Celebrating Bayard Rustin: A Conversation with Award-Winning Musician Bryan Carter
Bryan Carter is a force in the world of music, as an accomplished drummer, vocalist, composer, arranger, and bandleader, with multiple Grammy and Tony Awards to his credit. He is also known for his work in film, TV, Broadway, and the nonprofit space. He is the founder of “Jazz at Pride,” a nonprofit dedicated to curating performances featuring world-class artists from the LGBTQIA+ communities.
Carter‘s new jazz oratorio, “Rustin in Renaissance,” brings together history, art, and music to pay tribute to influential Civil Rights activist, Bayard Rustin, the architect behind the historic 1963 March on Washington, and close advisor to Martin Luther King Jr.
In advance of its premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center, FOLCS will delve into Rustin’s remarkable legacy with Bryan Carter, as well as the man who arguably knew Rustin best, Walter Naegle. Partners for a decade, the two were joined by their mutual interest in politics, human rights, and passive nonviolent resistance.
Join FOLCS on Wednesday, October 9, at 7pm ET for a virtual Conversation with two very special guests, Bryan Carter and Walter Naegle.
This event is produced in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Special Tickets to Jazz at Lincoln Center
FOLCS members have the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets to Celebrating Bayard Rustin at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Purchase tickets here, and use the code FOLCS for 20% off at checkout.
Bryan Carter
Composer
Bryan Carter is a Grammy and Tony Award Winning drummer, vocalist, composer, arranger, orchestrator and bandleader.
After completing his training at The Juilliard School, Carter has already played with legendary artists including McCoy Tyner, Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Kenny Barron, Michael Feinstein and Kurt Elling. In addition to working in the worlds of film, television and Broadway, Bryan founded “Jazz at Pride” a non-profit organization dedicated to curating performances and educational engagements that feature world-class artists from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Bryan served as the drummer for NBC’s “Maya & Marty”, the classic television program “Sesame Street” and most recently appeared as a guest with The 8G Band for NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers”.
Bryan most recently served as co-orchestrator for Broadway’s “Some Like It Hot”— for which he and his co-orchestrator Charlie Rosen made history as the first orchestrators to sweep all three major awards in a single season: 76th Annual Tony Awards for Best Orchestrations, Outer Critics Circle Awards and the Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Orchestrations. Rosen and Carter continued their streak of success at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards, winning the title of Best Musical Theater Album as producers on the recording.
Bryan’s new album, “I Believe”, is available via Bandstand Presents and La Reserve Records.
Walter Naegle
Bayard Rustin's Partner
Walter Naegle was Bayard Rustin’s partner for a decade. The two met in 1977, when Rustin was dividing his time between domestic civil rights issues and human rights advocacy. Walter had long been interested in nonviolence and social justice issues, and he and Rustin shared values, interests, and beliefs. After graduating from Fordham University, he began working with Rustin at the A. Philip Randolph Educational Fund. When Rustin died in 1987, Walter was instrumental in establishing The Bayard Rustin Fund, a private foundation that promotes Rustin’s values and works to heighten awareness of his accomplishments. In 2013 he accepted a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House, one of the first LGBT partners to do so. He is a co-author of “Troublemaker for Justice: The Story of Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the March on Washington” (City Lights Books). He was a consultant on the 2023 Netflix film “Rustin.”