The Django, downtown Manhattan’s premier jazz club, celebrates the next generation of jazz with a special concert series this month. During the month of May, The Django welcomes rising stars as part of its new Next Gen Series. Artists include recent graduates from William Patterson University, Manhattan School of Music, SUNY/Purchase, Juilliard, The New School, Berklee College of Music, and more. In addition, you can find regular guests on our stage during May: Ken Fowser Quintet (5/6, 5/13, 5/20 and 5/27), pianist Orrin Evans and his Brazilian project “Terreno Comum” (May 11), vocalist Sachal Vasandani singers showcase (5/18), biweekly Latin Jazz. Tuesdays (5/3, 5/17 and 5/31) and weekly Mingus Mondays featuring the Mingus Big Band (5/2, 5/9, 5/16 and 5/30) and Mingus Orchestra (5/23).
The Django welcomes the Grammy award-winning Mingus Big Band to its stage every Monday night. The “city’s hardest big band (Time Out New York),” celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly performances in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays" at Jazz Standard where it alternated with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. Mingus Mondays became a NYC institution and Monday night stronghold for over 12 years, halted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has 11 recordings to its credit, six of which have been nominated for Grammys.
The Django welcomes back the young up-and-coming jazz vocalist Anais Reno to its stage as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. Earlier this year, she performed with the Pete Malinverni Trio at The Django to rave reviews: “an 18-yearold with a performing maturity that belies her age (Jersey Jazz).” Reno is a freshman at SUNY/Purchase studying Jazz Voice.
Pete Malinverni heads the Jazz Studies program at SUNY/Purchase, and has been a mainstay on the NYC Jazz Scene since the early 1980s, his 15 recordings as a leader having received excellent notices and heavy airplay. Originally from Niagara Falls, NY, Pete came to the great crucible of jazz that our city is, and has shared club bandstands and stages with the likes of Mel Lewis, Vernel Fournier, Joe Lovano, Charles Davis, Gary Smulyan and so many others, adding, in each instance, his own inimitable style, rooted firmly in the tradition yet always reaching for the new thing.
Tony Glausi is widely celebrated as one of the most accomplished trumpet players on the planet, with more awards and accolades than we have time to get into here. For years now, Glausi has been hailed as such while being overlooked for his prowess as a composer and producer. With EVERYTHING AT ONCE album, Tony heads for straight- to-the-gut pop jams and R&B-influenced tunes that take inspiration from a bevy of sources while still remaining uniquely true to Glausi’s vision as an artist.
Two-time Grammy nominated-pianist Benito Gonzalez (Venezuelan-born, Brooklyn-based) is an internationally beloved artist who combines a long lineage of American jazz traditions with rhythms from around the world. Benito is an exhilarating pianist who won the 2005 Great America Jazz Piano Competition and was honored in 2020 to be a Steinway & Sons artist for “his sound [that] is recognizable for the powerful rhythm section and Afro-Latin patterns he prioritizes across his projects.” The Venezuela-born, New York-based artist grew up playing traditional Venezuelan folk music with his family before absorbing the inventiveness of such pianists as Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett who inspired him to join in the explorations on the instrument.
There’s a reason legendary groups like Galactic, Eli “Paperboy” Reed & Lake Street Dive collaborated with High and Mighty Brass Band since NYC drummer Evan Howard started the band back in 2009. This rotating cast has toured all over the world including major performances at Bonnaroo, The US Open, Gov Ball and Sonidos Liquidos. They entertain crowds with both their original music and fresh take on current and classic cover songs. Check out NYC’s favorite brass band making noise worldwide.
Ken Fowser is the Music Director of The Django, and performs every Friday night on our stage with special guests each week. Since his arrival on the New York scene in 2005, Ken Fowser has continued to steer traditional harmony in uncharted directions. His lyrical approach to line construction and depth of harmonic sensibility allows him to record and play all over the world. A prolific composer, Fowser has celebrated four cooperative releases on Posi-tone Records, co-led with vibraphone virtuoso, Behn Gillece. His debut release as a leader, Standing Tall earned him the #1 spot on Jazz Week Radio Chart seven weeks in a row. Fowser enjoyed both downtown and uptown residencies at iconic New York venues, hosting the session at Smalls Jazz Club every Tuesday for four years and playing the late set at Smoke Jazz and Supper Club every Friday for two years.
