Visions of Steveland: Noah Baerman plays Stevie Wonder
2025-11-11 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Olin Library – Wesleyan University, 252 Church Street, Middetown, CT
Jazz pianist and Director of the Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble Noah Baerman presents a program of instrumental interpretations of Stevie Wonder’s “message music” in celebration of his new album, Right Now Volume 4: Visions of Steveland.
Noah Baerman is a jazz pianist, composer, educator, and activist who has recorded sixteen acclaimed albums under his own name and several more as a co-leader of cooperative ensembles including Trio 149, Envisage Collective, and Playdate, earning praise from Downbeat, Jazz Times, Jazziz, the NYC Jazz Record, WNPR’s Jazz Corridor, and the Village Voice. He is the author of ten instructional books published by Alfred Publishing Company and has taught in various capacities at Wesleyan University, where he is the jazz piano instructor and has directed the Jazz Ensemble since 2007. In 2012 he founded Resonant Motion, a non-profit dedicated to the intersection of music and positive change. In recent years, he has been awarded an Artists Respond grant from the CT Office of the Arts and the Arts Advocacy award from the City of Middletown, where July 10, 2020 was declared “Noah Baerman Day” in the city.
RMI Records, a division of the nonprofit Resonant Motion, is proud to announce the release of Noah Baerman’s Right Now Volume Four: Visions of Steveland. The follow up to the first three volumes, Songs of Conflict and Comfort, Songs of Solidarity, and Our Search for Peace, this collection of Stevie Wonder interpretations is the final edition in the four-volume series created in the immediate aftermath of the 2024 election. Recorded alone at home, this represents a selection of Stevie’s “message music,” which is as pertinent to the present moment as it was decades ago.
On the morning of December 27, 2024, having already completed the first three volumes’ worth of recordings in the prior weeks, Baerman found himself still feeling restless, both musically and emotionally. Stevie Wonder had been one of his most central sources of inspiration dating back to Baerman’s “origin story” of pointing to the TV upon seeing Stevie perform “Superstition” on Sesame Street and saying “that’s what I’m going to do!” As such, the fire to use Wonder’s material to express the co-occurring sentiments of dread and hope became the obvious path, and by dinnertime, he had recorded these eight songs. As with the prior volumes, Baerman performs here on various combinations of piano, organ, and Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos, all but one of the tunes serving as duets between two of those instruments.
The album opens up with a driving jazz waltz interpretation of “Big Brother,” inspired in spirit and approach by Baerman’s other most central influence, John Coltrane. He has performed this one often in a trio setting, and here it is the piano and Rhodes taking center stage. From there he moves to the Wurlitzer for a contemplative and slow-building solo interpretation of the earliest composition in the collection, “Evil.” Following this is an up-tempo, swinging interpretation of the classic “Higher Ground,” also betraying a significant degree of Coltrane inspiration. The mood lightens a bit musically, if not necessarily in terms of substance, with a slinky cha-cha-cha piano and Rhodes duet on “Love’s In Need of Love Today.”
At the halfway point, the content takes a more optimistic turn with a tender piano and Wurlitzer take on the ballad “Visions.” The music and content become even more upbeat with a hard-swinging performance of “Smile Please” on piano and organ. The organ then pairs up with Rhodes for perhaps the most faithful-to-the-original track here, “As.” This piece is dedicated to Ana Grace Márquez-Greene, her family, and the spirit of enduring love even in the face of loss. The album then wraps up with a comparatively brief and straightforward romp through one of the most optimistic songs here (and the only one not from the 1970s), “Tomorrow Robins Will Sing.”
“Stevie Wonder is profound even when singing about seemingly simple matters like love and childhood innocence,” says Baerman, “but his depth as a cultural critic and an unyielding voice of peace is such a vital source of nourishment and such a wake-up call to our society’s soul and conscience.” While this album wraps up the “Right Now” project (for now at least), Baerman remains determined to keep shining a light on injustice and on our capacity for resilience and integrity in the face of it. “This may be an odd statement for an artist, but I do look forward to this music hopefully becoming less relevant,” he says, “and in the meantime I hope it can offer a balm to those who need it right now.”
Note that the album is being offered for as little as $1 by RMI Records, as listeners are encouraged to donate instead to charities working to protect our society and its inhabitants from the current onslaught. For those who choose to purchase from RMI in addition, all proceeds will go towards Claire’s Continuum, a Resonant Motion initiative, in Claire Randall’s memory, to commission first-time collaborators to create socially conscious art together.
Preview the album here.

