NINETY-FIFTH SEASON
Friday, February 6, 2026, at 8:00
Jazz Series
JOSÉ JAMES PRESENTS THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF MARVIN GAYE’S I WANT YOU WITH SPECIAL GUEST LIZZ WRIGHT
José James Vocals
Lizz Wright Vocals
Masayuki Hirano (BIGYUKI)
Marcus Machado Guitar
Ben Williams Bass
Jharis Yokley Drums
Keyboard
The program will be announced from the stage.
There will be one intermission.
Funding for educational programs during the 2025–26 Season of SCP Jazz has been generously provided by Dan J. Epstein, Judith Guitelman, and the Dan J. Epstein Family Foundation.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
Chicago Jazz, DownBeat magazine, and WDCB 90.9FM Jazz are Media Partners for this event.
José James Vocals
A jazz artist for the hip-hop generation, José James artfully blurs the lines between traditional and contemporary jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, pop, and rock. He has released fourteen criticallyacclaimed albums in as many years for labels such as Brownswood, Impulse, Blue Note, and his own cofounded Rainbow Blonde Records, and he is the recipient of both the Edison Award and L’Académie du Jazz Grand Prix. James has collaborated with many notable artists such as Flying Lotus, Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi, Aloe Blacc, and Jason Moran.
A celebrated international performer, James has presented his work at venues such as the Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, Ancienne Belgique, and Billboard Live Tokyo and has performed as a guest artist with McCoy Tyner, Laura Mvula, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center, Melbourne Symphony, and Royal Concertgebouw orchestras.
José James’s current project in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s I Want You is a celebration of one of the most sensual and groundbreaking albums in music history. Written and produced by the legendary Leon Ware for Motown Records, I Want You stands as a landmark in jazz-infused R&B, influencing generations of artists. James, who collaborated with Leon Ware while creating his own genre-defying album No Beginning No End for Blue Note Records, has long cited Marvin Gaye as a guiding inspiration. For James, this project is both a dream and a tribute.
Lizz Wright Vocals
Acclaimed vocalist and songwriter Lizz Wright reflects the cultural fabric of America through her celebrated twentyyear career. Raised in Georgia, where she was her father’s church musical director, Wright rose to prominence with her 2003 debut Salt on Verve Records, topping Billboard’s contemporary jazz charts, followed by acclaimed albums including Freedom & Surrender (2016) and Grace (2017).
In 2020, Wright brought her culinary training from New York’s Natural Gourmet Institute to open Carver 47 Food & Wellness Market on Chicago’s South Side, honoring Dr. George Washington Carver and blending her Southern roots with a nutrient-forward approach. In 2022, she launched her independent label, Blues & Greens Records releasing the live album Holding Space and establishing a sustainable, artist-first model where she now owns her master recordings. Her 2024 studio album Shadow, produced by Chris Bruce and featuring Angélique Kidjo and Meshell Ndegeocello, celebrates intimacy, love, community, and healing through lush arrangements and Wright’s gentle, triumphant voice.
PHOTOS BY JANETTE BECKMAN, HOLLIS KING
Masayuki Hirano (BIGYUKI)
Keyboard
Masayuki Hirano, known as BIGYUKI, bends jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music into something explosive and transcendent. The Japanese-born, NYC-based pianist and producer has worked with Lauryn Hill, Kamasi Washington, and A Tribe Called Quest, and he leads his own band known for pushing genre boundaries while channeling the thrill of improvisation and magnetic groove.
Marcus Machado Guitar
Marcus Machado is a guitar prodigy who has taken the music industry by storm. He has been recognized as the Best Next Young Gun by Rolling Stone and has been praised by Guitar World magazine for pushing the boundaries of rock, funk, and soul guitar. His musical collaborations with Pharoahe Monch, Daniel Caesar, Pete Rock, Jon Batiste, and José James have set him apart, and his latest projects showcase his unwavering passion for creating groundbreaking music. Machado began playing the guitar at just two years old, and his latest album, Blue Diamonds, is a testament to his journey as an artist. The album is an amalgamation of R&B, funk, jazz, hip-hop, heavy rock, and psychedelia, creating an electrifying and unique sound. His first solo album,
Aquarius Purple, showcases his talent as a musician and his ability to translate his emotions into music.
Ben Williams Bass
Ben Williams is a Grammy Award–winning jazz bassist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader known for his rich tone and deeply expressive musical voice. He has performed and recorded with artists including Pat Metheny, David Sanborn, Robert Glasper, and Kamasi Washington. As a leader, Williams has released four albums that blend jazz tradition with contemporary sounds and lyric-driven storytelling. His work often engages sociopolitical themes, exploring identity, history, and the lived experience of the Black community through music.
Jharis Yokley Drums
Rising star drummer, producer, and songwriter Jharis Yokley is a force of nature spanning the hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and rock scenes. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Yokley graduated from the prestigious Berklee College, studying under jazz greats Terri Lyne Carrington and Danilo Pérez. Moving to Brooklyn in 2016, Yokley quickly became an in-demand drummer, performing with artists such as Solange, Chance the Rapper, Ani DiFranco, Sleigh Bells, José James, and DJ Premier.
Funding for educational programs during the 2025–26 Season of SCP Jazz has been generously provided by
Dan J. Epstein, Judith Guitelman,
and the Dan J. Epstein Family Foundation.
REFRESHMENTS AT SYMPHONY CENTER
You can order drinks and snacks before the performance or during intermission at various bars located throughout Symphony Center, including the Bass Bar in the Rotunda and most of the lobby spaces in Orchestra Hall.
SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS
Jeff Alexander Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association President
Cristina Rocca Vice President for Artistic Administration
The Richard and Mary L. Gray Chair
James M. Fahey Senior Director, Programming, Symphony Center Presents
Lena Breitkreuz Artist Manager, Symphony Center Presents Michael Lavin Director of Production
Joseph Sherman Associate Director of Production, SCP and Rental Events
