Hartford Jazz Society

A World of Piano: Arturo O’Farrill
2026-02-26 19:30 - 22:30 (America/New_York) | Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA
Arturo O’Farrill, pianist, composer, and educator, was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Arturo’s professional career began with the Carla Bley Band and continued as a solo performer with a wide spectrum of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Belafonte.
In 2007, he founded the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the performance, education, and preservation of Afro Latin music. Learn more about ALJA here: http://www.afrolatinjazz.org
In December 2010 Arturo traveled with the original Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra to Cuba, returning his father’s musicians to his homeland. He continues to travel to Cuba regularly as an informal Cultural Ambassador, working with Cuban musicians, dancers, and students, bringing local musicians from Cuba to the US and American musicians to Cuba.
Arturo has performed with orchestras and bands including his own Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and Arturo O’Farrill Sextet, as well as other Orchestras and intimate ensembles in the US, Europe, Russia, Australia, and South America.
An avid supporter of all the Arts, Arturo has performed with Ballet Hispanico and the Malpaso Dance Company, for whom he has written three ballets. In addition, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company has in its repertoire a ballet entitled “Open Door,” choreographed by Ron Brown to several of Arturo’s compositions and recordings. Ron Brown’s own Evidence Dance Company commissioned Arturo to compose New Conversations, which premiered in the Summer of 2018 at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA.
Arturo has received commissions from Meet the Composer, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Philadelphia Music Project, The Apollo Theater, Symphony Space, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Young Peoples Chorus of New York, Columbia University and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Arturo’s well-reviewed and highly praised “Afro-Latin Jazz Suite” from the album CUBA: The Conversation Continues (Motéma) took the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition and the 2016 Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album. His powerful “Three Revolutions” from the album Familia-Tribute to Chico and Bebo was the 2018 Grammy Award (his sixth) winner for Best Instrumental Composition. Arturo’s album “Four Questions” (ZOHO) is the first to embody all original compositions, including the title track, which features the brilliant orator Dr. Cornel West. This album won a Grammy in 2021. Most recently, in February of 2023, Arturo was awarded his eighth Grammy for the album “Fandango at the Wall in New York.”
Arturo was Artist in Residence for The Greene Space in New York City, for which he created a four-concert series including a newly commissioned composition. The series title was “Radical Acts and Musical Deviancy.”
In 2020 Arturo’s weekly concerts with the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, dubbed “Virtual Birdland,” top the list of 10 Best Quarantine Concerts in the New York Times.
Arturo is Professor of Global Jazz Studies and Assistant Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has been honored as a Steinway Artist for many years, and is a Blue Note Records Recording Artist.

Fridays with Frank
2026-02-27 17:15 - 19:00, 2026-03-06 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.

A World of Piano: Marta Sanchez
2026-02-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA
Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, pianist and composer Marta Sánchez is actively working in the contemporary creative music scene in New York City and around the globe. Charting a significant path through her innovative and original music, she has reached an international audience, gaining significant global recognition.
Marta’s main project, her quintet, was created soon after she moved to New York, and since then has released four albums: “Partenika” (2015), “Danza Imposible” (2017), and “El Rayo de Luz” (2019) with the Spanish label Fresh Sound and SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum) with Whirlwind Recordings. All of the albums received high praise from American press. ”Partenika” received great reviews from The New York Times, Downbeat, All Music, All About Jazz,and many more. Not only that, but the recording was selected by The New York Times as one of the 10 best albums of 2015, including all genres, and it was also included on the lists of the best recordings of the year from the Jazz Journalist Association, Downbeat and All Music. The quintet’s next work, “Danza Imposible” was reviewed and highly praised in the famous public radio program“Fresh Air”, it got 4 stars from DownBeat, an excellent review from The New York TImes, on Nate Chinen’s program at WBGO, and it was also included in some lists of the best of 2017. “El Rayo de Luz” was also included in the The New York Times list of the Best 10 jazz albums of 2019, it was the editor’s pick of the December issue of Downbeat, got a four stars review also in Downbeat from Giovanni Russonello, it was featured on WBGO’s program “The Checkout” and a long etc. SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum) was reviewed at The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Downbeat, Jazzwise and a long etc. After “Danza Imposible”, Marta’s music has been the subject of articles in publications including Jazziz and The New York Times.
In addition to her quintet, Marta recently released a new record with her trio, featuring Savannah Harris on drums and Chris Tordini on bass, titled “Perpetual Void” on the Intakt label. The album has been widely praised, including receiving 4.5 stars from Downbeat.
Marta has toured the United States, Europe, South America, and Central America, performing as a leader or as a sideman at prestigious venues and prominent festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, Jazzaldia in San Sebastian, Inntone in Austria, Eurojazz in Mexico City, Eurojazz in Athens, Jazz Festival Vitoria Gasteiz, Winter Jazz Festival in New York, and Madrid, among many others. In the United States, she has performed at some of the most prestigious clubs including the Carnegie Hall, Blue Note, Village Vanguard, Birdland, Roulette, Dizzy’s Jazz, The Jazz Gallery, The 55 Bar, Smalls, Mezzrow among many others.
Furthermore, Marta has been actively collaborating with other artists, playing and recording in David Murray’s Quartet, Maria Grand’s duo, and the Anna Weber and Angela Morris Big Band, among others..
She received prizes for the best soundtrack for short film in the festivals Alcalá de Henares, Curtficcion in Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.
In 2017 and 2021 she received the prestigious grant for a residency from the MacDowell Colony, where Marta wrote prepared piano repertoire.