Omar Sosa Quarteto Americanos - Live recording at Studio 9
2025-11-11 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Studio 9, 18 Veazie Street, North Adams, MA
Quarteto Americanos is Omar Sosa’s first U.S.-based jazz ensemble since the 1990s! Featuring drummer Josh Jones, bassist Ernesto Mazar Kindelán, and saxophone / clarinet / flute player Sheldon Brown, the group came together in February 2021 when Omar was in the Bay Area for several live streams. Connecting with Josh and Sheldon was a gratifying reunion for Omar, as he played extensively with them during his early days in San Francisco and Oakland in the late 1990s.
Omar’s Quarteto Americanos plays a number of arrangements of Omar’s signature compositions from his early career, including ‘My Three Notes’, ‘Angustia’, and ‘Toridanzón’, as well as new songs written by Omar in Barcelona during the lockdown in 2020. Like Omar’s oeuvre, Quarteto Americanos’ repertoire is eclectic and energizing. Its improvisational approach seamlessly fuses elements of jazz, Latin, hip-hop, and electronica into an exciting, passionate, contemporary sound.

Jazz at Cafe Nine
2025-11-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Cafe Nine, 250 State Street, New Haven, CT, 06510
Presented by New Haven Jazz Underground on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday every month.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
2025-11-11 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-13 19:30 - 21:30 | Garde Arts Center, 325 State Street, New London, CT, 06320
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue is an American funk, jazz, and soul band led by the talented trombonist and trumpeter Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. Hailing from New Orleans, the group blends a variety of musical genres, including jazz, funk, R&B, and rock, creating a high-energy sound that captures the essence of their hometown’s rich musical heritage. Known for their electrifying live performances, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue have garnered a global following with their dynamic, horn-driven music and Trombone Shorty’s virtuosic skills on brass instruments.
Born Troy Andrews, Trombone Shorty got his start (and nickname) earlier than most: at four, he made his first appearance at Jazz Fest performing with Bo Diddley; at six, he was leading his own brass band; and by his teenage years, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join the band he assembled for his Electric Church World Tour. Shorty’s proven he’s more than just a horn player, though. Catch a gig, open the pages of the New York Times or Vanity Fair, flip on any late-night or morning TV show and you’ll see an undeniable star with utterly magnetic charisma, a natural born showman who can command an audience with the best of them.
Since 2010, he’s released five chart topping studio albums (his most recent being 2022’s Lifted); toured with everyone from Jeff Beck to the Red Hot Chili Peppers; collaborated across genres with Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Foo Fighters, ZHU, Zac Brown, Normani, Ringo Starr, and countless more; played Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk, Newport Jazz, and nearly every other major festival; performed four times at the GRAMMY Awards, six times at the White House, on dozens of TV shows, and at the star-studded Sesame Street Gala, where he was honored with his own Muppet; launched the Trombone Shorty Foundation to support youth music education; and received the prestigious Caldecott Honor for his first children’s book.
Meanwhile in New Orleans, Shorty now leads his own Mardi Gras parade atop a giant float crafted in his likeness, hosts the annual Treme Threauxdown shows that have drawn guests including Usher, Nick Jonas, Dierks Bentley, Andra Day, and Leon Bridges to sit in with his band, and has taken over the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s hallowed final set, which has seen him closing out the internationally renowned gathering after performances by the likes of Neil Young, the Black Keys, and Kings of Leon.
Since the release of Lifted, Shorty and his band have made appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, TODAY and Good Morning America, and CBS Mornings. Shorty has also recently performed at the MusiCares pre-GRAMMY Awards gala, the Roots Picnic with Lil Wayne, on the instantly legendary NPR Tiny Desk featuring Juvenile, and at the White House’s 2024 Juneteenth concert. His recent 2024 summer tour featured special guest Big Boi and included a stop at the legendary Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Black Eyed Sally’s Jazz Jam - The Hartford Jazz Project
2025-11-12 19:00 - 22:00 | Black-eyed Sally’s Southern Kitchen & Bar, 350 Asylum St., Hartford, CT, 06103
Located in downtown Hartford, for the aficionado, musician, or the curious first-timer, Black Eyed Sally’s Jazz Jams are the best taste of live jazz in Hartford. Set in the southern juke joint atmosphere of Black-eyed Sally’s, these jam sessions will strike a chord as you hear what our local talent has to offer, with regular special appearances by big city jazz names. Experience the cool original music of the jam session while you enjoy the hot fierce cookin’ of Hartford’s favorite BBQ joint.
After a long hiatus due to the pandemic, regularly scheduled jazz jams have returned to Black Eyed Sally’s every Wednesday. There will be a featured jazz ensemble followed by an open jam session. Bring your axe and be ready to jam!
The music begins at 7:00 PM, jam session begins after 1st set. No cover charge most nights, under 21’s welcome.
Presented by the Hartford Jazz Society and Neefjazz Entertainment

