Spend an evening with a saxophone legend, whose six-decade career as headliner and studio sideman has taken him all around the world, seen him share the stage with Jazz immortals, and made him literally, a musical ambassador for the U.S. Yavapai College invites you to join us when the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center launches its 2023-24 Cabaret Season with Bill Saxton & The Harlem All-Stars, Friday & Saturday night, September 15-16, at 7 p.m.

An alumnus of Harlem’s famed Nick’s Jazz Pub, Bill Saxton has performed and/or recorded alongside jazz legends like Pharoah Sanders, Clark Terry and Tito Puente. His innovative Bebop sound has made him a favorite in Europe, Japan and the Caribbean.

He has made six feature albums and more than 80 compositions, including the critically acclaimed “Beneath the Surface,” “One for Booker,” and “Priorities.”

The Harlem Jazz Museum has created exhibits honoring Bill’s life; he has been inducted as a Jazz Legend at the Lincoln Center Library of Music; he was selected by the U.S. State Department as a musical ambassador to West Africa, and he was recently honored by the White House as part of their Black History Month celebrations.

He is also the proprietor of Bill’s Place, the legendary 133rd Street speakeasy that became a Prohibition Era haven for the likes of Duke Ellington, pianist Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith and a (then) up-and-coming Billie Holiday. Bill acquired and reopened the spot in 2006, and it is recognized as one of New York City’s pre-eminent jazz venues, honoring the greats of yesterday and the artists of tomorrow.

Bill Saxton and the Harlem All Stars – bassist Zaid Shukri, drummer Timothy Angulo and pianist Jordan Williams – will launch the ninth season of the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center’s Cabaret Series, a uniquely personal experience where patrons can enjoy coffee, cocktails and dessert while they watch the world’s finest musicians in an intimate, club-style setting.

“The Cabaret Series has been my most favorite concert experience on our stage.” Dr. Craig Ralston, YC Performing Arts Director of Programming & Development, said. “We bring our audiences close to the artists in an intimate atmosphere that allows for a truly unique experience.”

Tickets for Bill Saxton and the Harlem All Stars are $59 general admission, which includes seating at a table onstage, appetizers, desserts, coffee or tea and a cash bar. The Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center is located on Yavapai College’s Prescott Campus, 1100 E. Sheldon Street. The Ticket Office is open from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; and 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. For reservations and more information, please call: (928) 776.2000 or visit: www.ycpac.com.