Olli Soikkeli Trio
2026-02-27 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 Guitarist Olli Soikkeli and his Trio!

Olli Soikkeli – Guitar
Paul Sikivie – Bass
Ben Zweig – Drums
Born in Nurmes, Finland and based in NYC, Soikkeli was introduced to the music of great Django Reinhardt and Gypsy Jazz, which has been his primary focus since. Olli played in jazz clubs and festivals across Finland, and toured Europe with Sinti Guitarist Paulus Schäfer. While still young, he’s already played with notable artists such as Bucky Pizzarelli, Stochelo Rosenberg, Tommy Emmanuel, Andreas Öberg, Cyrille Aimee, Antti Sarpila and Marian Petrescu.
After move to New York City in 2014. Olli has played legendary venues such as Town Hall, Herbst Theatre, Birdland Jazz Club, Blue Note, Iridium and the Lincoln Center.
Olli recorded his first album “Trois Générations” (2011) with Hot Club de Finlande and Vitali Imereli and recorded his second album “Kouvola Junction” (2012) with Paulus Schäfer and Arnoud van den Berg.

Jazz Jam at Cafe Nine
2026-02-28 16:00 - 19:00, 2026-03-07 16:00 - 19:00 | CT
Every Saturday, 4-7

Bob Ahern Quartet
2026-02-28 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-07 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.

