Hartford Jazz Society

Tuxedo Junction
2026-03-30 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-03-23 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | 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.

Noah Baerman Plays the Music of James Williams
2026-03-29 15:00 - 17:00 | Crowell Concert Hall – Wesleyan University, 283 Washington St, Middletown, CT

Baby Grand Jazz at Hartford Public Library
2026-03-29 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-03-22 15:00 - 16:00 | Center for Contemporary Culture (Main Floor) – Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street, Hartford, CT
Concerts will be held at HPL’s Downtown Library on Sunday afternoons at 3:00 p.m. from January through April, excluding Easter Sunday on April 5. Performances will take place in the Center for Contemporary Culture, 500 Main Street, Hartford. Doors open at 2:00 p.m., and each concert lasts about an hour. Concerts will be streamed on HPL’s Facebook page, YouTube channel and Hartford Public Access TV.
2026 Lineup

January 4 – Iftah Kary Trio
January 11 – Lee Fish & Friends
January 18 – Koan
January 25 – Digba Ogunbiyi Quartet

February 1 – Matt Parker
February 8 – Meg Okura & The Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble
February 15 – Jen Allen and Heart Alchemy
February 22 – Jamile Trio

March 1 – The Hartford Sound
March 8 – Nigel Bello Band
March 15 – Laszlo Gardony Trio
March 22 – Rodney Jones
March 29 – Ben Bilello Quartet
April 5 – No concert
April 12 – Japanese MicroJam
April 19 – Tyler Sherman and Friends
April 26 – Rene McLean: Music of the Spirit

Greg Abate Quartet
2026-03-28 20:00 - 22:30 | Side Door Jazz Club, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, United States
Join us for a special night of jazz with Saxophonist Greg Abate and his Quartet!

Greg Abate – Saxophone
Chuck Lamb – Piano
John Lockwood – Bass
Gary Johnson – Drums
Greg Abate jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer continues as an International Jazz/Recording Artist with 225 days a year touring the globe.
In the mid 70’s after finishing a four year program at Berklee College Of Music, Greg played lead alto for the Ray Charles Orchestra for 2 years.
In 1978 Greg formed his group Channel One which was a favorite in the New England area and from there had the opportunity to play tenor sax with the revived Artie Shaw Orchestra under leadership of Dick Johnson from 1986 to ’87.
Following this experience Greg ventured out as post hard bop soloist playing Jazz Festivals, Jazz Societies and Jazz Clubs throughout the U.S. Canada and abroad, including most of Europe, UK, and Moscow and Georgia Russia.
Greg’s newest release Gratitude, with the Tim Ray Trio has received glowing reviews and a lot of international airplay. Also, check out Greg’s other recordings including special guests Phil Woods and other notable artists.
Greg is currently a Whaling City Sound recording artist.
Greg recorded his first CD Live At Birdland NYC in 1991 on the Candid Jazz Label with the trio of James Williams, Rufus Reid and Kenny Washington.
To this date Greg has recorded over 17 other recordings as leader.
Greg is also an adjunct professor of Jazz Studies at Rhode Island College and is also a very active jazz clinician with co. sponsorship from the Conn-Selmer Instrument Co., conducting workshops and master classes through the U.S and abroad.
Greg has been inducted into the RI MUSIC HALL OF FAME 2016

Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott)
2026-03-28 20:00 - 22:00 | Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall, 151 Presidents Drive, Amherst, MA
Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) is an artist who has never been content to stand still and inhabit only the present. Adjuah changed his name out of a desire to connect with his family roots in West Africa and clear a stronger path to the future. His music similarly embraces the African roots of jazz while simultaneously embodying the genre’s spirit of innovation.
Adjuah has developed custom instruments — including the Adjuah trumpet, Siren, Sirenette, and the Adjuah bow — as part of an ongoing quest to explore new sounds. His work as a composer and bandleader rejects restrictive ideas of genre, shattering boundaries in pursuit of limitless innovation. That pursuit has earned him awards and critical acclaim across thirteen albums.
Adjuah and his band will bring Adjuah’s vision of music that blends past, present, and future to the Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall stage following a day spent working with students from throughout New England at the UMass Department of Music and Dance’s annual High School Jazz Festival. This — a composer, performer, and scholar who is fully committed to the evolution of his artform working with young musicians — is the very essence of our future-oriented Next50 series.
Total price starts at: $35.00.
Total price for youth 17 and under and Five College students starts at: $20.00

