Come Sunday New York Performances

“Come Sunday” brings Duke Ellington’s sacred jazz into a New York setting where concert hall form meets devotional intent. At Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room, tap dancer John Manzari joins Grammy-winning pianist Luther S. Allison, with featured performers including Godwin Louis with the JLCO, Kate Kortum, and Preservation. Ellington first introduced his Sacred Concerts in the 1960s, and they remain a key example of how jazz can carry religious language without leaving improvisation behind. The critical point is simple: the work treats swing as ritual, not ornament.