New Haven Improvisers Collective performance series
2025-11-13 19:00 - 22:00 | Ely Center of Contemporary Art, 51 Trumbull St, New Haven, CT
A new music series on the 2nd Thursday of every month. It will feature groups and ad hoc combinations of New Haven Improvisers Collective folks.
Show up with your instrument before 7pm and join COMBO NHIC.
CD release for Roundhouse

Roundhouse Quartet (Diane Buettner / Bob Gorry / Michael Paolucci / Conor Perreault)
Concussion (Nick DiMaria / Bob Gorry / Dan Klug)
COMBO NHIC

Elliott Sharp & Janene Higgins: Entanglement Suite
2025-11-13 19:30 - 21:30 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA
Elliott Sharp (guitars), Janene Higgins (live video)
Elliott Sharp and Janene Higgins will present Entanglement Suite, a structure for improvisation using video and sound. In their work together, the images provide a visual counterpoint to the music. Foreground and background are continuously shifting as both sound and visuals emerge from fixed elements and then expand with improvised extrapolations. The projections may solidify the abstract but may also elevate that which is obvious to another level of meaning, never literal, never explaining, but creating an immediate visceral response.
Sharp will also read from his latest book, Feedback: Translations From The IrRational. Feedback is a wide-ranging meditation on music, sound, artificial intelligence, consciousness, contemporary culture and politics, and the life of the touring musician. Author Elliott Sharp is considered one of the central figures in NYC’s Downtown Scene and is a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, visual artist, and educator. Starting from a background in the sciences, Sharp found his passion for music as a teen, and it has never abated. His philosophy is informed not just by music and its creation but by continuing studies in physics and genetics and a visceral interest in our modern world and its joys and horrors. In Feedback, Sharp engages in speculative thought about how consciousness might have arisen and what the future holds for humanity with the advent of an Artificial Intelligence that is certainly artificial but might not exactly be intelligent. The “Improviser’s Mind” is discussed in the context of post-quantum physics, probability, socio-acoustics, and Butoh dance. Sharp loves to digress into unpredictable areas but ties it all together in an overarching narrative that is both personal and conceptual.
As a composer, Sharp’s strategies encompass fractal geometry, chaos theory, algorithmic approaches, genetic metaphors, and new techniques for graphic notation to yield work catalyzing a synesthetic approach to music as well as functioning as retinal art. A multi-instrumentalist, Sharp will perform on guitars and electronics.
A graphic designer by profession, Janene Higgins uses original footage, hand-painted textures, and digital processing in her projection design which she may then manipulate live, using various software operations.
Sharp and Higgins have created a number of operas with the visuals providing set and setting as well as commentary. The operas include Binibon (2009), Port Bou (2014), Filiseti Mekidesi (2018), and Die Grösste Fuge (2021). In addition, their Entanglement Suite was premiered in Naples, Italy in September 2023 by the Ensemble Dissonanzen.
JANENE HIGGINS is a video artist and graphic designer based in New York City. Her work spans several genres, from video performance in the experimental music scene to commercial videos, to the design of CD packages for such record labels as Sony, BMG, PolyGram, and a wide variety of independents. Her collaborators include Ikue Mori, Mari Kimura, Alan Licht, Nurit Tilles, Okkyung Lee, Aki Onda, and Zeena Parkins. In addition to video performance, she has directed several short experimental videos, often with sound design by notable avant-garde artists including Elliott Sharp, Parkins, Christian Marclay and John Duncan. Her work has been performed and exhibited at The New York Video Festival at Lincoln Center; Documenta in Kassel, Germany; The Kitchen, NYC; Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon; City of Women festival, Slovenia; The Chelsea Art Museum, NYC; HiTeca Festival in Porto, Portugal; Art Institute of Chicago; Experimenta Festival in Buenos Aires; The Hamburg Short Film Festival; and at The Impakt Festival in The Netherlands.
ELLIOTT SHARP is a composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who leads the projects Orchestra Carbon, SysOrk, Tectonics and Terraplane. His compositional strategies have encompassed the use of fractal geometry, chaos theory, algorithms, genetic metaphors, and new techniques for graphic notation to yield work that catalyzes a synesthetic approach to musicmaking as well as functioning as retinal art. In 2015, Sharp was awarded both the Berlin Prize and the Jahrespreis from der Deutscher Schallplatten Kritiks. In 2014 he received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Fellowship from the Center for Transformative Media. He has been featured in the Darmstadt and Huddersfield festivals, New Music Stockholm, Au Printemps-Paris, Hessischer Rundfunk Klangbiennale, and the Venice Biennale. His book IrRational Music, a mix of memoir, cultural discussion, and music theory was published in 2019. He is the subject of the documentary Doing The Don’t and has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered. Sharp’s composition Storm of the Eye, composed for violinist Hilary Hahn, appeared on her Grammy-winning album In 27 Pieces. His opera Filiseti Mekidesi premiered at the RuhrTriennale in 2018 and his Walter Benjamin opera Port Bou premiered in NYC in 2014 at Issue Project Room and in Europe at Berlin Konzerthaus in 2015. His sound installations include Foliage, Fluvial, Chromatine, and Tag. Sharp’s collaborators have included Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; pianist Cecil Taylor; Ensemble Modern; pop singer Debbie Harry; blues legends Hubert Sumlin and Pops Staples; Arditti, JACK, and Kronos quartets; jazz greats Jack Dejohnette and Sonny Sharrock; media artists Christian Marclay and Pierre Huyghe; Radio-Sinfonie Frankfurt; and Bachir Attar, leader of the Master Musicians Of Jajouka.