Boney James - Slow Burn Tour
2026-03-28 19:30 - 21:30 | John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts – Southern CT State University, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT
Saxophonist and composer Boney James’s new Concord Records album, Slow Burn, was released October 18, 2024.
“When I mentioned that phrase to people as a possible title, they said, “That also refers to your whole career in a way” James says with a laugh. “This is my 19th record and I feel like I’m just hitting my stride.”
Slow Burn is a new high point in a remarkable career that now spans more than three decades and includes a long list of accolades; four GRAMMY nominations, three NAACP Image Award nominations, a Soul Train Award for Best Jazz Album and four RIAA Gold Record certifications. In 2009, Billboard named James one of the Top 3 Contemporary Jazz Artists of the decade. In 2024 year Boney became the first ever artist to score 20 number one singles on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart.
But Boney James has never been one to look backwards and Slow Burn, which the artist produced, marks several firsts. Beginning with the album’s opening track, ‘Arcadia.’ The very first notes on the album are the acoustic bass playing of the legendary Marcus Miller. It’s one of the few times that Miller, known for his electric bass guitar work, has committed his standup bass playing to a recording and the first time that James has incorporated an upright bass into his own music
Next is James’ intriguing interpretation of the classic ‘Butterfly.’ Co-written by master keyboardist Herbie Hancock and Bennie Maupin, the track features Marcus Miller again as well as young lion Cory Henry’s inspired electric piano. “This beautiful melody got stuck in my head” explains James. “I have never covered a tune by a legend like Herbie before and I hope we did him justice.”
The title track, ‘Slow Burn,’ is one of four tunes on the album that James co-wrote and co produced with multi-instrumentalist Jairus Mozee ( known for his work with Anderson Paak, Anthony Hamilton and Nikki Minaj etc.).
Tickets:
$75 General Public *processing fee included in price
$63 SCSU Faculty/Staff *processing fee included in price
Seating: Reserved

Bob Ahern Quartet
2026-03-28 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-21 18:00 - 21:00 | Lighthouse Inn, 6 Guthrie Pl, New London, CT
The Bob Ahern Quartet will be performing the last Saturday of each month at the legendary Lighthouse Inn from 6-9. The group features Lisa Marien on vocals and Bob Ahern on drums along with various Jazz artists each month.

Jazz Jam at Cafe Nine
2026-03-28 16:00 - 19:00, 2026-03-21 16:00 - 19:00 | CT
Every Saturday, 4-7

Firehouse 12 Spring Jazz Series
2026-03-27 20:30 - 23:30, 2026-03-20 20:30 - 23:30 | Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street, New Haven, CT
Performances are on Friday nights at 8:30pm and 10:00pm. Tickets for each performance can be purchased individually, with prices at $20 for our early shows and $15 for our late shows. Our Season Pass is available for $225, which provides 1 ticket to all sets of the 13 performances.
The complete season calendar can be viewed here.
March 20: GEORGE
March 27: Dave Fiuczynski’s KiF
April 3: Sun of Goldfinger
April 10: Amanda Monaco’s Deathblow
April 17: Caroline Davis, Solo
April 24: David Berkman Quartet
May 1: Mary Halvorson: Canis Major
May 8: Anna Badkhen Dezron Douglas Duo
May 15: Jerome Sabbagh Quartet
May 22: Allison, Cardenas & Nash
May 29: Marta Sanchez (Solo Piano)
June 5: Max Johnson Sextet
June 12: Curtis Hasselbring’s The Curhachestra
All 13 shows are on sale now at firehouse12.com. Tickets are $20 for the 8:30pm performance and $15 for 10:00pm. The complete Season Pass is $225. All tickets can be purchased online or, subject to availability, at the box office on the night of the show.

Amina Figarova Sextet
2026-03-27 20:00 - 22:30 | Side Door Jazz Club, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, United States
Join us for a special night of jazz with Pianist Amina Figarova and her Sextet!

