Kenny Werner & Grégoire Maret

With one of the most recognizable sounds in the music’s history, Thielemans made the harmonica into a legitimate jazz instrument, recording over 30 albums and working with artists including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, and Pat Metheny. His soundtrack work for projects ranging from Midnight Cowboy to Sesame Street endeared him to millions, and he worked for nearly 20 years with Werner, recording the GRAMMY-nominated Verve live duo session Toots Thielemans and Kenny Werner in 2001.

A superlative bandleader, veteran sideman, and Guggenheim Fellow, Werner has led nearly 50 albums and worked widely with the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Joe Lovano, and Archie Shepp. He wrote the seminal musician’s guide Effortless Mastery in 1996.

Swiss-born GRAMMY-winner Grégoire Maret is among the most in-demand instrumentalists in jazz, with a résumé that includes Prince, Marcus Miller, Kurt Elling, Steve Coleman, and Jimmy Scott. For this tribute performance to his mentor and inspiration, Maret says the duo will, “find new places where his spirit is truly honored but his music is being played through a new prism.”