Firehouse 12 Weekly Concert Series
2025-11-14 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street, New Haven, CT
November 14: Otherlands Trio
November 21: Jon Irabagon Quintet
December 5: Matt Mitchell & Sara Serpa
December 12: Tyshawn Sorey Trio
December 19: Ingrid Laubrock’s Grammy Season + + DoYeon Kim
Tickets are $20 for the 8:30pm performance and $15 for 10:00pm. All tickets can be purchased online or, subject to availability, at the box office on the night of the show.

Benjamin Simmons
2025-11-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center, 605 Main Street, Middletown, CT, United States
Benjamin Simmons is a Hartford-based tenor saxophonist who specializes in modern and straight ahead jazz. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Hartford Hartt School of Music in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies. Throughout his time at the University of Hartford, Benjamin studied with world renowned saxophonist, Abraham Burton, as well as Nat Reeves, Rene McLean, and Steve Davis. Since graduation, Benjamin has shared the stage with notable Hartford musicians Nat Reeves, Jonathan Barber, and Matt Dwonszyk. Benjamin is a prominent player in the Hartford scene and on the rise in New York City.

Steve Nelson Quartet
2025-11-14 20:00 - 22:30, 2025-11-15 20:00 - 22:30 | Side Door Jazz Club, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, United States
Steve Nelson – Vibraphone
Rick Germanson – Piano
Kiyoshi Kitagawa – Bass
Charles Goold – Drums
Steve Nelson is an acclaimed American jazz vibraphonist and marimba player, widely regarded as one of the pre-eminent modernist performers on the instrument for his inventive, fluidly harmonic, and chromatic approach.
Introduced to the vibraphone in high school by his teacher George A. Monroe—a steelworker by day and a gifted vibraphonist in the Milt Jackson tradition—Nelson also received early instruction in piano and jazz fundamentals from Monroe, to whom he later dedicated the track “Blues for George A.” on his album Full Nelson. He began his professional career in Pittsburgh, quickly progressing to gigs with guitar legend Grant Green after a recommendation from local musician Jerry Byrd.
Nelson earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Rutgers University, studying in the renowned Jazz Studies program under pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Larry Ridley, and drummer Ted Dunbar. His debut recording was on James Spaulding’s Plays the Legacy of Duke Ellington (1983), followed by collaborations in the early 1980s with Barron, David “Fathead” Newman, Bobby Watson, and the George Shearing big band.
Throughout his career, Nelson has been the vibraphonist of choice for jazz icons, including long-term partnerships with pianist Kenny Barron, saxophonist Jackie McLean, drummer Lewis Nash, pianist James Williams, bassist Curtis Lundy, and pianist Mulgrew Miller’s Wingspan Sextet. Since the 1990s, he has been a core member of bassist Dave Holland’s Quintet and Big Band, contributing to decades of composing, performing, and touring.
As a leader, Nelson has released albums such as Live at Acireale (Red Records), Full Nelson(Sunnyside), and Communications (Criss Cross), showcasing his personal voice on vibes. In 2025, he earned a Grammy nomination for his work on Barron’s quintet album Beyond This Place, praised as “one of the best career efforts of the number one vibes player of his generation.”
In addition to performing worldwide, Nelson serves as an educator, teaching jazz ensemble at Montclair State University and mentoring young vibraphonists, as featured in the 2023 short documentary Sparni.