A World of Piano: Wayne Horvitz
2026-02-28 19:30 - 21:30 | Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA
Recipient of the 2019 American Prize in Composition for Orchestra, composer, pianist, and electronic musician Wayne Horvitz performs extensively throughout Europe, Japan, and North America. He is the leader of and principal composer for The Snowghost Trio, Sweeter Than the Day, The Royal Room Collective Music Ensemble, Brooks/Horvitz/Kim, Electric Circus and The Royal We. He performs regularly as an improviser on both piano and electronics. Past ensembles include The President, The Gravitas Quartet The Horvitz-Morris-Previte Trio, Zony Mash, The New York Composers Orchestra, Ponga, and The Four Plus One Ensemble. Recent releases include “Those Who Remain” (National Sawdust Tracks) and “Cell Walk” featuring duos with bassoonist Sara Schoenbeck (Songlines). In 2016 Horvitz was granted the three yearlong Doris Duke Performing Artists Award.
As a composer, Horvitz has been commissioned by The Kitchen, The Seattle Symphony, The Kronos Quartet, Brooklyn Academy of Music, New World Records, The Seattle Chamber Players, NOCCO, The Seattle Modern Orchestra, The White Oak Dance Company and Earshot Jazz. He has received commissioning grants from Meet the Composer, The National Endowment for the Arts, Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, NYSCA, The Mary Flagler Carey Trust and The Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund. He was awarded a Rockefeller MAP grant for the creation of Joe Hill: 16 Actions for Chamber Orchestra and Soloist (2004). His composition “For Piano Alone, In Four Parts” was premiered by pianist Cristina Valdes at the Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle in 2009. Horvitz was awarded a MAP grant in 2010 for “55: Music and Dance in Concrete,” a site-specific collaboration with choreographer Yukio Suzuki, video artist Yohei Saito and producer Tucker Martine which premiered in September 2012 at Centrum (WA) and the ASU Museum of Art. His hour-long song cycle “Smokestack Arias,” based on the events of the Everett Massacre, was premiered at ACT Theater in February 2012. He is the recipient of the 2008 NEA American Masterpieces Award for the string quartet “These Hills of Glory.” In 2016, he was the recipient of the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award. In May of 2013 Horvitz’s Royal Room Collective Music Ensemble spent a week in residence at The Stone in NYC. Ben Ratliff of the NY Times wrote, “Mr. Horvitz kept his attention on the band with microscopic focus, quick-cutting between contrasts, putting something free or rippling against a fixity. It held your attention, and when it was perverse, it was just perverse enough.”
In 2014 Horvitz received funding from the Shifting Foundation to write “Some Places Are Forever Afternoon,” a suite of compositions for septet based on eleven poems by the iconic Northwest poet Richard Hugo. A CD was released in 2015 and the work premiered that fall in Washington, Montana, and Oregon – the places Hugo loved and wrote about. The Seattle Symphony premiered “Those Who Remain” for full orchestra on Oct. 29, 2015, conducted by Ludovic Morlot. Horvitz is a 2015 McKnight Visiting Composer Fellow, for his project “21 Pianos,” a site(s)-specific interaction with an extremely out of tune piano and twenty-one towns and cities in Minnesota.
Funded in part by a 2015 MAP grant, “Those Who Remain Pt. 2: Concerto for Installation and Improviser” premiered in January of 2017 at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. The installation is a collaboration with dancer Yohei Saito, video artist Yukio Suzuki and visual artist Barbara Earl Thomas. The music is an electronic score created from samples of “Those Who Remain Pt. 1. In February 2020, in collaboration with the Seattle Opera and the Seattle Modern Orchestra, “188 Sullivan: Charlie Parker’s New York in the ’50s” was premiered by Horvitz with the SMO conducted by Julia Tai, imagining the meeting of Charlie Parker and composer Edgar Varese in a piece that included notated passages, improvising soloists, and interstitial passages of “conduction” directed by the composer.
During the Covid years, Horvitz focused on archival projects, completed and published a book of compositions for beginning and intermediate pianists entitled “Little Pieces for the Piano” and created a new ensemble with vocalist Ayesha Brooks and cellist Ha-Yang Kim. Their premiere concerts were streamed live from Town Hall and The Royal Room and their EP was released on the Lions With Wings label.
As a sideman and collaborator Wayne Horvitz has performed and recorded with Robin Holcomb, Billy Bang, Rinde Eckert, Carla Bley, Marty Ehrlich, Reggie Watts, Alex Guy, Bill Frisell, Fred Frith, Butch Morris, Shelley Hirsch, Skerik, Naomi Siegel, Nels Cline, David Moss, Bobby Previte, George Lewis, Elliott Sharp, Ikue Mori, Kazutoki Umezu, Briggan Krauss, Eyvind Kang, Samantha Boshnack, Christian Marclay, Beth Fleenor, Philip Wilson and John Zorn (Naked City, Cobra, etc.), among others. He has produced recordings for the World Saxophone Quartet, Human Feel, Fontella Bass, Marty Ehrlich, John Adams, Bill Frisell, Robin Holcomb, and Eddie Palmieri. In film and theater, he has collaborated with, among others, Carey Perloff, Yukio Suzuki, Yohei Saito, Crispin Spaeth, Bill Irwin, Gus Van Sant, and Dayna Hanson. “… there’s nobody else out there I hear even attempting to cover some kind of similar range, and do it so convincingly” — All About Jazz

Dan Pugach Big Band w/Special Guest Nicole Zuraitis
2026-02-28 20:00 - 22:30 | Side Door Jazz Club, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, United States
Join us for a special night of jazz the Dan Pugach Big Band and Nicole Zuraitis!

Dan Pugach is a GRAMMY® Award-winning drummer and composer, a 5X GRAMMY® nominee, 2X ASCAP Foundation Jazz Composer Award winner, a recipient of the BMI Charlie Parker Composition Prize/Manny Albam Commission for Big Band and a participant at the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency Program at the Kennedy Center. He is a 2025 Chamber Music America “New Jazz Works” Grantee.
His latest album, Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence (2024), featuring Nicole Zuraitis, won the 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Additionally, he was the featured drummer on the 2024 GRAMMY® Award-winning album How Love Begins, co-produced by Nicole Zuraitis and Christian McBride. His debut album, Dan Pugach Nonet – Plus One (2018), reached the top 20 in Jazz radio and earned a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocal for “Jolene” alongside Zuraitis.
The Dan Pugach nonet and big band perform regularly and have headlined at Dizzy’s, Deer Head Inn, Birdland, Blue Note, Smalls, the 55bar, and the Red Sea Jazz Festival.
Born in Israel, he served as the drummer for The Air Force Band in the IDF while attending the Rimon School of Jazz. After studying percussion in Rio de Janeiro, he moved to the U.S. in 2006 to pursue a career in Jazz performance. Pugach holds a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music (2008), where he studied with Terri Lynn Carrington and Joe Lovano, and a Master of Arts from the City College of New York (2011), where he studied with Mike Holober, Scott Reeves and John Patitucci.

