Connect2Culture Presents … Two Musicians with Four-State Area Ties
February brings two performances to the Cornell Center that offer different ways to experience American music, from modern jazz shaped by decades of performance to familiar songs that reflect our shared history and memories.
Javon Jackson Quartet
Jazz saxophonist Javon Jackson brings his quartet to Joplin for an evening of live jazz and improvisation. Audiences can expect a performance shaped in the moment, where musicians listen closely, trade ideas and let the music develop naturally on stage.
Jackson was born in Carthage, Missouri, and raised in Denver, Colorado. He began playing the saxophone at age 10 and switched from alto to tenor at 16, a move that would define his sound. His early studies took him to the University of Denver and later to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he was immersed in a working jazz environment that emphasized discipline and individuality.
In 1986, Jackson left Berklee to join Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, a group long known as a proving ground for emerging jazz musicians. During his time with the Messengers, Jackson performed alongside pianist Benny Green, trumpeter Philip Harper, trombonist Robin Eubanks and bassist Peter Washington. The experience placed him on stages around the world and reinforced the idea that jazz is as much about listening as it is about playing.
Jackson remained with the group until Blakey died in 1990. Shortly after, he released his debut album, “Me and Mr. Jones,” featuring James Williams, Christian McBride and drummer Elvin Jones. He later joined Elvin Jones’ band and appeared on recordings including “Youngblood” and “Going Home,” further grounding his work in straight-ahead jazz while continuing to develop his own voice.
Throughout the 1990s, Jackson recorded several albums for Blue Note Records. His first release for the label, “When the Time Is Right,” was produced by jazz vocalist and bandleader Betty Carter and focused on traditional jazz forms. Later projects expanded the range of material he explored, including music by Frank Zappa, Santana, Muddy Waters, Al Green and Serge Gainsbourg.
In the 2000s, Jackson continued recording with Palmetto Records, often leaning into groove-driven material and collaborating with musicians such as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Mark Whitfield, Fred Wesley and Lenny White.
Along with performing, Jackson works with the Syracuse International Film Festival to compose a full-length score for Alfred Hitchcock’s silent film “The Lodger.” The score debuted live during a screening of the film, creating a shared experience between music and cinema.
Alongside performing, Jackson has built a long career in education. He currently serves as professor of jazz saxophone and director of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz Studies at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music. Teaching remains an important part of his work, reinforcing the idea that jazz is passed along through experience and mentorship.
For audiences, the quartet performance offers a chance to hear seasoned musicians working together in real time. No two performances are exactly alike, which will make the experience even more special.
Event: Javon Jackson Quartet
When: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 | 7 p.m.
Ticket Price: $40-$45
Glenda Austin, An American Love Song
If you haven’t made plans for Valentine’s Day, the Cornell Center has an afternoon concert that fits the occasion. Pianist and composer Glenda Austin brings “An American Love Song” to the Beshore Performance Hall Saturday, Feb. 14.
The performance brings together American songs selected with both the holiday and a national milestone in mind.
“I wanted to choose well-known, all-American songs in honor of our nation’s 250th birthday,” Austin said. “The program also includes many beautiful American songs of love in celebration of Valentine’s Day.” Austin added that audience requests helped shape the final song list. “There really is something for everyone.”
Austin will be joined on stage by special guests for the performance.
“I am pleased to welcome special guests,” she said, “my sister, Gloria Sanborn, joining me at the piano for the third time, and an outstanding group of select singers from Missouri Southern State University’s The Lion Pride Quintet: Anne Marie Wright, Charity Brower, Abbey Thompson, Jaden Wilson and Jack Mahoney.”
The concert will feature piano and vocal performances throughout the afternoon.
Austin holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in piano performance from the University of Missouri. She spent more than 40 years teaching elementary and high school music, including time in the Joplin School District and at College Heights Christian School. She currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Missouri Southern State University, where she accompanies jazz and choral ensembles and works with vocal students.
In addition to her work as an educator, Austin has built a long career as a composer and arranger. Her music is published internationally, including in Japan. In 2020, Austin was selected as one of two composers nationwide for the Music Teachers National Association Collaborative Music Commissioning Project. Her commissioned work, “Jazz Suite No. 3” for clarinet, cajón and piano, premiered at the 2022 MTNA Conference in Minneapolis.
This performance marks Austin’s return to the Cornell Center, where she has presented previous concerts. For this Valentine’s Day program, her goal is simple.
“More than anything, I want this evening to provide an opportunity to set aside worries, cares, even if just for a little while,” she said. “If the music brings a smile, a fond memory or leaves you humming a favorite tune, then mission accomplished.”
Event: Glenda Austin, An American Love Song
When: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 | 4 p.m.
Ticket Price: $15-$20
