Sullivan Fortner Trio | Tyrone Allen | Kayvon Gordon

Welcome to Victor's Places, your go-to channel for captivating jazz! Here we capture and share one-of-a-kind live performances by jazz masters (and more!) to delight even the most refined musical tastes.

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Kris Davis/Robert Hurst/Jonathan Blake
Alec Orea Quintet feat. Alex Sipiagin, Will Vinson, Boris Kozlov, Rodrigo Digão
Franceska Tandoi Trio
Billy Cobham Group
Sullivan Fortner Trio
Peter Bernstein & Jesse van Ruller
Bill Evans and THE VANSBAND
ALLSTARS
Avishai Cohen Trio
Kenny Garrett Group
Ari Hoenig Trio
Melissa Aldana Quartet
Chico Freeman Group
Nicole Zuraitis
Raul Midon
Joe Chambers
John Patitucci / Antonio Faraò / Gene Jackson
Randy Brecker & Friends

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Sullivan Fortner is undoubtedly one of the most creative and enterprising pianists of his generation. His virtuoso pianistic skills are never an end in themselves; his never-ending wealth of ideas impresses critics and audiences alike. Last year, Fortner played his first solo piano tour, during which he also made a stop at ZigZag. The concert was one of our pianistic highlights of last year; Sullivan was only released after 5 encores. So it was only a matter of time before we repeated this highlight as soon as possible!

“Fortner’s ability to simultaneously project his own voice and reflect those of others reveals an empathy.”
– DownBeat Magazine

“His fundamentals as a player could hardly be stronger, and his instincts as a composer and bandleader are almost startlingly mature.” – New York Times

For the past decade, Sullivan Fortner has been stretching deep-rooted talents as a pianist, composer, band leader and uncompromising individualist. The GRAMMY Award-winning artist out of New Orleans received international praise as both key player and producer for his collaborative work on The Window (Mack Avenue, 2018), alongside multi-GRAMMY winner, vocalist-composer Cecile McLorin Salvant. As a solo leader, he has released Moments Preserved (Decca, 2018) and Aria (Impulse!, 2015) to critical acclaim, and he’s only getting started. Now based in New York, Fortner has earned recognition in multiple DownBeat Critics Poll categories, winning first place in Rising Star Piano and Rising Star Jazz Artist.

In addition to associations with such diverse voices as Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Diane Reeves, Etienne Charles and John Scofield, Fortner’s frequent and longtime collaborators have included Ambrose Akinmusire, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Kassa Overall, Tivon Pennicott, Peter Bernstein, Nicholas Payton, Billy Hart, Gary Bartz, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Fred Hersch and the late Roy Hargrove. Recent collaborations include GRAMMY-nominated releases Dear Love (Empress Legacy) and Generations from leaders Jazzmeia Horn and The Baylor Project, respectively.

A highly-sought improviser, Fortner has performed across the country and throughout the world at such cultural institutions as Snug Harbor, New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, Sweet Lorraine’s and The Jazz Playhouse in New Orleans, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazz Standard and Smalls Jazz Club in New York City. He’s appeared at celebrated festivals, including Newport, Monterey, Discover, Tri-C and Gillmore Keyboard, among others.

Playing solo or leading an orchestra, Fortner engages harmony and rhythmic ideas through curiosity and clarity. Within phrases, he finds universes, and listeners often hear how he’s moved by each note he explores. Coming up in New Orleans, Fortner began playing piano at age 7, following a storied lineage of improvisers, masters of time and every iteration of the blues.
Pulling distinct elements from different eras, Fortner’s artistry preserves the tradition and evolves the sound. He seeks connections among different musical styles that are at once deeply soulful and wildly inventive. Both his works and his insights have been featured in culturally iconic publications, from The New York Times to The Root. Accolades include the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowship awarded by the American Pianists Association, Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship, the 2016 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists and, in 2020, the prestigious Shifting Foundation Grant for artistic career development.

Sullivan Fortner - piano
Tyrone Allen - bass
Kayvon Gordon - drums

0:00 Let´s
04:15 Tres Palabras

Recorded live at Zig Zag jazz club in Berlin on 23.02.2025

Audio recording - Jeremy Nothman
Video and audio mixing - Alexander Hoetzinger
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