Ellen Rowe’s All About the Trio – All of You: The Evolution of a Jazz Standard

What happens to a song after it leaves Broadway and enters the jazz repertoire? This season’s 3rd installment of Ellen Rowe’s All About the Trio answers that question one recording at a time. The Trio, joined by a rotating cast of special guests, traces the life of a single tune — Cole Porter’s “All of You,” introduced in the 1955 musical Silk Stockings — through six landmark jazz interpretations, from Sarah Vaughan’s vocal reading to Miles Davis’s, Ahmad Jamal’s, the Modern Jazz Quartet’s, Bill Evans’s, and Keith Jarrett’s takes on the tune. Each version reharmonizes, reshapes, and reinvents the same 32 bars, offering a rare look at how a jazz standard evolves — and how much room a great song leaves for reinvention.

Rowe brings in a strong lineup of guests to help tell the story: vocalist Olivia Van Goor, an award-winning Detroit-based singer recognized at the 2025 Michigan Music Awards for Best Jazz Album; trumpeter Kris Johnson, a Detroit native and University of Michigan jazz faculty member whose credits include a decade-plus with the Count Basie Orchestra and a 2024 GRAMMY win; and vibraphonist Cary Kocher, a University of Michigan-trained veteran of the Ann Arbor jazz scene. As always, Rowe’s commentary threads it all together, unpacking what changes — and what stays constant — as a standard passes from artist to artist.

Kerrytown Concert House is honored to continue Ellen Rowe’s long-running and much-loved series, All About the Trio. Rowe — an acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and educator — combines her two passions here, leading a jazz piano trio through concerts that spotlight an iconic jazz figure or style within the genre. Her easygoing commentary, paired with demonstrations from trio members and guest musicians, makes each show as illuminating as it is enjoyable. Join us for Rowe’s informative, inspiring jazz presentations throughout KCH’s 26-27 season.

Ellen Rowe, piano
Paul Keller, bass
Pete Siers, drums
Olivia Van Goor, vocals
Cary Kocher, vibraphone
Kris Johnson, trumpet