Dr. G’s Jazz Brunch
2026-03-01 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.

Baby Grand Jazz at Hartford Public Library
2026-03-01 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. Shows will also be streamed on Hartford Public Library’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
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

Christian McBride & Ursa Major
2026-03-01 19:00 - 22:00 | SHU Community Theatre, 1420 Post Road, Fairfield, CT
Nathan & Noah East – Acclaimed Father-Son Duo
In April of 2025 Nathan East & Noah East released their debut full length album Father Son which received rave reviews and for which they have been touring. A founding member of the chart-topping contemporary jazz group Fourplay, Nathan East was 16 years old when he got his first break and found himself on the road with Barry White. The next time the phone rang, Quincy Jones was on the line. The calls kept coming and for the last forty years, East has been churning out hit songs with artists as legendary as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, Daft Punk, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Wonder. His genre-crossing groove has earned him both the recognition – a Congressional Record for his contributions to the worldwide music community, for one – and the boundary-busting respect of his peers. Nathan’s self-titled debut album was released in early 2014 and earned two Grammy Award nominations and featured the recording debut of his then 13-year-old son Noah East on a duet of The Beatles classic “Yesterday”. Noah has gone on to tour the world as an in-demand studio and touring musician and member of The Cream of Clapton Band a tribute to Eric Clapton, occasionally featuring his father.
SmoothJazz.com Quote on the Father Son Album: “With inspiring originals and beautifully re-imagined covers, the forthcoming studio instrumental project focuses on the intimacy of the jazz duo and trio format. While this is the younger East’s first release, his performance level on piano and mad skills on the Hammond B3 will introduce a new voice to the jazz community,…with his famous father laying down his signature grooves, moves and runs. Catch the dynamic East duo live!”
Drummer David Hawkins has performed and collaborated alongside some of the most respected artists and bands on the music scene, including Branford Marsalis, ELEW (Eric Lewis), Philip Harper, JD Allen, Joey Calderazzo, Bobby Watson, Johnny O’Neal, Calvin Keys, Sharay Reed, Nicholas Semrad (Cory Henry), and Jocelyn (in support of Darius Rucker), among others. He has the privilege of touring the world , and regularly appears at iconic venues such as Birdland, Sony Hall, Dizzy’s, Smalls, Minton’s Playhouse, and Nublu in NYC, (among countless others nationwide and abroad).
Christian McBride is an eight-time GRAMMY-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. He is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth, and serves as Artistic Director of Jazz House KiDS and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Sessions. In addition to artistic directing and consistent touring with his ensembles, he hosts NPR’s “Jazz Night in America” and “The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian” on SiriusXM. Whether behind the bass or away from it, Christian McBride is always part of the music. From jazz to R&B, and pop/rock and hip-hop/neo-soul to classical, he is a luminary with one hand ever reaching for new heights, and the other extended in fellowship—and perhaps the hint of a challenge—inviting us to join him.
In Ursa Major, he is joined by four rising young master instrumentalists including saxophonist Nicole Glover, guitarist Ely Perlman, pianist Mike King, and drummer Savannah Harris.
Michael King – keys
Virtuosic pianist Michael King, a Chicagoan native, began playing drums in his local church band at the early age of 4. This fortuitously melodic schooling nurtured an undeniable affinity to the piano and organ, the very seat that he began to occupy, by ear, at age 14. Mr. King is an alumni of Lincoln Park High School and the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory. He was selected to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute and The Ravinia Jazz Scholars program on merit scholarships. Michael has performed with Bobby Watson, Kevin Eubanks, Dave Liebeman, Gary Bartz, Billy Hart, Joel Frahm, Rufus Reid, & Antonio Hart, among others. Currently you can catch Mr. King touring internationally with: DeeDee Bridgewater, Robin Eubanks, Theo Croker’s DVRK FUNK, Soul Understated, & Marcus Printup.