Gotham Kings is a high energy immersive jazz experience! Two-time Grammy nominated trumpeter, Alphonso Horne has put together a band that weaves the sound of New Orleans into a rich musical fabric that demonstrates the history of the trumpet and the story of jazz. Inspired by the music of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, Gotham Kings uses the virtuosity of the young Louis Armstrong and innovative genius of King Oliver to take you on a journey of sound that encompasses rags, stomps, shouts and funk! The band has played in venues including Caramoor Jazz Festival, Louis Armstrong House Museum, Jazz at Lincoln Center and many more! Individually, members of the Gotham Kings have compiled a diverse resume of collaborations with top artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Michael Feinstein, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, The Colbert Show and more!
The Django welcomes the young up-and-coming jazz drummer Hank Allen-Barfield to its stage as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. Hank recently graduated from New Jersey’s prestigious jazz studies program at William Patterson University.
The Django welcomes three emerging artists to its stage as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. Vocalist Imani Rousselle currently resides in New York City, where she recently completed her master's degree in jazz voice at The Manhattan School of Music. Prior to moving to NYC, Imani studied at Columbia College Chicago where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Vocal performance as well as a minor in management and a second minor in environmental studies. Young tenor saxophonist Abdias Armenteros recently graduated from the Juilliard School and is working on his Masters in Music at Juilliard.
The Django welcomes the Grammy award-winning Mingus Big Band to its stage every Monday night. The “city’s hardest big band (Time Out New York),” celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly performances in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays" at Jazz Standard where it alternated with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. Mingus Mondays became a NYC institution and Monday night stronghold for over 12 years, halted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has 11 recordings to its credit, six of which have been nominated for Grammys.
Omnivorous artist ELEW hosts a memorable night on The Django stage. First, he wears he jazz hat joined by his Trio and then showcases his DJ skills. A native of Camden, New Jersey, Eric Lewis began his musical studies at two years old and would ultimately receive the Rodger's and Hammerstein full merit scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music. A Dean's List student, upon graduation, he toured the world, recorded and performed with Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Elvin Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Roy Hargrove, and John Hendricks among others. In 1999, Eric won the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, at the time, the most coveted prize in all of jazz.
A decade into his career, he reemerged as ELEW and began fusing his piano techniques with rock guitar-based ideas and experimental prepared piano methods, generating a powerful crossover brand he coined “Rockjazz". Over the course of multiple award winning, critically acclaimed albums, ELEW has re-imagined songs by The Killers, Nirvana, Coldplay and Michael Jackson to name a few. Throughout his career he has built an elite fanbase of some of the most distinguished leaders and celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Gerard Butler, Barack and Michele Obama, Prince Albert I1, Will Smith, Eli Roth, Al Pacino and the list goes on..
Inspired by the European masters of Baroque Counterpoint, ELEW has innovated the technique of simultaneously executing two independent melodies which precisely detail harmonic forms bursting with idiomatic verisimilitude and wide ranging historical references while flawlessly maintaining the idiosyncratic Afrocentric timing at the core of Jazz improvisation. He has named this technique Counterbop. His album Cubism- ELEW plays Rosenwinkel, a solo piano exploration of contemporary jazz legend Kurt Rosenwinkel provides perspective an insight into the nature of what Counterbop is and how it may be implemented.
In addition to piano performance, appearing in and scoring for film, ELEW is a prominent international DJ. He has created disco infernos for multiple events such as The World Economic Forum, TED, Art Basel, A-list Oscar parties, the Monte-Carlo Gala, the Cannes Film Festival and multiple celebrity birthdays and weddings. In some cases, ELEW places the turntables within the piano, seamlessly executing transitions and improvisations all while generating a pleasing frenzy on the dance floor. This has led him to creating yet another brilliant innovation he calls Piano Turntablism. He literally plays two different yet recognizable songs simultaneously as a DJ would but on the Piano. All while maintaining the type of euphoric festival.
