Junior Mance

Sat., Feb. 21, 7 p.m., $40 ($30 advance), Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine St., pianoculture.com.

by Shaun Brady

JAZZ

Sometimes old dogs not only learn but actively embrace new tricks. Take Junior Mance, who celebrated his 80th birthday last October, which means he's been playing the piano for 75 years. His career began with Gene Ammons in the late '40s and includes many if not most of the greats — Bird, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Dinah Washington, Dizzy, Cannonball. But he played his first solo concert less than a decade ago, at Lincoln Center in 2000, and it's still a rare occurrence although he remains active. But Mance will headline the second installment of Fleisher Art Memorial's Solo Piano Festival. While Mance has the rich history of jazz in his background and at his fingers, his opener hails from the opposite end of the generational spectrum: 22-year-old pianist Gabriel Luce, who incorporates influences from Brazilian music into his own playing.

Sat., Feb. 21, 7 p.m., $40 ($30 advance), Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine St., pianoculture.com.