Smoke Jazz Club Reveals May Line-up featuring Miles Davis Centennial Celebration, Billy Childs, and More

SMOKE Jazz Club has announced a line-up for the month of May 2026. Three artists celebrate their respective record releases: Steve Wilson Enduring Sonance, Jeremy Pelt Our Community Will Not Be Erased, and Billy Childs Triumvirate.

Coinciding with Miles Davis’s May 26th birthday, SMOKE continues its annual Miles Davis Celebration with a 2026 Centennial concert series. A very special group of Davis’s former bandmates and mentees convene to reflect on Miles’s impact: NEA Jazz Masters Gary Bartz and Billy Hart, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, and more.

For the most updated May schedule, please visit SMOKEjazz.com. As always, all Friday night concerts are livestreamed!

Steve Wilson QUINTET ENDURING SONANCE Record Release

Wed-Sun Apr 29-May 3

Steve Wilson – alto & soprano saxophone, flute Joe Locke – vibraphone Renee Rosnes – piano Jay Anderson – bass Kendrick Scott – drums

Beloved saxophonist Steve Wilson makes his debut at SMOKE Jazz Club as a bandleader with a brilliant quintet celebrating the release of his new masterpiece, Enduring Sonance (tbr 05.01.26 SMOKE Sessions Records), where he also convened vibraphonist Joe Locke, pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Kendrick Scott for a deeply personal and illuminating program. In celebration of the new album, Friday shows (05.01.26) will be presented as complimentary livestreams on JazzTimes.com.

Wilson brings that same clarity, artistry, and depth to Enduring Sonance, a collection of compositions that have resonated across his life—from standards to contemporary compositions, all interpreted with his distinctive voice. From Billy Childs, George Cables, and Eliane Elias, to Quincy Jones, Gino Vannelli, and Milton Nascimento, this quintet and the selections from Enduring Sonance are full of surprises.

One of jazz’s most lyrical voices, Wilson has performed and recorded with luminaries including Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Maria Schneider, Billy Childs, and Dianne Reeves. His career has been celebrated in DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls, as well as by the Jazz Journalists Association over several years. His versatility as a player—from alto and soprano saxophone to flute—has made him one of the most respected collaborators in the studio and on bandstands.

Jeremy Pelt Quartet Featuring Buster Williams And Lenny White Record Release

Wed-Sun May 6-10

Jeremy Pelt – trumpet Orrin Evans – piano Buster Williams – bass Lenny White – drums

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt leads an incredible all-star quartet featuring pianist Orrin Evans and two living legends: bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White, performing music from Pelt’s latest release Our Community Will Not Be Erased (HighNote). One of the leading trumpet voices of his generation, Pelt’s approach and style place him firmly in the tradition of jazz giants like Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, while pushing the boundaries of modern jazz.

His new album, featuring this band, Pelt says is “profoundly a recording of love." Pelt is on “an extended journey, capturing snapshots along the way,” urging jazz fans to join him on this musical adventure. Pelt has amassed a body of work that’s imbued with electricity — even when electric instruments aren’t present.

Billy Childs Trio Record Release

Wed-Sun May 13-17

Billy Childs – piano Matt Penman – bass Ari Hoenig – drums

Renowned pianist and composer Billy Childs performs the music for his new album, Triumvirate (Mack Avenue Records), his first trio recording in 25 years. This exciting new release harnesses the energy and creative prowess of his touring group — bassist Matt Penman and drummer Ari Hoenig — who appear with him here.

A native of Los Angeles, Childs grew up immersed in jazz, classical, and popular music influences, which he blends in a powerful and personal compositional and performing voice. A child prodigy who started performing at age six and studying at USC at 16, he was “discovered” by trumpet legend Freddie Hubbard, with whom he embarked on a successful performing and recording tour.

He also recorded and performed with several other influential jazz musicians, including J.J. Johnson, Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Jack DeJohnette, and Dave Holland, among many others, and with such varied artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, Renee Fleming, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Kronos Quartet. The same creative spirit that’s propelled him from the bands of bop giants as a twenty-something side-player to a composer renowned throughout concert halls and across jazz festival stages remains unhampered. As a pianist, he possesses the improvisatory skills and powerful sense of swing one associates with world-class artists… Childs is an inventive composer and arranger whose effort in those areas consistently expand the dimensions of the jazz genre - and beyond.

Luciana Souza Smoke Debut

Wed-Sun May 20-24

Luciana Souza – vocals Chico Pinheiro – guitar Rogério Boccato – percussion

Marking her SMOKE Jazz Club debut, Grammy-winning vocalist Luciana Souza joins guitarist Chico Pinheiro and percussionist Rogerio Boccato in a captivating, intimate trio exploring Brazilian music, jazz improvisation, and lyrical storytelling. Born in São Paulo to a family of Bossa Nova innovators, Souza has released more than a dozen critically acclaimed recordings, receiving multiple Grammy nominations, and has collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Bobby McFerrin.

Her performances trace “a landscape of emotion that knows no boundaries.” Souza uses her voice as an instrument of empathy and intimacy, cultural linkage and poetic disquisition… singing wordlessly but with full expressive intent, bringing profound depth to every note and transforming each performance into a storytelling journey that is both personal and universal.

Miles Davis 100th Celebration With The Eddie Henderson Quintet Featuring Gary Bartz and Billy Hart

Wed-Sun May 27-31

Eddie Henderson – trumpet Gary Bartz – alto saxophone Billy Hart – drums

A very special group—with numerous connections to the great Miles Davis—convenes for the 2026 edition of our Miles Davis Festival, celebrating his life and music, as well as his Centennial — Davis was born on May 26, 1926. The five-night festival features a powerhouse acoustic quintet featuring trumpeter Eddie Henderson and alto saxophonist Gary Bartz, and drum legend Billy Hart.