Wes Lewis Quartet
2025-11-15 18:30 - 21:30 | Encore by Goodfellas, 702 State Street, New Haven, CT
With Jeff Fuller on bass and Ben Bilello on drums

Laura Anglade w/ Michael Kanan (livestream)
2025-11-15 19:00 - 21:00 | CT
“LIVE from Ashtonwood” closes its 2025 season presenting international rising jazz star and NYC-based vocalist Laura Anglade. Laura will beaccompanied by the consummate vocal accompanist and pianist Michael Kanan. This house concert will be streamed LIVE and free of charge via Facebook here – https://www.facebook.com/AshtonwoodHouseConcerts.

Java Groove
2025-11-15 20:00 - 23:00 | Griswold Inn, 36 Main Street, Essex, CT
From Sinatra to Swing, Java Groove is a small band with a big sound playing swing, jazz and ballads.

Dr. G’s Jazz Brunch
2025-11-16 12:00 - 15:00 | Quattro’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar, 14 Water Street, Guilford, CT
Dr. G’s Jazz Brunch held on the 1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays from 12pm (noon) until 3pm at Quattro’s Italian Restaurant:

All events will also include jazz masters Jeff Fuller on bass and Barry Ries on drums &/or trumpet. “Dr. G” will provide guitar accompaniment.

Tuxedo Junction
2025-11-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Guilford VFW Post 9666, 104 Mill Road, Guilford, CT
For over 24 years, hosting public rehearsals every Monday night, now at Guilford VFW Post 7666.
Tuxedo Junction was started in 1989 by Pete Jacobs (trumpet) and Will Tayler (drums), WWII veterans who set up an 8-piece Dixieland jazz band in the basement of the senior citizens center in Madison, CT. Pat soon joined on piano.
The band quickly grew into a full swing band as Pete added big band arrangements and people joined: everyone from high school students to retired music teachers started to fill out the sections. Tuxedo Junction moved its practice home to the Westbrook Elks briefly, and in 1997 Paul James suggested that Bill’s Seafood restaurant in Westbrook would be a great place to share the sounds of swing. After more than 20 years of Monday nights at Bill’s, originally outnumbering the customers and staff before turning it into the most happening place on the Shoreline for a Monday night, we moved outside to Town Greens, Overlook Farm in Killingworth, and the Guilford VFW.
Tuxedo Junction plays original big band arrangements from the 30’s through the present, including charts from Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Sy Zentner, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and more. We focus on danceable tunes from swing to waltz, foxtrot to two-step, Latin and even some rock. The band has weekly open rehearsals at local venues on the Eastern Connecticut shoreline. The public is invited to dance and listen in at no charge. We are also available for hire at public and private events throughout Connecticut.
After more than 1,001 performances, Tuxedo Junction has become a musical success story. We are now eighteen passionate musicians, men and women of all ages, following the great jazz tradition and warmly welcoming visiting jazz musicians to sit in.