Amina Figarova – Piano
Charlie Porter – Trumpet
Bart Platteau – Flutes
Wayne Escoffery- Tenor sax
Luques Curtis – Bass
Donald Edwards – Drums
Amina Figarova was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, and as a child studied to be a classical concert pianist. Graduated from the Baku Conservatory as classical concert pianist. In 1990, she entered Rotterdam Conservatory (where she met Bart Platteau, a fellow student from Belgium) to pursue jazz, coming to the United States in 1992 to complete her formal education at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. In 1998 she was invited to the Thelonious Monk Institute’s summer jazz colony in Aspen, and after more than a decade of bookings in major U.S. jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals, the couple gained legal immigrant status in 2013, and became US citizen in 2020. They currently live in Harlem, NY and tour constantly.
“Among the most important composers to come into jazz in the new millennium” – JazzTime
Hailing from Azerbaijan, the New York-based Amina Figarova is an internationally influenced—and recognized—composer, pianist, and bandleader. Those three roles come to the forefront in Figarova’s sextets, bands with a remarkable chemistry that brings her detailed arrangements to life. Every member of the group stands out as a first-rate individual, but their dedication to Figarova’s eclectic and powerful compositions gives this group its depth of feeling and elite status. The Amina Figarova Sextet has been a hit at major festivals like the Newport Jazz Festival and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
Suite for Africa is Amina’s 18th album, all with original compositions by Amina. Other compositions for Symphonic orchestra, Musical Diana, a ballad book for Trio Del Norte, brass ensemble, flute duo and quartet, and many more.

Natalie Hamilton
2026-03-27 17:30 - 19:00 | American Mural Project, 90 Whiting Street, Winsted, CT
Natalie Hamilton is a singer/songwriter known for her four-octave, velvet voice and a style that blends jazz sophistication with folk intimacy. Critics describe her sound as evocative, powerful, and uniquely her own, comparing her voice to a young Barbra Streisand and her narrative, lyrical compositions to Joni Mitchell.
“She is able to say more with humming than most singers can say with words – reminiscent of a young Barbra Streisand.” (Sandy Cooperman – The Daily Sun)
Hamilton is currently performing and recording a new album for 2026 release.

Fridays with Frank
2026-03-27 17:15 - 19:00 | Institute Library, 847 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT
Join renowned jazz historian and Jazz Haven Board member Frank Cochran for BYOB “Fridays with Frank.” Happy Hour jazz listening sessions are held every Friday from 5:15 to 7:00 pm at the Institute Library in downtown New Haven. Each Friday Frank selects iconic jazz LPs to play from the Library’s extensive collection. Discussion follows. BYOB and please give a modest donation towards the IL’s spiraling utilities. A $5.00 contribution is welcome.

Big Ears Festival
2026-03-26 - 2026-03-28 | CT
Big Ears is a four-day celebration of musical and artistic adventure and discovery, transforming downtown Knoxville, TN into an immersive playground for the senses. From March 26–29, 2026, over 35,000 attendees will experience nearly 250 performances, films, conversations, literary events, and art installations across 20 diverse venues, including historic theaters, churches, intimate clubs, and art galleries.
Founded in 2009, Big Ears is unlike any other festival—presenting iconic artists and bold new voices from around the globe. The programming crosses generations and genres, spanning contemporary classical, jazz, experimental, rock, folk traditions, ambient soundscapes, and beyond. With a festival pass, you’ll have access to all advertised performances (with the exception of separately ticketed, reserved seat concerts), giving you the freedom to follow your curiosity and encounter the unexpected.