Savannah Harris – drums
Savannah Harris is a New York City-based drummer, composer and producer. Raised in Oakland, California by musician parents, she gravitated towards the drums at age 2. Steeped in a jazz tradition, Savannah views its connection to all forms of diasporic and folkloric music as central to her approach. She’s performed and recorded with indie and experimental artists Helado Negro, Georgia Anne Muldrow, KeiyaA, Nick Hakim, Kate Davis, Justin Allen, and Standing on the Corner. Her jazz recordings include releases from Peter Evans, María Grand, and Or Bareket. She’s performed with Geri Allen, Jason Moran, Ambrose Akinmusire, Terrence Blanchard, Linda May Han Oh, Billy Childs, Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, and Aaron Parks. Presently, she tours extensively with Christian McBride, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and Kenny Barron. In 2019, Savannah was awarded the Harlem Stage Emerging Artist Award, and she received her master’s in jazz performance from Manhattan School of Music. She was featured twice in the January 2021 issue of Modern Drummer as both a featured artist and a contributing writer. In October of 2021, she debuted her solo piece “With Inner Sound, Truth” commissioned by Issue Project Room as a tribute to composer Ruth Anderson. Savannah was also featured in Sixteen Journal’s “JAZZ” edition, with portraits shot by photographer James Brodribb.Nicole Glover – saxophone
Saxophonist, bandleader, composer, and educator Nicole Glover, is based in New York City and has established herself as a rising star and a musician in great demand. Her most recent solo recording is Strange Lands (Savant), with the venerable pianist George Cables. The London Times awarded the album 4 stars, calling it “otherworldly.” It remained near the top of the Jazzweek radio charts for 11 weeks. Nicole is also an integral member of the supergroup ARTEMIS, led by pianist Renee Rosnes. In May 2023, the collective released their 2nd recording, In Real Time, on Blue Note Records. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Nicole was a student of the American Music Program, a program dedicated to priming students for a career in jazz. In 2009, she moved east to attend the jazz program at William Paterson University. There, she studied with pianists Harold Mabern, Mulgrew Miller and tenor saxophonist Rich Perry. Currently, Nicole is a member of a new quintet led by bassist Christian McBride, and she performs often with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. She has worked with drummers Al Foster, Victor Lewis and Kenny Washington, Grammy award winning vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater and Buika, saxophonist Rudresh Manhanthappa, vibraphonist Joel Ross, and pianists Geoffrey Keezer, Luis Perdomo, and George Colligan among others. She recently performed Mary Lou Williams’ “Zodiac Suite” with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the musical direction of pianist Aaron Diehl. An experienced educator, Nicole is on faculty at Princeton University, Manhattan School of Music, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She is a passionate teacher, and has given many masterclasses and private lessons to aspiring musicians all over the globe.

Ely Perlman – guitar
Based in New York City, Ely is emerging as one of the scene’s most exciting new voices. Known for his genre-blending versatility, he brings together his skills as a guitarist, producer, and composer.
Alongside performing with Ursa Major, Ely has collaborated with a wide range of acclaimed artists, including Shai Maestro, Braxton Cook, Noah Preminger, Amir Bresler, Larry Klein, and many more.
His self-produced debut album Everything Should Be will be released soon. Always searching for deeply personal sounds, Ely’s music draws from an eclectic mix of jazz, indie-folk, and electronic influences.
Originally from Tel Aviv, he received his early training at the prestigious Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts and the Israel Conservatory of Music before moving to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music—formative years that shaped his wide-ranging musical voice.

Tuxedo Junction
2026-03-02 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-03-09 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.

Hartford Jazz Orchestra
2026-03-02 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-03-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Elicit Brewery, 165 Adams Street, Manchester, CT
Every Monday at Elicit Brewery in Manchester CT. No cover.

Nathan East & Noah East Duo
2026-03-03 19:30 - 21:00 | Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook, CT
In April of 2025 Nathan East & Noah East released their debut full length album Father Son which received rave reviews and for which they have been touring.
A founding member of the chart-topping contemporary jazz group Fourplay, Nathan East was 16 years old when he got his first break and found himself on the road with Barry White. The next time the phone rang, Quincy Jones was on the line. The calls kept coming and for the last forty years, East has been churning out hit songs with artists as legendary as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, Daft Punk, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Wonder.
His genre-crossing groove has earned him both the recognition – a Congressional Record for his contributions to the worldwide music community, for one – and the boundary-busting respect of his peers. Nathan’s self-titled debut album was released in early 2014 and earned two Grammy Award nominations and featured the recording debut of his then 13-year-old son Noah East on a duet of The Beatles classic “Yesterday”. Noah has gone on to tour the world as an in-demand studio and touring musician and member of The Cream of Clapton Band a tribute to Eric Clapton, occasionally featuring his father.
SmoothJazz.com Quote on the Father Son Album
“With inspiring originals and beautifully re-imagined covers, the forthcoming studio instrumental project focuses on the intimacy of the jazz duo and trio format as recorded by Grammy-winning producer Moogie Canazio at Los Angeles’ legendary EastWest Studios. While this is the younger East’s first release, his performance level on piano and mad skills on the Hammond B3 will introduce a new voice to the jazz community, one that is both heartfelt and soulful with his famous father laying down his signature grooves, moves and runs. Catch the dynamic East duo live!”
Drummer David Hawkins has performed and collaborated alongside some of the most respected artists and bands on the music scene, including Branford Marsalis, ELEW (Eric Lewis), Philip Harper, JD Allen, Joey Calderazzo, Bobby Watson, Johnny O’Neal, Calvin Keys, Sharay Reed, among others. He has toured the world , and regularly appears at iconic venues such as Birdland, Sony Hall, Dizzy’s, Smalls, Minton’s Playhouse, among countless others.