Michael Palin's Other Orchestra
2025-11-18 20:00 - 22:00 | The Hungry Tiger, 120 Charter Oak Street, Manchester, CT
It’s a funky Big Band thang, a large jazz ensemble that rocks the house. Playing music from Tower of Power, Frank Zappa, The Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorious, Steely Dan, The Yellow Jackets, Bob Berg…..You’ll want to see them again and again!
https://www.facebook.com/OtherOrchestra/

Black Eyed Sally’s Jazz Jam - Mentorship V - Tyler Sherman Quartet
2025-11-19 19:00 - 22:00 | Black-eyed Sally’s Southern Kitchen & Bar, 350 Asylum St., Hartford, CT, 06103

Sean Nelson Jazz Orchestra: Harry James Tribute Ft Joshua Kauffman
2025-11-19 19:30 - 22:00 | Side Door Jazz Club, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, United States
Special Guest:
James Kauffman – Trumpet
Saxes
Erik Elligers
Tyler Wilkins
Matt Parker
Josh Thomas
Matt Schmidt
Trombones
Sean Nelson
Leroy Loomer
Vince Yanovitch
Wes Mayhew
Trumpets
Don Clough
Renee McGee
Luke Wingfield
Haneef Nelson
Rhythm
Jen Allen – piano
Gianni Gardner – guitar
Lou Bocciarelli – bass
Nathan Lassell – drums
Joshua Kauffman has deep ties to the music of Harry James. After befriending and playing trumpet for Harry James, Jr, at his home in Texas, he was gifted many items from the estate, including several of Harry’s trumpets and music manuscripts. Joshua has a deep love and reverence for the music of Harry James, and this is evident in his expert performance of this historically important music.Joshua Kauffman, an in-demand performer and educator in the Washington Metropolitan area, can be seen and heard at major venues like The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Capitol One Arena and Blues Alley. He teaches regularly at The National Jazz Workshop and is frequently seen as a guest artist and clinician with colleges and schools throughout the US.
Equally at home in the jazz and classical idioms, Joshua has had the opportunity to share the stage with Doc Severinsen, Hugh Jackman, Randy Brecker, Bobby McFerrin, Arturo Sandoval, Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, Sean Jones, Stefon Harris, Luis Enrique, The Big Apple Circus, Eddie Daniels, Wycliffe Gordon, Alan Baylock, Dennis Mackrel and many others.
He also travels around the United States to perform swing music for national and international events, like The International Lindy Hop Championships, DC Lindy Exchange, Beantown Camp as well as other swing music and dancing events and competitions.
Originally from New Castle, PA, Joshua attended the University of North Texas where he played in the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band from 2014-2017, where he held both the solo and lead trumpet chairs. While in the One O’Clock Lab Band, he performed at the inaugural concert of Cancer Blows, Monterey Jazz Festival and traveled to Australia to perform at the Generations in Jazz Festival with famed multi-instrumentalist, James Morrison. He graduated in 2017 magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in jazz studies.
Days before graduation, Joshua auditioned and won a position with The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, where he holds the first trumpet chair of The U.S. Army Blues, the premiere jazz ensemble of The United States Army.
Joshua has had many great teachers and mentors in his life including Allen Vizzutti, Jay Saunders, Paul Stephens, John Holt, Rodney Booth, Mike Steinel, Dr. Stephen Hawk and others.
Joshua is a Yamaha Performing Artist and exclusively plays GR Mouthpieces.The Sean Nelson Jazz Orchestra is a “full bodied and polished brassy big band” (Jazz Weekly) made up of 17 of the finest musicians in New England. Formed in 2016 as the New London Big Band, for the past nine years they have played monthly for sold out crowds at the Social Bar + Kitchen in New London CT. The band has performed all over the country, including the Kennedy Center (Washington DC), the Birdland Jazz Club (NYC), Monks Jazz Club (Austin TX), and Hallowed Halls (Portland OR). The band has released three albums, the most recent of which, “Don’t Stop Now: the lost music of Thad Jones for Harry James,” reached #29 on the jazz radio charts.
The band’s sound is rooted in the Kansas City swing of Count Basie, “swinging high, hard, and hot” (All About Jazz.) “Nelson…has assembled a youthful, sharp, hip 17-piece ensemble as dedicated as he is to the belief that big band sounds can provide a fine musical experience — one best served up live, where the groove and excitement of the arrangements and instrumental interplay can energize and pack a dance floor across generations.” (The Day of New London)
Sean Nelson is the leader and founder of the band. By day, he is enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he plays trombone with the Coast Guard Band’s concert band and jazz ensembles, serves as staff arranger, and is music director for the Guardians Big Band.
Nelson was music director and arranger for the 2024 National Christmas Tree Lighting with the Coast Guard’s Guardians Big Band, creating over 500 pages of arrangements. This was performed in front of the White House and seen nationally on CBS. Sean was one of two composers that co-created the official song of the Space Force, Semper Supra, which is now part of every Armed Forces Medley. He also composed the official song for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officer corps (one of the eight federal uniformed services). He has won the National Band Association Young Composers Jazz Composition Contest and is a two time winner of Downbeat Magazine’s jazz arranging award. He currently works as the arranger for Sam Houston State University Bearkat Marching Band. Sean’s big band arrangements are published at iJazzmusic.com.
A native of Dallas, Texas, Sean received a Bachelor of Music degree from Sam Houston State University and a Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas. While at North Texas, he was trombonist and composer for the One O’Clock Lab Band and sang with the Jazz Singers I. Sean’s trombone quartet won the International Trombone Association Quartet Contest. He spent his summers and winter breaks playing in house bands on cruise ships for Princess Cruises and Cunard Cruises.
Sean lives in Quaker Hill, Connecticut, with his wife Megan and children Lucinda, Giles, McCoy, and Cab.