Sam Wells
2026-03-25 19:30 - 21:30 | Ring Family Performing Arts Hall – Wesleyan University, 283 Washington Terrace, Middletown, CT, 06457
Sam Wells, the trumpet player from the SPLICE Ensemble, returns to perform at Wesleyan. Pillars and Strata is an hour-long concert for solo trumpet and seventh-order ambisonic electronics that merges field recordings, recursive spatial processing, and live performance into an immersive sonic landscape.
The work draws on environmental recordings from the Tank Center for Sonic Arts (Rangely, Colorado), Kebler Pass Aspen Grove, and Lacawac Sanctuary (Pocono Mountains). At the Tank, Wells employed recursive recording techniques—playing sound back into the vast cylindrical reverb chamber, re-recording, and layering the results—creating acoustically self-generating textures that mirror geological stratification and environmental memory.
Sam Wells is a musician and artist based in Philadelphia, whose work often invokes a heightened sense of the entanglements of space, air, breath, and body. Manifesting as music composition, performance, and improvisation, as well as multimedia performance and installation, his work is experientially substantial. It is rooted in the humanity of breath and highlights our interrelations with the cosmic, terrestrial, social, and internal spaces that surround us.
Wells is a trumpeter and improviser who has performed around the world and is a member of SPLICE Ensemble, Aeroidio, and the Miller/Vidiksis/Wells trio. He has also performed with Contemporaneous, Metropolis Ensemble, Nate Wooley, TILT Brass, the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, and the Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra. Wells has recorded on the Scarp Records, New Amsterdam/Nonesuch, New Focus Records, SEAMUS, and Ravello Recordings labels.
As a composer, Wells creates acoustic, electroacoustic, and electronic works, often incorporating multimedia elements. His works have been performed throughout the United States and internationally. He is a recipient of a 2016 Jerome Fund for New Music award, and his work “stringstrung” is the winner of the 2016 Miami International Guitar Festival Composition Competition. As an avid collaborator, Wells has written for theater and dance productions, as well as for many notable performers of contemporary music such as HOCKET, SPLICE Ensemble, Maya Bennardo, Dana Jessen, Vicki Ray, Lin Faulk, Kenken Gorder, and Will Yager.
Technology is a deep through line of Wells’ practice, and he is active as a music technologist. Wells is a Cycling ’74 Max Certified Trainer and organizes the Max Meetup Philadelphia event series. He runs Scarp Records, a record label dedicated to highlighting the experimental and improvisational practices of performer/composers.
Wells currently serves as the Member At Large for the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS), as well as a board member for SPLICE Music, the parent organization of SPLICE Institute, Festival, and Ensemble, dedicated to the performance, creation, and development of music for performers and electronics.
Wells holds degrees in both performance and composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, graduate degrees in Trumpet Performance and Computer Music Composition from Indiana University, and a doctoral degree from the California Institute of the Arts. Wells is an Assistant Professor of Instruction of Music Technology and Composition at Temple University.
Admission is free, and everyone is welcome.
We encourage you to RSVP to help us with our planning and to get a reminder the day before this event. While RSVPs are not required for entry, they are a big help!

Black Eyed Sally’s Jazz Jam - Julius Tolentino
2026-03-25 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

Allen Lowe & The All-Stars
2026-03-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Best Video Film and Cultural Center, 1842 Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT

Michael Palin's Other Orchestra
2026-03-24 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/

Jazz at Cafe Nine
2026-03-24 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.

Hartford Jazz Orchestra
2026-03-23 19:30 - 21:30 | Elicit Brewery, 165 Adams Street, Manchester, CT
Every Monday at Elicit Brewery in Manchester CT. No cover.