Pianist-composer Orrin Evans, who is also appearing at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival with his Captain Black Big Band, unveils his new Brazilian project for the first time in Cape May. Born out of a commissioned project by The August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Terreno Comum is a powerful collective comprised of some of the most acclaimed musicians in modern jazz and Brazilian music. With Evans as musical director, this new quintet features Brazilian-American singer-songwriter Alexia Bomtempo, bassist Luques Curtis, drummer Clarence Penn and São Paulo-born guitarist Leandro Pellegrino. The song list includes beautiful arrangements of Brazilian standards giving an opportunity for all to shine. Their debut album will be released on Evans’ label, Imani Records, later in 2021. While the members of Terreno Comum may come from disparate backgrounds — Alexia from Rio de Janeiro, Leandro from São Paulo, Luques from Hartford, Clarence from Detroit, Orrin from Trenton — they share a musical “common ground” (the English translation of the band name). Hear their masterful interpretations of soothing bossa novas and alluring sambas in their Exit Zero Jazz Festival debut.
A NYC-native, pianist Ray Gallon has been a mainstay on the jazz scene for over 30 years. Rooted in bebop and blues, his expressive, swinging playing melds old and new into a fresh, original style. As a young player, Ray was mentored by jazz piano giants John Lewis, Hank Jones, and Jaki Byard. He has performed at major jazz festivals and venues around the world with such luminaries as Ron Carter, Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, George Adams, Les Paul, and Wycliffe Gordon. Ray has appeared at the White House and the Kennedy Center, sharing the stage with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Sweets Edison, and Joe Williams. An in-demand accompanist, he has worked with many vocal greats, including Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan, Dakota Staton, Gloria Lynne, Jane Monheit and Chaka Khan. Ray's inventive compositions have been recorded by acclaimed artists T.S. Monk and George Adams. His new trio album Make Your Move is available on Cellar Live and features the stellar rhythm section of David Wong and Kenny Washington, with liner notes by Ron Carter. Ray is a faculty member of the jazz programs at The City College of NY in Harlem and the Vermont Jazz Center’s Summer Workshop Series and has taught classes at Juilliard and The New School.
The Django welcomes young saxophonist Alex de Lazzari as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. Alex is originally from Italy, but grew up in the D.C. area. He is a recent graduate of William Patterson University where he studied with famed saxophonist Vincent Herring. Originally from Italy, saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Alex De Lazzari first picked up the saxophone at age 12. Shortly after hearing a few John Coltrane records he was hooked, and began delving deeper into jazz, winning awards and competitions while still in high school. He has performed at countless venues along the east coast and even overseas, such as Germano’s in Baltimore, the Petworth Citizen in Washington DC, Orania in Berlin, the Umbria Jazz Festival, the New Brunswick Jazz Project, the Bar Next Door, Smalls Jazz club, and the Blue Note in New York City, among other places. Alex now keeps a busy schedule of performing and teaching around the New York City area. To quote the established New York saxophonist Mike Lee, “Alex De Lazzari is a very serious player. Keep your eye on him.”
The Django All-Stars is a collective unit comprised of some of the best musicians in NYC. All of them have led multiple gigs at The Django, and have performed throughout the world. This super group represents straight ahead and modern jazz at its finest.
Ken Fowser is the Music Director of The Django, and performs every Friday night on our stage with special guests each week. Since his arrival on the New York scene in 2005, Ken Fowser has continued to steer traditional harmony in uncharted directions. His lyrical approach to line construction and depth of harmonic sensibility allows him to record and play all over the world. A prolific composer, Fowser has celebrated four cooperative releases on Posi-tone Records, co-led with vibraphone virtuoso, Behn Gillece. His debut release as a leader, Standing Tall earned him the #1 spot on Jazz Week Radio Chart seven weeks in a row. Fowser enjoyed both downtown and uptown residencies at iconic New York venues, hosting the session at Smalls Jazz Club every Tuesday for four years and playing the late set at Smoke Jazz and Supper Club every Friday for two years.
The Django is thrilled to be hosting tonight’s CD release concert for emerging jazz drummer Aaron Seeber. As part of The Django’s Next Gen Series, Aaron shares works off of his debut album First Move featuring Warren Wolf, Tim Green, Sullivan Fortner, and Ugonna Okegwo. It drops today, May 13th, 2022, on Cellar Live Records. Aaron attended SUNY Purchase where he studied jazz drums under the tutelage of renowned instructors Kenny Washington and John Riley.
