Bennie Wallace Quintet at The Jazz Loft

Tempus Fugit (Time Flies). In May of 2026, Dr. Tom Manuel, the President and Founder of The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, NY, celebrated that museum/performing arts venue's 10th anniversary.  And in June, saxophonist Bennie Wallace, who'll turn 80 before year's end, dropped in with an all-star quintet featuring longtime collaborators—Anthony Wilson, pianist Donald Vega, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Herlin Riley.  

Together, those five (plus rising star vibraphonist Simon Moullier) appear on Wallace's French Postcard (BackCountry Jazz, 2026), essentially his first new album in nearly two decades.  And with another studio visit for a forthcoming album in the quintet's sites, the band was in peak and playful form during both sets on the last Saturday of the month.

Spanning completely different worlds—from the warped tango of "Bordertown" to the gentle embrace of "But Beautiful" to blues-streaked environs and beyond— Wallace was in total command from the get-go. He offered breathy allure a layer beneath subtone (if such a thing could exist), blustery beauty in grand measure(s), and pliant tremolo action(s) that bent the fabric of sound.  Every step of the way, his colleagues were right there to enhance the stories with their own two cents.

The second set, no less impressive, was chock-full of charm.  Whether delivering bucolic draw with "Tennessee Waltz," funking things up on "Caravan" and "Summertime," offering sweet nostalgia with "In a Sentimental Mood" or turning a standard on its head for "Thangs," the quintet was always dialed into the moment.  And the audience—which included master luthier John Monteleone, trombone great (and Wallace's frequent band mate) Ray Anderson, plenty of venue regulars and loyal fans—ate it up.

This photo gallery, below, offers a partial visual cataloging of this memorable evening of music.  It's no substitute for the ephemeral magic in the room, but it bottles just a bit of it...