: a video series of jazz tunes, interviews, and clips of past performances by the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble at Woodmere.
A Valentine's Romance: Cheek To Cheek featuring vocalist Sherry Butler
What's Going On and A Change is Gonna Come featuring saxophonist, flautist, and vocalist Roy Richardson Come
Song For My Father: Tribute to Horace Silver featuring pianist Adam Faulk
Jumpin' Jazz: A Tisket A Tasket; Hot and Spicy featuring vocalist Sherry Butler and bassist Warren Oree
Blue Bayou: Remembering Linda Ronstadt featuring vocalist Phyllis Chapell and guitarist Frank Butrey
It Don't Mean A Thing featuring vocalist Sherry Butler
Duke's Mellow Mood: Mood Indigo featuring saxophonist Larry Price
The Sidewinder by Lee Morgan featuring Will Wright on trumpet
Get Ready featuring vocalist Roy Richardson
Highlights from Previous concerts
Since 2011, we’ve been delighting Jazz lovers with dynamic and unique performances! Take a trip down memory lane and enjoy these highlights.
Music of B.B. King and Muddy Waters
They put the BLUE in blues and were not afraid to keep the stories of life real and raw in their music. BB was known as the “King” and Muddy was known as the “Father” of the Blues. Vocalist and guitarist Rich Tucker took us to those “Down Home Blues.”
JUNETEENTH! A Holiday for All
This special holiday commemorates the date in 1865 when news arrived to the enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas of their emancipation from slavery. This multi-faceted celebration featured The Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble performing selections from the jazz opera, Never Back Down and the music of King Sunny Ade, Archie Shepp, and Max Roach, along with a special poetry and music performance by the award-winning Black lyricist and author, Nina "Lyrispect" Ball. An evening to celebrate the determination of the human spirit in pursuit of freedom. In partnership with the African American Museum of Philadelphia.
Jazz-Maica: Get Up…Stand Up...for the Music of Bob Marley
The music of Jamaica has often been an inspiration to and inspired by jazz music and musicians. The pulsating rhythms ring true to the freedom found in much of jazz. Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” and John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” brought a unique consciousness to reggae and jazz. The Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble was joined by vocalist Roy Richardson.