5/14 | Next Gen Series: Evan Sherman Quintet 10:30pm
Born into a musical family in New Jersey, Evan Sherman (b. 1993) began playing the drums at age five and had his first professional gigs at 13. He recently graduated from Manhattan School of Music. Since then, Evan performed, recorded and toured with Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Roy Hargrove, Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, Cyrus Chestnut, Branford Marsalis, and more. He has performed at the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Birdland, Jazz Standard, London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, New Morning in Paris, Lincoln Center's Rose Hall, JALC Doha & Shanghai, and Washington's Kennedy Center as well as the Newport, Detroit, and Jerusalem jazz festivals.
The Django welcomes the Grammy award-winning Mingus Big Band to its stage every Monday night. The “city’s hardest big band (Time Out New York),” celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly performances in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays" at Jazz Standard where it alternated with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. Mingus Mondays became a NYC institution and Monday night stronghold for over 12 years, halted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has 11 recordings to its credit, six of which have been nominated for Grammys.
In 1997, Chino Pons began working as a band boy with the band Tropical Sound in Miami. In 1998, he moved to New York City to pursue music, performing in the subway and on the streets, then enrolling in Ramon Rodriguez's workshop at the Boys Harbor (El Museo del Barrio). Chino worked with different groups, including Cafe con Crema, Many Puventud and Conjunto Classico (as a band boy). In 2007, he formed Grupo Irek with Hensy Perez, Tosso Hettinger and Heriberto Valentin, and made his first recording as a bandleader with them in 2008. It was during this period that Grupo Irek became one of the best-known and most respected Salsa acts on the New York City circuit, performing alongside the runway at fashion shows, playing regularly at The Socialista Club while it was open; and at Gala events for Sting's Rainforest Foundation. Chino also began playing every year at the Vanidades Magazine anniversary party- previously honoring such classic entertainers as Gloria Estefan, Paquito de Rivera, Ruben Blades and Juan Luis Guerra. In 2013, Chino toured in Japan, playing at the Cuban Japan festival. Since then, he has built up quite a following among Japanese fans of Salsa music.
It was the kind of endorsement most rising guitarists can only dream of, and then some. In his interview for Vintage Guitar magazine’s February 2016 cover story, Pat Metheny was asked to name some younger musicians who’d impressed him. “The best guitarist I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso,” said the jazz-guitar icon and NEA Jazz Master. “This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult. Mostly what I hear now are guitar players who sound a little bit like me mixed with a little bit of [John Scofield] and a little bit of [Bill Frisell],” he continued. “What’s interesting about Pasquale is that he doesn’t sound anything like that at all. In a way, it is a little bit of a throwback, because his model—which is an incredible model to have—is Bud Powell. He has somehow captured the essence of that language from piano onto guitar in a way that almost nobody has ever addressed. He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.”
Singer Sachal Vasandani presents a monthly series at The Django celebrating New York's prominent jazz vocal scene. At the helm is Sachal Vasandani welcoming a rotating cast of singers each month plus the ‘house band’ featuring Victor Gould on Piano, Alex Claffy on Bass, and Domo Branch on Drums. Each singer will be highlighted exploring, improvising and having fun with the band and the audience. The Django is proud to bring the jazz community together with a space and a regular event for singers, instrumentalists, and their fans to swing and celebrate each other.
The Django continues its Next Gen Series with Chris Lewis, an in-demand saxophonist and educator on both coasts of the United States. Lewis has played and worked with artists such as Herbie Hancock, Eric Reed, Terell Stafford, Willie Jones III, Delfeayo Marsalis, Rodney Green, Michael Buble, John Beasley’s MONK’estra and the GRAMMY- Award Winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, among numerous others. Lewis is an alumnus of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance (formerly the Thelonious Monk Institute), where he was selected by jazz luminaries Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter to study under their tutelage. In addition to attending the Hancock Institute, Lewis is also an alumnus of Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia and is currently working on his postgraduate studies at the Juilliard School under the artistic direction of Wynton Marsalis.
