Last Saturday, February 9, marked a memorable day for Jazz St. Louis. Wynton Marsalis, famed trumpeter and advocate of the arts, made a surprise appearance at Jazz at the Bistro along with eight members of the acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JaLCO). Marsalis, who recently named the Bistro as one of the 10 greatest places in the country to see live jazz (USA Today), sat in with wife and husband team Mardra and Reggie Thomas, whose group included Nick Jost (bass) and Marty Morrison (drums).

The stars were aligned for the Jazz at the Bistro audience, as earlier in the evening the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performed at the Sheldon Concert Hall’s annual gala. As the Sheldon’s concert concluded, members of the JaLCO began filtering into Jazz at the Bistro. Reggie Thomas, a current JaLCO clinician and friend of many in the group, invited them on stage to perform. The invite sparked an impromptu jam session as several members of the JaLCO, including Marsalis, joined them for Thomas’ arrangement of the jazz standard, “At Last”. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra then took over the stage as the remaining members of the group were invited up to play "I’ll Remember April." The group graciously relinquished the stage back to Mardra Thomas and the Reggie Thomas Trio as the night ended with high spirits and great memories.

Marsalis last took the Bistro stage in the 1999-2000 Season, sitting in with pianist and former JaLCO alumnus Cyrus Chestnut.