Michael Palin's Other Orchestra
2026-03-03 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
2026-03-04 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

Kris Davis Trio
2026-03-05 19:30 - 21:30 | Bowker Auditorium-Stockbridge Hall, 80 Campus Center Way, Amherst MA
“Over the last couple of years in New York one method for deciding where to hear jazz on a given night has been to track down the pianist Kris Davis” — The New York Times
A Grammy-winning pianist and composer, Kris Davis has built her career on a remarkable commitment to group improvisation. With twenty-five recordings as a leader or co-leader and collaborations with artists including Terri Lyne Carrington, Dave Holland, John Zorn, Tyshawn Sorey, and Esperanza Spalding, Davis is widely recognized as one of the most vital voices in contemporary jazz.
When Davis and her trio perform in Bowker Auditorium, audiences can expect music that is fearless, exploratory, and deeply collaborative. Drawing from their 2024 release, Run the Gauntlet, and beyond, the trio will create an evening of jazz that is alive in the moment — bold, imaginative, and utterly captivating.
Kris Davis, piano
Robert Hurst, bass
Jonathan Blake, drums
Personnel other than Kris Davis subject to change.
Total price starts at: $30.00.
Total price for Five College students starts at: $20.00.
Total price for youth 17 and under starts at: $17.50.

Jazz at Three Sheets
2026-03-06 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.

Miguel Zenon Quartet
2026-03-06 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 Miguel Zenon and his Quartet!

Miguel Zenón – Saxophone
Luis Perdomo – Piano
Matt Penman – Bass
Henry Cole – Drums
This young musician and composer is at once reestablishing the artistic, cultural, and social tradition of jazz while creating an entirely new jazz language for the 21st century.”
— MacArthur Foundation, 2008.
Grammy Winner, Doris Duke Artist and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón represents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often-contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between jazz and his many musical influences.
Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released eighteen recordings as a leader, including his latest, Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard(2025), the Grammy-nominated Golden City (2024), and the Grammy-winning album El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (2023). He has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Joey Calderazzo, Steve Coleman, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band and Bobby Hutcherson.
In April 2008 he received a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Later that year he was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive the coveted MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant.” In 2011 he founded Caravana Cultural, a program which presents free-of-charge Jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. In 2022 he received an Honorary Doctorate from La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the highest honor bestowed by the institution. In 2024 he received a Doris Duke Artist Award from the Doris Duke Foundation.
Zenón has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and The Chicago Tribune. In addition, he topped both the Jazz Artist of the Year and Alto Saxophonist of the Year categories in the 2014 JazzTimes Critics Poll and was selected as Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of the Year). In 2023 he was recognized by the same organization as the Composer of the Year.
As a composer he has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, NYO Jazz, The New York State Council on the Arts, Chamber Music America, Logan Center for The Arts, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, MIT, Spektral Quartet, Miller Theater, The Hewlett Foundation, Peak Performances, PRISM Quartet, Kinetic Ensemble and many of his peers. Zenón has given hundreds of lectures and master classes at institutions all over the world and is an Associate Professor in the Music & Theater Arts Department at MIT.
Zenón lives in New York City with his wife Elga and their daughter.