The Django continues its Next Gen Series with the rising star pianist Sean Mason. Born and raised in Charlotte, NC, Sean Mason taught himself by ear how to play the piano at the age of 13. His beginning musical roots included Gospel, Classical, Hip-Hop, and R&B music, but then he discovered jazz and decided to make a career of it. To further his knowledge, Sean went to study music at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After two years of study, Sean decided to move to New York City and transfer his studies to The Juilliard School, studying for another two years before ultimately leaving to pursue his music interests independently. In his short but already groundbreaking career, Sean has played and toured with many jazz professionals, prominently including Branford Marsalis and Wynton Marsalis, but among many others – and he is most noted for his ability to fluently play many different styles of jazz, spanning across multiple time periods.
Ken Fowser is the Music Director of The Django, and performs every Friday night on our stage with special guests each week. Since his arrival on the New York scene in 2005, Ken Fowser has continued to steer traditional harmony in uncharted directions. His lyrical approach to line construction and depth of harmonic sensibility allows him to record and play all over the world. A prolific composer, Fowser has celebrated four cooperative releases on Posi-tone Records, co-led with vibraphone virtuoso, Behn Gillece. His debut release as a leader, Standing Tall earned him the #1 spot on Jazz Week Radio Chart seven weeks in a row. Fowser enjoyed both downtown and uptown residencies at iconic New York venues, hosting the session at Smalls Jazz Club every Tuesday for four years and playing the late set at Smoke Jazz and Supper Club every Friday for two years.
Lincoln Center’s emerging artist of 2019 and Detroit native Endea Owens, is a vibrant up and coming bassist. She has been mentored by the likes of Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Ron Carter. She has toured and performed with Jennifer Holliday, Rhonda and Diana Ross, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Steve Turre, and Lea Delaria from the Netflix original series “Orange is the New Black”. Endea is the bassist for Jon Batiste’s Stay Human and the house bassist for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The Django continues its Next Gen Series with young drummer Andrew Wagner. A former Jazz House Kids student in New Jersey, Andrew Wagner is an up-and-coming jazz trumpet player from the NY/NJ metropolitan area and a graduate of William Paterson University, where he studied with trumpet master Jeremy Pelt. After listening to a recording of Clifford Brown in high school, he pursued his passion to play trumpet professionally. Andrew is a recipient of the James Moody scholarship and has played at various clubs around the city such as the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, the Django, Cellar Dog and many more. Andrew has played with musicians such as Winard Harper, Joe Farnsworth, Christian McBride and more.
A graduate of the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, he has had the honor of working with many of his living heroes, including Jimmy Cobb, Louis Hayes, Harold Mabern, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Christian Scott, Joey Alexander, Wallace Roney and many more. In the past three years he has recorded for the Verve, HighNote, Positone, RopeADope and LaReserve record labels.
The Django welcomes the Grammy award-winning Mingus Big Band to its stage every Monday night. The “city’s hardest big band (Time Out New York),” celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly performances in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays" at Jazz Standard where it alternated with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. Mingus Mondays became a NYC institution and Monday night stronghold for over 12 years, halted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has 11 recordings to its credit, six of which have been nominated for Grammys.
Irwin got his start at the age of nine when he won a lottery in his New Jersey public school and was gifted an alto saxophone. He attended Princeton University on a full ride to study East Asian philosophy, learning Japanese and eventually moving to Tokyo. He unexpectedly ran into songstress Melody Gardot backstage at the Tokyo Jazz Festival who heard him play and immediately hired him to on back-to-back international tours with her band. Soon after he caught the ear of 3x Grammy/Tony Award winning NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater and joined her working band, honing his skills under the master vocalist on saxophone, flute, and bass clarinet. His woodwind work is featured on Theo Croker’s Grammy-nominated album Star People Nation, and he has toured with Grammy-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn and bass virtuoso Charnett Moffett, among many others. Irwin now leads two bands of his own, the Irwin Hall Organ Trio & Toronto Sounds, and continues to perform in cities around the world including London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Rio, Prague, New York, Paris, Melbourne, and more.