Laroo/Byrd Funky4
2025-11-21 17:30 - 19:30 | The Flying Monkey, 2095 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT

Laroo/Byrd Funky4
2025-11-21 17:30 - 21:30 | The Flying Monkey, 2095 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT
Join us for Laroo/Byrd Funky4, where we bring our signature blend of jazz, funk, and blues “to the max”. Expect soulful improvisations, groovy rhythms, and feel-good vibes that just might move you from your seat to the dance floor if the spirit calls you!

Jazz at Three Sheets
2025-11-21 18:00 - 21:00 | Three Sheets, 372 Elm Street, New Haven, CT
New England Jazz Underground presents jazz on the 1st and 3rd Friday every month.

Isaiah J. Thompson Quartet
2025-11-21 20:00 - 22:30 | Side Door Jazz Club, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, United States
Pianist and composer Isaiah J. Thompson is originally from West Orange, New Jersey. He began studying with pianist Alla Epelbaum at The Calderone School of Music and Bob Mikula from an early age and soon after enrolled in Jazz House Kids and NJPAC Jazz For Teens. He was later admitted to The Juilliard School where he graduated with both his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music degrees and furthered his education in Christian Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Isaiah joined the John Pizzarelli Trio in 2019 and has performed with other major artists such as, Christian McBride, Steve Turre, Catherine Russell, and Buster Williams. His recording debut was featured on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Handful of Keys album with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, and he has since released multiple recordings as a leader.
Thompson worked on the Golden Globe nominated soundtrack for the film Motherless Brooklyn, was named a Steinway Artist and has been awarded other accolades including, the 2018 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award and second place in the 2018 Thelonious Monk Competition. In 2023 he was named the winner of the American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz and in 2024 Thompson joined the Jazz Studies Faculty at The Juilliard School.
As a jazz musician and performer, Isaiah aims to emit love, spirit and respect and convey his faith through his artistry.

Jazz Jam at Cafe Nine
2025-11-22 16:00 - 19:00 | CT
Every Saturday, 4-7

Blue Lion Trio
2025-11-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Obodo Serendipity Books, 3588 Main Street, Stratford, CT
Jeff Fuller, bass, Rich Sylvester, drums and David Childs, piano
$10 cover – includes a glass of wine

