Music wasn't the only attraction at Jazz at Lincoln Center's inaugural gala: There was high wattage-star power as well, what with the performances by the Wynton Marsalis-led orchestra, Patti Austin, and Liza Minelli, to name a few. Jazz at Lincoln Center's Bret Silver planned the event, which had a festive atmosphere, thanks to David Beahm's gala decor.
"Jazz is all about mixing it up and musical color, so I wanted to make sure I used all kinds of color and textures," Beahm said.
To that end, he paired bright colors—purple, fuchsia, yellow, and orange—with stark black and white elements. Ten pounds' worth of ostrich feathers were set in trumpet-shaped vases ("a little nod to Wynton," Beahm said) and surrounded by trios of orb-shaped bouquets of roses and carnations. In all, 25,000 carnations and 10,000 roses were used to create the bouquets. Tables were draped with Pucci-esque black and white cloths that reminded Beahm of music notes and staffs "that had been messed with." Chairs were draped with bright feather boas that matched the feather centerpieces, while alternating chairs had black hats resting on the cushions.
"I wanted to combine contemporary touches with a nod to the past," Beahm said. "The feathers were reminiscent of the Cotton Club days."
Great Performances, the exclusive caterer for Jazz at Lincoln Center, fed the celeb-heavy crowd an appetizer of parmesan flan and an arugula, shaved fennel, and roasted tomato salad. For the entrée, a boneless free-range chicken came with mushroom duxelles and black truffles with morels, potato pearls, haricots verts, and.phparagus tips with Oregon pinot noir sauce. Dessert was a Bing cherry chocolate terrine with cherry compote and cherry and chocolate sauces that featured the Jazz at Lincoln Center logo.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
"Jazz is all about mixing it up and musical color, so I wanted to make sure I used all kinds of color and textures," Beahm said.
To that end, he paired bright colors—purple, fuchsia, yellow, and orange—with stark black and white elements. Ten pounds' worth of ostrich feathers were set in trumpet-shaped vases ("a little nod to Wynton," Beahm said) and surrounded by trios of orb-shaped bouquets of roses and carnations. In all, 25,000 carnations and 10,000 roses were used to create the bouquets. Tables were draped with Pucci-esque black and white cloths that reminded Beahm of music notes and staffs "that had been messed with." Chairs were draped with bright feather boas that matched the feather centerpieces, while alternating chairs had black hats resting on the cushions.
"I wanted to combine contemporary touches with a nod to the past," Beahm said. "The feathers were reminiscent of the Cotton Club days."
Great Performances, the exclusive caterer for Jazz at Lincoln Center, fed the celeb-heavy crowd an appetizer of parmesan flan and an arugula, shaved fennel, and roasted tomato salad. For the entrée, a boneless free-range chicken came with mushroom duxelles and black truffles with morels, potato pearls, haricots verts, and.phparagus tips with Oregon pinot noir sauce. Dessert was a Bing cherry chocolate terrine with cherry compote and cherry and chocolate sauces that featured the Jazz at Lincoln Center logo.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
At Jazz at Lincoln Center's inaugural gala, David Beahm's decor included black and white table linens, ostrich feathers set in trumpet-shaped vases, and trios of orb-shaped bouquets of roses and carnations.
Chairs were draped with bright feather boas that matched the feather centerpieces, while alternating chairs had black hats resting on the cushions.
Glow Lighting washed the room with pink light.
Strings of mirrored beads lined the walls.
