"Wu-Tang meets the Painted Lady (Suites)" For the fifth consecutive month, Jazz Standard welcomes back to our stage the Michael Leonhart Orchestra – simply one of the most thrilling and accomplished big bands on today’s jazz scene. Under the direction of trumpeter/composer Michael Leonhart, the MLO includes expert players from the Village Vanguard Orchestra, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Dap–Kings, Menahan Street Band, and Antibalas. For tonight’s performance, the MLO will move with ease from songs by the Wu–Tang Clan to Leonhart compositions from his orchestra’s acclaimed 2018 album The Painted Lady Suites. “If I can give someone goosebumps, if I can make all the fatigue, anxiety and stuffy reality of the day go away and take people to a place where you're experiencing a higher–level joy…that’s an in­credible thing to see. Sometimes when I turn around and I see that the entire audience is moving because they just can't help it, that's an incredible thing. I'm looking at people and they really look ‘in the mo­ment.’ They're not concerned about what happened earlier or what is going to happen afterwards. That's a great place to be at. Whether that's achieved through melody rhythm, harmony, dissonance, counterpoint, that's secondary. That transcendental kind of thing is what matters.” (Michael Leonhart, All About Jazz, 7.16.2018) Michael Leonhart – leader, trumpet Philip Dizack, Scott Wendholt, Jordan McLean, Dave Guy– trumpets Ryan Keberle – trombone Reggie Chapman – bass trombone Davie Pietro, Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Michael Blake (7:30 only) – tenor saxophone Jason Marshall – baritone saxophone Sara Schoenbeck – bassoon Pauline Kim – violin Trevo Exter – cello Robbie Mangano – guitar Nathan Koci – organ Joe Martin – bass Dan Freedman – drums Elizabeth Pupo Walker – percussion