Kris Allen Quartet
2026-03-22 14:00 - 17:00 | New Park Brewing, 485 New Park Avenue, West Hartford, CT
Kris Allen: saxophones
Michael Carabello on keyboard
Zwelakhe Duma Bell le Pere on bass
Jimmy Gavagan on drumset
A native of West Hartford CT and a protégé of the great Jackie McLean, Kris has forged a clear conceptual and aural identity as a saxophonist, composer, bandleader and recording artist. appearing on dozens of albums. His latest release as a leader, June, is his third critically acclaimed album for the Truth Revolution Recording Collective
“Allen, for all of his fluency in the language of jazz and deep knowledge of the music’s modern masters, is very much his own man with his own creative voice.”- WNPR.org
“Diverse and impassioned….Subtlety, surprise and a sense of urgency… Locating the profound within the familiar”- Downbeat Magazine
Kris has performed and/or recorded with Illinois Jacquet, Gerald Wilson, Andy Gonzales, Jimmy Greene, Helen Sung, Jonathan Barber, Winard Harper, Andy Laverne, the Mingus Dynasty, Avery Sharpe, Ike Sturm, Rogerio Boccato, Andy Jaffe, Kendrick Oliver’s New Life Orchestra, Noah Baerman, the Curtis Brothers and Mario Pavone among others. He has collaborated with dancers, poets, and visual artists, as well as musicians from across diverse genres. Kris’s work has been honored with numerous awards and commissions, including a Macdowell Artist’s Colony fellowship and the Connecticut Office of the Arts fellowship. He currently tours widely as the leader of his own quartet/quintet and as a member of the collaboratively led “Triangle Offense” trio with bassist Matt Dwonszyk and Jonathan Barber. Prior to his time at Williams, he served as a faculty member at Trinity College, the Hartt School, Southern Connecticut State University and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Performing Arts, and he has been a senior teaching artist for Litchfield Performing Arts since 2001. Kris is a Vandoren Artist and plays Vandoren mouthpieces, reeds and ligatures exclusively.

Chembo Corniel Quintet
2026-03-21 20:00 - 22:30 | Side Door Jazz Club, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, United States
Join us for a special night of jazz with Conga Player Chembo Corniel and his Quintet!

Evan Francis – Saxophone/Flute
Gabriel Chakarji – Piano
Carlos Mena – Bass
Joel E. Mateo – Drums
Chembo Corniel – Tumbadoras
Wilson “Chembo” Corniel, Jr. Born in Manhattan on November 22, 1953 of proud Puerto Rican parents, Chembo was raised in the humble streets of Red Hook, Brooklyn. It was during these years, as a quick-witted youngster, that he had the privilege and honor to study with such percussion luminaries as, Tommy Lopez Sr., “Little Ray” Romero, Louie Bauza, and Cachete Maldonado. Chembo honed his skills at The Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts in New York, and also at the prestigious La Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana, Cuba under the direction of the great Chucho Valdés. His intense studies with such legends noted above channeled his energy onto a path where Wilson “Chembo” Corniel has now created a reputation for himself among musicians and the public.
Today, he is considered as one of the best hard-hitting, versatile percussionists around. Chembo teaches percussion to students at the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music a also at The Collective and leads numerous clinics throughout the United States where he brings awareness to others of the rich Afro-Caribbean traditions. Among his credits, Chembo was chosen to create his own instructional DVD called, “An Introduction to Hand Percussion: Volume I—Congas”. It was released in December of 2000 and with distribution by Warner Brothers it has been a success.
He’s been a vital endorser of Latin Percussion instruments since 1982 as he is currently for Remo drum heads, Vic Firth sticks and Sabian cymbals. His touring credits are as long as his performing credits.
Chembo has toured with many major artists throughout Europe, Asia, North & South America, and the Caribbean. Television credits include an appearance on the “Bill Cosby Show” and a recurring recording gig on Nickelodeon’s children show, “Dora the Explorer”. Chembo continues to perform and/or record with many artists of different genres. He is currently concentrating on leading his own Latin Jazz quintet, “Chembo & Grupo Chaworó”. This is a well-balanced Latin Jazz group that incorporates many rich traditions, such as writer Aurora Flores states: “a sprinkling of be-bop, a touch of swing with a dollop of bomba, rumba, tango and danzón topped with ‘un chin’ de charanga.”

Hall High Pops 'N Jazz
2026-03-21 19:00 - 21:00 | William H. Hall High School – West Hartford, 975 North Main Street, West Hartford, CT, 06117
Hall High School proudly invites the community to experience the 68th annual production of Pops ’n Jazz, a beloved West Hartford tradition showcasing the school’s extraordinary jazz musicians, singers, dancers, and theater students. This year’s production explores the magic behind the music with a theatrical theme of Putting It Together, and tells the story of the collaboration and dedication of the student performers and crew members who make up PnJ. Putting it Together offers old standards and new showstoppers sure to excite the audience. More than a concert, Pops ’n Jazz 2026 pulls back the curtain on the creative process and places the spotlight squarely on the unwavering devotion of all the different student groups. The show builds bit by bit—by the end of the night, you may find that you simply can’t control your feet! Special guest artists perform nightly.