Ben Wolfe Quartet
2025-11-22 20:00 - 22:30 | Side Door Jazz Club, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, United States
John Ellis – Saxophone
Joel Ross – Vibes
Ben Wolfe – Bass
Aaron Kimmel – Drums
New York bassist/composer and bandleader Ben Wolfe’s music has been described as “Mingus and Miles Davis meet Bartok and Bernard Herrmann” (Ben Ratliff – The New York Times). With acclaim by some of the jazz world’s most respected critics, Wolfe continues to produce works that draw top-flight reviews from fans and jazz journalists alike.
Ben’s 2024 release The Understated is his eleventh as leader and features all original compositions. Nicole Glover who plays tenor saxophone on the record says in her liner notes “This record succeeds in bringing Ben’s beautiful music to life through extremely conscientious group playing. Nothing is forced or pushed; everything that needs to be stated is stated.”
“The Understated is a beauty.” (Carlo Wolff, Downbeat)
In many ways, The Understated is a continuation of his previous release the critically acclaimed Unjust. “Unjust is a brilliant work of melodic ensemble writing and superb playing by a stellar intergenerational crew.” (Bill Milkowski, Downbeat).
Its balance – of elegance and propulsion, of accessibility and edge – distinguishes it from most conventional jazz. Its details reward repeated listening.” (Larry Blumenfeld, Wall Street Journal)
There is no doubt that after decades as one of the most sought-after bassists in jazz, performing with top names such as Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall and many others, award-winning composer and bandleader Ben Wolfe is clear about his creative direction…
“Much of the music I’ve composed; particularly the music that includes strings, I think of as chamber music within a jazz context.”
An award-winning composer, Ben is a two-time recipient of Chamber Music America’s New Works: Creation and Presentation Program Grant through the Doris Duke Foundation. First received in 2004, Ben was able to use this funding to compose his extended work “Contradiction: Music for Sextet.” He received the grant in 2020 and composed “Nonet”. Both of these extended works have been recorded for future release.
Wolfe has distinguished himself through a significant catalogue of original music, including over one hundred songs across eleven albums, several extended works, and the film score for Matthew Modine’s 2008 short I Think I Thought. The New York Sun hailed his work on this film as, “a standout music score.”
Wolfe’s early career included Grammy award-winning, platinum-selling collaborations with both Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall, including Harry’s 1988 soundtrack album When Harry Met Sally, and Diana’s 1999 release When I Look in Your Eyes. He appeared alongside both artists on numerous world tours.
Wolfe’s ongoing and close association with Wynton Marsalis; during which Marsalis recorded as a guest on two of his albums, has seen Ben appear on a number of Wynton’s releases, and included a stint in the Wynton Marsalis Septet and membership in the Jazz at Lincoln CenteOrchestra (JLCO), where he performed with jazz luminaries such as Joe Henderson, Doc Cheatham, Jon Hendricks, Harry “Sweets” Edison, and Billy Higgins, among many others. Contemporary jazz greats with whom he has also worked and recorded include Branford Marsalis, Orrin Evans, Eric Reed and Benny Green.
Ben Wolfe’s full list of recorded original albums as a leader:
• The Understated, Resident Arts Records (2024)
• Unjust, Resident Arts Records (2023)
• Fatherhood, Resident Arts Records (2019)
• The Whisperer, Posi-Tone (2015)
• From Here I See, MAXJAZZ/Mack Avenue Records (2013)
• Ben Wolfe Quintet: Live at Smalls, SmallsLIVE (2011)
• No Strangers Here, MAXJAZZ/Mack Avenue Records (2008)
• My Kinda Beautiful, Planet Arts Records (2004)
• Murray’s Cadillac, Amosaya Music (2000)
• Bagdad Theater, Mons Records (1997)
• 13 Sketches, Mons Records (1996)
Ben maintains a busy schedule, performing and touring on the international stage. Currently a member of the teaching faculty at The Julliard School in New York City, Ben is helping to shape and mentor the jazz scene’s next generation of outstanding talent.
“Ben Wolfe swings with authority!”– to quote Wynton Marsalis. It can’t be said any better!

Instantiations Monthly Music Series at Real Art Ways
2025-11-23 14:30 - 16:30 | Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St, Hartford, CT
Instantiations, formerly known as Improvisations Now, is a monthly series of concerts conceived and programmed by Joe Morris (guitarist, bassist, improviser, composer-wearer of many hats). Joe invites dynamic, innovative musicians – important members of the global improvised music scene – and performs with them. The music is completely improvised. Every concert, every instance is a unique experience.
Sunday, 11/23, 2:30 pm: Rob Brown-alto saxophone, flute; Anna Webber-tenor saxophone, flute; Matthew Rousseau-drums; Joe Morris-bass, compositions
Sunday, 12/14, 2:30 pm: Brad Barrett-cello; Beth Ann Jones-bass; Joe Morris-guitar
Sunday, 1/18, 2:30 pm: Hidemi Akaiwa-piano; Hery Paz-tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute; Joe Morris-bass
Sunday, 2/15, 2:30 pm: Adam Matlock-accordion; Diane Buettner-bass clarinet, clarinet; Yoona Kim-Ajaeng; Joe Morris-guitar
Sunday, 3/15, 2:30 pm: L. Mixashawn Rozie-tenor, soprano saxophone, mandolin, voice; Michael Larocca-drums; Joe Morris-bass
Sunday, 4/12, 2:30 pm: Melanie Dyer-viola; Solomon Caldwell-bass; Joe Morris-guitar
Sunday, 5/3, 2:30 pm: Selendis Sebastian Alexander Johnson-vibraphone; Lemuel Marc-trumpet; Joe Morris-bass
General Admission $15 / Members $12 / Students $8
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