Legendary jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette may have passed away in October of last year, but in his 83 years on this planet, he managed to play with some of the most incredible jazz musicians in history: Roscoe Mitchell, Charles Lloyd, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Pat Metheny, and Keith Jarrett come immediately to mind.
In “Celebrating Jack DeJohnette: Sound Travels”, a benefit concert scheduled for Sunday, August 9, 2026 at Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston, NY, a veritable who’s who of DeJohnette’s former band members, collaborators, and admirers will descend on the Hudson Valley to pay homage to one of the most influential, dynamic, and flexible percussionists of all time. DeJohnette was also a noted pianist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator.
This special concert event (scheduled for the late-drummer’s birthday) is presented by Lydia DeJohnette, guitarist Pat Metheny, percussionist Terri Lyne Carrington and concert/festival producer Danny Melnick of Absolutely Live Entertainment.
The list of artists scheduled to speak or perform at the event is a staggering list of jazz giants: Don Byron, Michael Cain, Will Calhoun, Terri Lyne Carrington, Billy Childs, Denardo Coleman, Steve Coleman, George Colligan, Ravi Coltrane, Marc Copland, Dave Fiuczynski, Bill Frisell, David Gilmore, Edsel Gomez, Larry Grenadier, Drew Gress, Jerome Harris, Billy Hart, Dave Holland, Bruce Hornsby, Joe Lovano, Linda May Han Oh, Rudresh Mahanthappa, John Medeski, Roscoe Mitchell, Jason Moran, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, David Murray, Greg Osby, John Patitucci, Danilo Perez, Chris Potter, Luisito Quintero, Rufus Reid, Tim Ries, Wallace Roney Jr., John Scofield, Marvin Sewell, Wadada Leo Smith, esperanza spalding, Bill Stewart, Tani Tabbal, Charles Tolliver, Nasheet Waits and others.
All proceeds for the event will benefit Family of Woodstock and The Table at Woodstock. The Family is an organization that provides shelter, food pantry assistance, domestic violence services and more to help those in need. The Table was originally created to address food security and advocacy, and has grown to provide other services as well to the Onteora community.
DeJohnette and his wife Lydia called Woodstock home for more than half a century, and the fundraising element of this benefit reflects their family’s sense of community. According to Lydia DeJohnette she has “volunteered at Family of Woodstock for many years”. Both she and her Jack helped with many of their fundraisers including other local non-profits. They also support The Table at Woodstock and know many of the people involved with the organizations.
“Both entities are extremely beneficial to the region, supporting the Hudson Valley in many positive ways,” says Lydia DeJohnette. “[We] are grateful for the work they are doing.”
NYS Music was able to interview benefit producer Danny Melnick (who also produces the annual Saratoga Jazz Festival) for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to pull together this unique tribute show.
NYS Music: Can you talk a bit about how this idea for a benefit honoring the legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette came together?
Danny Melnick: Terri Lyne Carrington and Pat Metheny told Lydia DeJohnette they felt it was important to honor Jack with a retrospective and invite many of Jack’s collaborators to perform for or to speak about Jack. Lydia agreed and invited me to help produce the event. It was her decision to have it in the Hudson Valley, rather than in NYC, and we chose UPAC as Jack performed there numerous times and they’ve had a good relationship with the venue.
NYS Music: Our site focuses on live music in New York State. What did Jack DeJohnette mean to the Hudson Valley, and why was it important to do this show at UPAC as opposed to the city?
Danny Melnick: Jack moved to the area in the late 1960s and was a vanguard artist who came here really early on. His presence influenced many other musicians to relocate in the Hudson Valley and make this area their home. I think Lydia wanted to have this celebration here as an acknowledgment that the area was home to them for almost 60 years and it still is for her.
NYS Music: DeJohnette was such a prolific and flexible drummer who worked in so many styles. He was famous for his work with Miles’ electric groups, but he also had a long recording history with Charles Lloyd and Keith Jarrett — musicians from his own generation. He played with more mainstream “rock” artists like Bruce Hornsby and Levon Helm, but was seemingly just as comfortable in avant-garde or free jazz spaces (his adventurous Tin Can Alley album comes to mind). How does this lineup reflect the wide-ranging impact of Dejohnette’s drumming and artistry?
Danny Melnick: Just as you say, we have numerous jazz artists who played with Jack from so many eras, going back to the 60s and Bruce Hornsby will be with us too. Jack had an incredibly open musical mind and soul. He didn’t label music; he didn’t ever stay in a box. I have been a fan of his music since I first learned about him when I was in high school in the 1980s and I love that he has played in so many diverse and interesting settings. It’s really astonishing when you understand his accomplishments and work ethic.
NYS Music: The logistics of assembling so many incredible musicians in one place is a little mind-boggling. Can you pull back the curtain a little for readers about the prep work that goes into making this come together?
Danny Melnick: It’s a lot and will continue to be until and during that night too! Lydia started the initial list. Pat, Terri Lyne and I weighed in and kept adding names. These are all musicians who played with Jack. We “limited” it to those players and invited all of them. Some can’t travel, some don’t play any longer, some will be on tour or busy otherwise. But, as a testament to Jack, so many said “yes” and quite quickly. They are not being paid and they are paying for their own transportation and hotel if they need it. Pat and Terri Lyne are working on the ensembles, Lydia is working on video and photos and numerous other things, and I am overseeing the venue, production, ticketing, finances and a number of other things as well. It’s a team effort, a lot of communication, and a ton of details. And new things keep coming up. We are looking forward to a long night of music and stories and a successful fundraiser for the Family of Woodstock and The Table at Woodstock. Every penny after the show expenses is going to those two organizations.
NYS Music: Who is a “you shouldn’t miss this” artist that will be appearing? Roscoe Mitchell popped out to me.
Danny Melnick: Can I say all of them? This is truly going to be a unique and epic concert celebration.
NYS Music: Such a diverse and vast lineup suggests a reverence for not only Jack DeJohnette the jazz percussionist, but for Jack DeJohnette the man. In your long career as a concert and festival producer, can you think of a story that gives us a glimpse of the kind of man Jack DeJohnette was?
Danny Melnick: Well I have had the great pleasure of working with Jack since the late 1980s, when I worked at the Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC. He played 6-night engagements there multiple times a year and I LOVED those performances. He was always extremely kind and conversational and his performances were always exhilarating. I went on to work for George Wein, the late festival impresario, and have been in business for myself since 2007 and have worked with Jack in countless circumstances from NYC to Newport to Saratoga and elsewhere. I feel as though his smile was just as impressive as his drumming.
NYS Music: Why should readers rush to buy a ticket to this show?
Danny Melnick: This will be a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of one of the most innovative and important artists of our time. People are traveling in from many far away places to experience it! You’ll thank me when it’s done!
Tickets for the benefit concert will go on sale to the public on Friday, June 5. For ticket and event information go to bardavon.org/performances
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