Gig Alert: Randy Weston

Randy Weston 
"Fly Hi"
Playing on Thursday at Apollo Theater (253 W 125th St, Harlem)
Get: Tickets (start at $55) | Directions 

The Brooklyn-born jazz piano great Randy Weston has been making music for more than five decades. Early on in his career in the 1960s, the composer and bandleader began mixing elements of African music with his jazz. Weston spent nearly a decade living and traveling around the African continent, including to Morocco, to trace the connections between jazz and African music.

On Thursday night, Randy Weston and his African Rhythms Quintet perform at the Apollo Theater as part of the star-studded Jazz Foundation of America benefit “A Great Night In Harlem.” Download the NEA Jazz Master’s Latin-tinged tune “Fly Hi” from his recent album, The Storyteller.

In the video, watch Weston share his personal philosophy on the roots and traditions of African-American music.