First up on November 16 at 7:00pm is the Anthony Wilson Quartet, led by L.A.-based guitarist/vocalist/composer Anthony Wilson with stellar pianist Gerald Clayton, drummer Jay Bellerose, and bassist David Piltch. JazzTimes commented that Wilson’s music is, “alternately breezy, fierce and openhearted, and commands your ear and your emotions from start to finish.” This Athenaeum concert will include the world premiere of a new suite of music dedicated to the late Congressman John Lewis.

Anthony wrote, “I composed ‘Already Won,’ a new sequence of songs, with the support of a grant from the Jazz Coalition Commission Fund. This past summer, as research for another project of mine centered around the culture of the Mississippi Delta, I spent a lot of time studying antique hymnals from various American church traditions. In the midst of a wildly unsettled time in our country and world, it was a comfort to play through these beautiful old hymns with their rich musical and lyrical language. It was around this time, also, that congressman and iconic civil rights leader John Lewis died. I composed a group of hymn-like pieces which drew inspiration from his brave life and enduring legacy.”