SMOKE Jazz CLub Announces March Line-up Including Leading Female Artists, One For All Album Release And More

SMOKE Jazz Club welcomes both legendary and emerging jazz artists in March. The month begins with two of the great jazz artists of the past 50 years: pianist George Cables leads his Quartet (Mar 6-10) followed by tenor saxophonist George Coleman performing as special guest and influence of One of All's new album Big George (Mar 14-17) on the club's eponymous label SMOKE Sessions Records.

Women's History Month culminates with the masterful female drummer Allison Miller at the helm of her acclaimed Boom Tic Boom group (Mar 21-24) and the consummate female vocalist Mary Stallings (Mar 27-30). Below is a complete schedule.

For the most updated calendar, please visit SMOKEjazz.com. 
 

March 2024 Concert Schedule (subject to change):
 

Wed-Sun Mar 6-10 George Cables Quartet
Craig Handy – tenor saxophone
George Cables – piano
Essiet Essiet– bass
Jerome Jennings – drums

One of the essential artists of the piano, George Cables is known for his impeccable sound, sensitive accompaniment, and original playing. A trusted collaborator over the past 50 years for artists including Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, and Art Pepper, Cables has also released numerous important recordings as a leader. The New York City Jazz Record says, “He is a piano giant.” National Public Radio adds, “His solos reveal a deep sense of groove and pacing and a mind at work.” His stellar quartet features saxophonist Craig Handy, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Jerome Jennings
 
Wed Mar 13 Peter Bernstein & Frank Senior
Frank Senior – vocals
Peter Bernstein – guitar
Neal Miner – bass
Jerome Jennings – drums
 
Vocalist Frank Senior meets guitar virtuoso Peter Bernstein in this sublime quartet. Bernstein's pure, soulful guitar sound is the perfect complement and accompaniment to Senior's smooth, soulful baritone. Originally from Harlem, Senior has overcome challenges in his life and career to captivate audiences with his positive energy and uplifting message. Along the way, he has worked with legends Barry Harris, Harold Mabern, Dakota Staton, Abbey Lincoln, and Kenny Baron. Also a native New Yorker, Bernstein is one of the world's great guitarists known for his work with Sonny Rollins, Lou Donaldson, George Coleman, Brad Mehldau, Jimmy Cobb, Jim Hall, and many more. This rewarding quartet is completed by bassist Neal Miner and drummer Jerome Jennings.
 
Thu-Sun Mar 14-17 One for All Celebrates New Album Big George & and George Coleman's 89thBirthday featuring special guest George Coleman album release
Jim Rotondi – trumpet
Eric Alexander – tenor saxophone
Steve Davis – trombone
David Hazeltine – piano
John Webber – bass
Joe Farnsworth – drums
featuring special guest
George Coleman – tenor saxophone
  
 
One for All—Jim Rotondi, Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine, John Webber, and Joe Farnsworth—reunite to celebrate the release of their highly anticipated 17th album, Big George (SMOKE Sessions Records, TBR 03.15.24), and the 89th birthday of the all-time greats, tenor saxophonist George Coleman who joins the sextet as a very special guest. Coleman's birthday is March 8th, and this weekend will serve as an informal birthday party for a true living legend. Downbeat writes, “When you hear the tenor sax of George Coleman, you know it's him within a few notes. That deep spark of a tone evokes a time and place—be it his historic work with Max Roach, Chet Baker, and Miles Davis, or as a leader in his own right.” One for All, originally inspired by some of the great sextets of the hard bop golden age, long ago established its own strong group identity and sound through distinctive and distinguished writing and arranging and strong individual voices. “Cohesive and interdependent, these musicians bring out the best in one another,” says All About Jazz. 
 
Wed Mar 20 A Few Miles from Memphis: A Birthday Tribute to Harold Mabern
Eric Alexander – tenor saxophone
Emmet Cohen – piano
Nat Reeves – bass
Joe Farnsworth – drums
 
Pianist Emmet Cohen joins tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, bassist Nat Reeves, and drummer Joe Farnsworth to celebrate the music and memory of the great Harold Mabern on the occasion that would have been his 88th birthday. WBGO Radio described Mabern as “a pianist of percussive fire and boundless soul, with a language that pulled from hard bop, post-bop, Memphis soul, and the blues.” Jazziz adds that he was “a pianist whose warm, soul-infused playing was a glowing reminder of the bond between jazz and blues.” He was also a ubiquitous, irreplaceable favorite presence at SMOKE from the beginning, appearing countless times over the years, most often with Alexander, Reeves, and Farnsworth. Along with Cohen, they form the perfect group to bring Mabern's energetic and essential repertoire to life.
 
Thu-Sun Mar 21-24 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom SMOKE debut
Jason Palmer – trumpet
Caroline Davis – alto saxophone
Shamie Royston – piano
Rashaan Carter – bass
Allison Miller – drums
 
 
Allison Miller and her acclaimed group Boom Tic Boom—with trumpeter Jason Palmer, saxophonist Caroline Davis, pianist Shamie Royston, bassist Rashaan Carter—make a highly anticipated SMOKE Jazz Club debut. A masterful drummer and creative force, Miller employs her deep roots in jazz and improvisation to break down musical barriers incorporating folk, funk, Latin, and klezmer along the way. The New Yorkerwrites, “Miller's craftiness as a percussionist is met by her ingenuity as a composer and group conceptualist.” Miller has also worked extensively with artists like Toshi Reagon, Ani DiFranco, Natalie Merchant, Brandi Carlile, and Erin McKeown, as well as with Myra Melford, Scott Colley, Dayna Stephens, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Ben Allison. She also provides the rhythmic fire and heartbeat for the all-star supergroup Artemis.
 
Wed-Sun Mar 27-30 Mary Stallings
Mary Stallings – vocals
Emmet Cohen – piano
Phillip Norris – bass
Joe Farnsworth – drums
  
Mary Stallings, a consummate vocalist and performer, returns to SMOKE backed by the unbeatable trio of pianist Emmet Cohen, bassist Phillip Norris, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. The New York Timesdescribes Stallings as “polished, self-possessed and close to the ground, with blues and gospel language on simmer. And she's a wizard of the long tone, which she uses to laser into deep emotional zones; she leaves brackets of silence, and phrases with microscopic care.” And, The Wall Street Journal adds that she is “our greatest living link to the late, great (Carmen) McRae.”
 
Located on Manhattan's Upper West Side at the junction of Broadway and 106th Street (aka Duke Ellington Boulevard), Smoke Jazz Club is one of New York City's premier live music venues. Renowned for offering top-notch programming of accessible, timeless jazz featuring legendary performers, modern masters and rising stars, Smoke stands apart with its candlelit dining room, stellar acoustics, and classic American cuisine. Founded in 1999, SMOKE also boasts a GRAMMY-nominated label, Smoke Sessions Records, and a celebrated streaming concert series, Smoke Screens. For everything else, visit SMOKEjazz.com. 
 
Wednesday-Sunday @ 7:00 p.m. + 9:00 p.m. and additional 10:30 p.m. (Fri & Sat only). Doors open at 5:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted)
 
SMOKE Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway (between 105/106th Streets), New York, NY, Train: 1 to 103rdStreet.
 
Tickets: In-Person $25-$60. Livestream $15. For more information and to make reservations, please visit SMOKEjazz.com.

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