2022 NEA Jazz Master, New Orleans cultural torchbearer, and saxophonist Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. joins the JAZZ ROOM to perform his hard-swinging improvisational style and his original creation, "Nouveau Swing," a blend of jazz with R&B, hip-hop, rock, and soul. JazzArts welcomes Big Chief Donald and his quintet from the Crescent City celebrating the kickoff to JAZZ ROOM Season 16 and Jazz Appreciation Month. Donald Harrison: A master of every era of jazz, soul, funk, and classical music, Donald Harrison Jr has created three influential styles of jazz: nouveau swing, a modern second-line, and quantum jazz. The TV series Treme’ is loosely based on his life. Awarded the 2022 NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy, Donald Harrison Jr. is recognized as Big Chief of Congo Square in Afro-New Orleans culture, sharing that unique New Orleans jazz with the world, and mentoring artists as diverse as The Notorious Big, Jonathon Batiste, Trombone Shorty, and Esperanza Spaulding. The JAZZ ROOM provides a casual and intimate setting with tables and a full bar, reminiscent of the classic jazz rooms of yesteryear. At this time, masks are not required at the Stage Door Theater and the bar has returned. Thank you to the program sponsors and supporters, who each bring jazz alive in Charlotte: Infusion Fund, Knight Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, North Carolina Arts Council, and O's Place Jazz.