Coltrane Festival: Vincent Herring, Billy Harper, Eric Reed, Jeremy Pelt, and More (Jan 1-8); Record Release Concert: Nicholas Payton Trio featuring Buster Williams and Lenny White: The Couch Sessions (Jan 12-15); 80th Birthday Celebrations: Billy Harper (Jan 5-8) and Al Foster (Jan 19-22); Bill Charlap Trio (Jan 26-29).
January 2023 Schedule
Sunday, January 1
Coltrane Festival featuring Jeremy Pelt with the Eric Reed / Vincent Herring Quintet Jeremy Pelt: trumpetVincent Herring: alto & tenor saxophone
Eric Reed: piano
John Webber: bass
Joe Farnsworth: drums
SMOKE’s 10th annual Coltrane Festival continues with featured guest trumpeter Jeremy Pelt joining the Eric Reed/Vincent Herring Quintet. JazzTimes says, “Pelt is a technical marvel. He executes intricate solos with ease, plays gorgeous ballads in a tasteful manner, and never lacks flair or sensitivity.” and Audiophile Audition adds he has “the power and range of Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard in their seminal years." Pelt will be performing with an exciting quintet led by the perpetually swinging Reed who according to All About Jazz “has fully established himself in the forefront of jazz pianists” and Herring who “has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters” adds The New York City Jazz Record. It also includes two of the elite musicians working today: bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth.
Thursday-Sunday, January 5-8
Coltrane Festival: Billy Harper Quintet “80th Birthday Celebration”Josh Evans: trumpet
Billy Harper: tenor saxophone
Benito Gonzalez: piano
Lonnie Plaxico: bass
Billy Hart: drums
SMOKE’s 10th annual Coltrane Festival concludes with an 80th birthday celebration for the incredible Billy Harper who is leading a very special quintet with trumpeter Josh Evans, pianist Benito Gonzalez, bassist Lonnie Plaxico and fellow legend and “Cooker” drummer Billy Hart. One of the indispensable saxophonists of the past 50 years stylistically indebted to Trane, Harper has a distinctive sound and approach that is purely his own. Over the years, he’s worked with Art Blakey, Max Roach, Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Lee Morgan, and, most recently, the Cookers. The San Francisco Chronicle says, “he is a soul of sensitivity and intelligence, as well as of explosive, majestic passion.” “His viscous, chocolaty tone and depth-charge bursts from the bottom of his range [are] a stark contrast to the current trend for a post-bop homogeneity of tone in the newer generation of saxophone sounds,” reports JazzWise.
Thursday-Sunday, January 12-15
Nicholas Payton Trio featuring Buster Williams and Lenny White The Couch Sessions record releaseNicholas Payton: trumpet, piano & Fender Rhodes
Buster Williams: bass
Lenny White: drums
“Payton dazzled the audience, simultaneously playing his trumpet and a Fender Rhodes. It's his signature, resonant sound… Payton's genius virtuosity captivated both faithful fans and anyone in the NPR crowd just discovering his music for the first time." —NPR
Multi-instrumental virtuoso and visionary Nicholas Payton celebrates the release of his new album The Couch Sessions (Smoke Sessions Records) with his trio featuring two of the greatest: bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White. Originally from New Orleans, Payton is a master trumpeter and pianist steeped in acoustic jazz, post-bop, and the music of his hometown, but who also explores other lanes encompassing the entirety of Black American Music. He has recorded and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Dr. Michael White, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Doc Cheatham, and Joe Henderson, among many others and is widely considered one of the most important artists of our time. In a review, the Chicago Tribune reports, “No descriptive label or category could be affixed to Payton’s solos, which were as brashly original as they were technically imposing.”
Thursday-Sunday, January 19-22
Al Foster Quartet: Al Foster’s 80th Birthday CelebrationChris Potter: tenor saxophone
Kevin Hays: piano
Ben Street: bass (Thu only)
Vincent Archer: bass (Fri-Sun only)
Al Foster: drums
“One of the great living drummers in jazz.” —Stereophile
The incredible drummer Al Foster celebrates his 80th birthday with a fittingly special quartet featuring tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Kevin Hays, and bassists Ben Street (Thu) and Vicente Archer (Fri–Sun.) Foster, well-known for his long association with Miles Davis throughout the ’70s and ’80s, was also the first-call drummer for an amazing list of jazz legends such as Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, McCoy Tyner, and Joe Henderson. Downbeat calls him “an esteemed master and a consummate sideman,” while JazzTimes describes him as, “a not-so-secret special groove ingredient enlivening performances and sessions by a long list of heavy hitters.”
Thursday-Sunday, January 26-29
Bill Charlap TrioBill Charlap: piano
Peter Washington: bass
Kenny Washington: drums
About SMOKE
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.Every 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.
Smoke Jazz & Supper Club
2751 Broadway
New York, NY 10025
212-864-6662
In-Person $25-$60. Livestream $15. For more information and to make reservations visit our website (link below).
Visit Website | Purchase Tickets
For more information contact AMT Public Relations.