Joe Carter Samba Rio Quarteto
2026-03-07 19:30 - 21:30 | Northwest Park Nature Center, 145 Lang Road, Windsor, CT
Joe Carter – guitar
Laura Volpintesta – vocals, percussion
David Finck – bass
Jerrod Cattey – drums
When guitarist Joe Carter and his Samba Rio Quarteto hit the stage on March 7, the Northwest Park coffee house will transform into a lively Rio de Janeiro jazz club. Carter is a Connecticut-born jazz guitarist who fell in love with Brazilian music on a life-changing night in Rio, and he’s since become “one of the premier samba jazz guitarists either north or south of the border.” (Connecticut Public Radio). His quartet (here appearing as a “Quarteto”) celebrates the heart of Brazil’s music – from breezy bossa nova and rhythmic samba to sultry Latin jazz and beyond. Expect to hear the mesmerizing melodies of Antônio Carlos Jobim alongside spirited choros and Afro-Cuban beats, all filtered through Carter’s virtuoso nylon-string guitar work. “Subtle, elegant, dynamic, lyrical, WONDERFUL!” raved one international jazz review of Carter’s playing – a fitting description of the musical journey he’ll lead.
Joe Carter’s pedigree is as impressive as his playing. He has performed with jazz icons like Art Farmer and Lee Konitz, and collaborated with Brazilian masters including harmonica legend Mauricio Einhorn and drummer Portinho. Celebrated as one of Mexico’s finest musicians despite his American roots (a testament to his years immersed in Latin music), Carter has graced stages from Paris to Bombay and packed New York jazz clubs where even celebrities stop by to listen. In this intimate concert, Carter’s guitar will be joined by bass and percussion – weaving a rich tapestry of sound that ranges from fiery flamenco flourishes to the soulful sway of Cuban son. It’s a globe-trotting musical experience sure to delight jazz aficionados and casual listeners alike, as the quartet’s “vibrant, soul-stirring music” fills the room.
Tickets: $20/general admission, $18/members
Reservations are highly recommended. Don’t delay, last year we sold out quickly. Tickets can also be reserved by contacting the Nature Center – 860.285.1886.

Miguel Zenón Quartet (onsite and livestream)
2026-03-07 19:30 - 22:00 | Vermont Jazz Center, 72 Cotton Mill Hill #222, Brattleboro, VT, 05301
Grammy-winning saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón is widely regarded as one of the most visionary artists of his generation. A MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow and 2024 Doris Duke Artist, Zenón blends the rich traditions of his Puerto Rican heritage with the language of modern jazz.
Zenón has received 13 Grammy nominations, released seventeen albums as a leader, and won a Grammy for his beautiful duo album El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (2023) with pianist Luís Perdomo, who will be performing at this concert as well.
Zenón has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Joey Calderazzo, Steve Coleman, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band and Bobby Hutcherson.
For this performance, Zenón is joined by his long-standing touring/recording ensemble: pianist Luís Perdomo, Matt Penman (bass) and Henry Cole (drums).
$25-60 general admission in person
Donations for live stream welcome

Peter Bernstein Quartet
2026-03-07 20:00 - 22:00 | The Drake, 44 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA
A New York City native, Peter Bernstein has been playing and recording since 1990 when he first appeared on recordings with Lou Donaldson and the organ trio of Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart, a group still touring and recording today. Bernstein has played on festival, concert, and club stages worldwide and has appeared on over 300 recordings; 14 under his own name. Bernstein’s other associations and collaborations include Jimmy Cobb, Dr. Lonnie Smith, David Fathead Newman, Brad Mehldau, Etta Jones, Melvin Rhyne, Diana Krall, Bobby Hutcherson, Lee Konitz, Nicholas Payton, George Coleman, and Sonny Rollins.
Jazzizz magazine says this about Bernstein, “Peter Bernstein produces a warm, ringing, muscular tone which echoes that of such giants as Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, and Kenny Burrell.”
The Los Angeles Daily News states, “The jazz guitarist [Peter Bernstein], among the most sought after in the New York area, has a feather-light touch, an encyclopedic knowledge of chords and the ability to play standards like he’s inventing them on the spot.”
His latest recording on the Smoke Sessions label is “Better Angels”, and features Brad Mehldau, Vicente Archer, and Al Foster.
Performing with Bernstein at The Drake on March 7 will be Aaron Goldberg on piano, Vicente Archer on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums. Farnsworth, a South Hadley native, headlined the 2023 Northampton Jazz Festival with his “Max Roach Centennial Celebration,” a sold-out performance at The Academy of Music.
“We’re thrilled to bring the great Peter Bernstein to the Valley with his equally talented band mates,” says Griggs. “We especially love having Joe Farnsworth back in town; he brings a love and enthusiasm for Western Mass like no other jazz musician I’ve ever seen.”
Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. For more information and tickets visit thedrakeamherst.org
Amherst Oyster Bar is the sponsor of the Peter Bernstein Quartet. The restaurant will donate 20% of dinner-service profits on March 7th to the Northampton Jazz Festival. In addition, guests who present their tickets to the Peter Bernstein Quartet while dining at the Amherst Oyster Bar on March 7 will receive six complimentary oysters per ticket (selection determined by Amherst Oyster Bar).