Guest Artist: Jason Marshal – saxophone

Tickets now available at https://pnj.ludus.com. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students; tickets to the Sunday matinee are $10. Beginning in March, tickets can also be purchased in person at the Hall High School box office. Please call (860) 929-5151 for hours. Box office opens at 6 p.m. on show nights.

Vanisha Gould Quartet
2026-03-20 20:00 - 22:30 | Side Door Jazz Club, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, United States
Join us for a special night of jazz with Vocalist Vanisha Gould and her Quartet!

Vanisha Gould is a vocalist, composer, and bandleader whose music bridges vulnerability and strength. After earning her degree from Berklee College of Music, she moved from California to New York City in 2015 and quickly became a vital voice in the city’s jazz community, performing at Smalls Jazz Club, Ornithology, Mezzrow, The Jazz Gallery, Minton’s Playhouse, and Dizzy’s Club.
Gould’s artistry has also reached audiences around the world. She has toured internationally throughout Europe and Russia, performing in Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and across the Nordic regions, bringing her intimate, story-driven sound to festivals, clubs, and house-concert stages overseas.
Her albums In Her Words (2021), Life’s a Gig (2024), and She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth (2024) illuminate the interior world of women in jazz, exploring resilience, humor, and truth through story and sound.
In 2023, Gould received The Jazz Gallery Composition Residency Commission, expanding her vision toward multi-movement works that integrate text, voice, and visual storytelling. Her music honors jazz tradition while pushing it forward with intimacy, imagination, and depth.

Noah Preminger Quartet
2026-03-20 19:30 - 21:30 | Milford Arts Council, 40 Railroad Avenue S, Milford, CT
Born in 1986, Preminger grew up in Canton, Connecticut, before going to Hall High School in West Hartford – the institution that produced several well-known jazz musicians. From the first day he picked up the saxophone, Preminger “knew I’d become a musician,” he recalls. “I would practice eight hours a day as a young teenager. I was possessed.”
Preminger released his debut album, Dry Bridge Road, just after his 21st birthday and was named Debut of the Year in the Village Voice Critics Poll. Since then, he has been a two-time winner of Downbeat Magazine’s Rising Star Best Tenor Saxophonist and has recorded over 20 critically acclaimed albums as a band-leader. He has performed jazz concerts on key stages around the globe, playing with a pantheon of contemporary jazz talents.
Two new recordings were released by Preminger: Ballads (Chill Tone) featuring pianist Julian Shore, bassist Kim Cass, and drummer Allan Mednard, as well as Dark Days (Criss Cross), which features guitarist Ely Perlman, bassist Kim Cass, and drummer Terreon Gully.

James Falzone
2026-03-20 19:30 - 21:30 | Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot Street, Holyoke, MA
James Falzone (reeds, piano)
James Falzone has dedicated a large part of his work, especially since 2011, to solo playing and the development of a long-form work he calls Sighs Too Deep For Words. His solo work is a synthesis of the improvised and the composed and often incorporates multiple clarinets (Bb, Eb, prepared), penny whistles, ritual and singing bowls/bells, shruti box, and other ambient sound makers. He has toured with his solo project extensively, often in conjunction with workshops and masterclasses on improvisation at universities, colleges, and music schools.
Falzone is a clarinetist, composer, and improviser whose work in the jazz and creative music scenes has won him international acclaim. A veteran contemporary music lecturer and clinician, as well as an award-winning composer who has been commissioned by chamber ensembles, dance companies, choirs, and symphony orchestras around the globe, Falzone leads his own ensembles (Allos Musica and The Renga Ensemble), and has released a series of critically-acclaimed recordings on Allos Documents, the label he founded in 2000.
Falzone performs throughout North America and Europe, appears regularly on Downbeat Magazine’s Critics’ and Readers’ Polls, and was nominated as the 2011 Clarinetist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association. He has been profiled in The New York Times, The Seattle Times, The Chicago Tribune, New Music Box, and Point of Departure, among many other publications. A respected educator and scholar, Falzone is Associate Dean of Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle University.