Edu Ribeiro Trio w/Seamus Blake
2026-03-07 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 Drummer Edu Ribeiro and his Trio with Special Guest Seamus Blake!
Seamus Blake – Saxophone
Vinicius Gomes – Guitar
Noah Garabedian – Bass
Edu Ribeiro – Drums
Edu Ribeiro
Brazilian drummer, composer and educator. Two times Grammy Awards winner. As a leader, Edu Ribeiro has released the albums “Já Tô Te Esperando”, “Na Calada do Dia” and “Folia de tReis” (Latin Grammy nominated for the Best Instrumental Album category). As a member of Trio Corrente and Vento Em Madeira, Edu has released more than ten albums, including the two times Grammy Award Winner “Song for Maura” album, recorded with Trio Corrente & Paquito D’Rivera. As a co-leader, Edu has recorded the albums “Varanda” with the Reunion Project and “At Play” with Romero Lubambo, Helio Alves and Reuben Rogers. Edu has also recorded albums with numerous artists such as Chico Pinheiro, Eliane Elias, Randy Brecker, Hamilton de Holanda, Amilton Godoy, and many others. As an educator, Edu teaches drums at Faculdade Santa Marcelina since 2006 and is the Popular Music Coordinator at Escola de Música do Estado de São Paulo (EMESP) since 2014. Edu has recorded a series of online lessons that can be found at Edu Ribeiro Music Workshop.
Seamus Blake
New York based saxophonist/composer SEAMUS BLAKE is recognized as one of the finest exponents of contemporary jazz. His music is known for its sophistication, bold improvisations and “sheer swagger”. John Scofield, who hired Seamus for his “Quiet Band,” called him “extraordinary, a total saxophonist.” Throughout his 24 year career, Seamus has garnered critical praise for his masterful playing, his fine compositional skills and for his facility as a leader.
Since moving to Paris in February 2018 Seamus has been invited to perform the music of his recent CD, “Superconductor” with a number of European Jazz Bands. Beginning with the Latvian Radio Jazz Band early in 2018, Seamus has performed with the Trondheim Big Band and The Sibis Alumni Big Band (Sibelius Institute , Helsinki),in September. He is scheduled to perform his music with The Tuesday Big Band (Amsterdam) on November 6/7, and The Subway Jazz Orchestra on November 14.
In 2017 Seamus assembled a new quartet, The French Connection. The band ( Seamus, Tony Tixier piano, Florent Nisse, bass, and Gautier Garrigue, drums) recorded their first CD in Paris in November, 2017 and have toured in France and Spain. The CD will be released on the Whirlwind label. Three promo videos will be available on Youtube in January. Seamus has a busy schedule in Europe in 2018. Check the Performance page for details.
Superconductor is Seamus’ most ambitious project to date and was released in December 2015. The talent includes Nate Smith, Matt Garrison, Scott Kinsey, a 7 piece orchestral ensemble as well as special guest appearances by John Scofield and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The album marks the debut of Seamus on EWI (electronic wind instrument). Seamus plays on the 2015 Grammy nominated Camino by pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
Seamus Blake was born December 1970 in England and raised in Vancouver, Canada. At age 21, while still a student at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College, he was asked to record with legendary drummer Victor Lewis. After graduation, he moved to New York, where he rapidly established himself on the New York jazz scene. In February 2002, Seamus took first place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in Washington D. C. As the winner, he performed with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock.
As a leader/co-leader , Seamus has released 16 albums. He is featured as a sideman on over 70 CDs.
Seamus has played on six of of the Grammy nominated Mingus bands’ albums He continues to play and record with Bill Stewart, Kevin Hays, David Kikoski and Alex Sipiagin. Seamus is frequently featured as a guest artist. In 2010 he was guest of honor at the International Saxophone Symposium in Washington hosted by the US Navy Band. Seamus was a member of John Scofield’s Quiet Band and toured and recorded with Dave Douglas. Some of the many other artists he has worked with include Eric Reed, Ethan Iverson, Chris Cheek, and Matt Penman.

Baby Grand Jazz at Hartford Public Library
2026-03-08 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

Jazz at Cafe Nine
2026-03-10 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.