Hudson Horns was born from the famous underground Daybreaker parties five years ago and has grown into one of the most sought-after brass bands in NYC. Professionally trained, fused with their love of music, the HH band members excel in sound, creativity and performance. Hudson Horns is comprised of professionally trained musicians from renowned programs such as The New School, University of Michigan, Julliard, Harvard, The University of The Arts, and Manhattan School of Music. Hudson Horns artists have collaborated with the music industry’s leading performers such as Rihanna, Solange, Ricky Martin, Joe Jonas, Shawn Mendes, Macklemore, Busta Rhymes, Dave Chapelle, The Legendary Johnny O'neal, Roy Hargrove, and The Skatelites.
With 12 albums to her credit, Champian is considered one of the most gifted pure jazz musicians of her generation. Among her multiple awards she was recently named Pianist and Vocalist of 2019 by Hot House Magazine Readers Poll. Today her piano and voice skills are widely recognized by peers and critics as possessing distinction and sophistication. From North America to Europe, Africa to Australia, Champian’s swinging style and charismatic performances have made her a guardian of the legacy of jazz.
The Django continues its Next Gen Series with one of today’s brightest young stars, vocalist Samara Joy. Samara graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2021. With a voice as smooth as velvet, Samara’s star only seems to rise with each performance. At only 22 years old, Samara has already performed in many of the great jazz venues in NYC, including Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, The Blue Note, and Mezzrow, in addition to working with jazz greats such as Christian McBride, Pasquale Grasso, Kirk Lightsey, Cyrus Chestnut, and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Barry Harris. Following her winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she recorded her debut album and performed at the famed Newport Jazz Festival. Jazz Times selected Samara as its Best New Artist in 2021 critics’ poll.
The Django continues its Next Gen Series with a dynamic rising talent: pianist, composer, and bandleader Joe Block. He began playing classical piano at the age of two before switching to jazz in middle school. While growing up in Philadelphia, a city with a rich jazz and musical tradition, he was fortunate to learn and study from older musicians on the scene and in jazz education programs at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts and the Kimmel Center. Joe currently resides in New York City where he attends the Juilliard School (MM ‘22) and Columbia University (BA ‘21) as part of their highly selective and vigorous dual-degree exchange program. He has studied with Geoff Keezer, Marc Cary, Ted Rosenthal, Bruce Barth, and Frank Kimbrough.
New York City-based saxophonist and flutist Ian Hendrickson-Smith is mostly noted for his remarkable tone, soulful approach and blues-driven melodies. Currently, you can find Ian playing on the road with The Roots or on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. Hendrickson-Smith’s extensive recording experience includes the release of 12 jazz records as a leader. His most recent, The Lowdown (Cellar Music 2020) is currently charting at #18 on the national jazz charts.
Ken Fowser is the Music Director of The Django, and performs every Friday night on our stage with special guests each week. Since his arrival on the New York scene in 2005, Ken Fowser has continued to steer traditional harmony in uncharted directions. His lyrical approach to line construction and depth of harmonic sensibility allows him to record and play all over the world. A prolific composer, Fowser has celebrated four cooperative releases on Posi-tone Records, co-led with vibraphone virtuoso, Behn Gillece. His debut release as a leader, Standing Tall earned him the #1 spot on Jazz Week Radio Chart seven weeks in a row. Fowser enjoyed both downtown and uptown residencies at iconic New York venues, hosting the session at Smalls Jazz Club every Tuesday for four years and playing the late set at Smoke Jazz and Supper Club every Friday for two years.
The Django welcomes young trumpeter/social justice activist Alonzo Demetrius as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. Demetrius attended Berklee College of Music undergrad followed by Berklee Global Jazz Institute Master’s Program, graduating with a Master of Music in 2019.
Born from the minds of trumpeter Alonzo Demetrius, drummer Brian Richburg Jr., keyboardist Daniel Abraham, and guitarist Sean Cronin, The Ego is a genre-fluid collective of instrumentalists that explore improvisation and spontaneity within a modern musical context. Our mission is to create a space that is bold and exciting, yet open to people from all walks of life.
Over years of live experimentation, The Ego crafted its sound from a perfect blend of acoustic and synthesized elements. Lush keyboard pads combined with rich keybass provide a dynamic space for the drums and trumpet to build within, while the guitar adds texture and energy to the mix. Their influences range from Haitian Kompa and New Orleans Bamboula to 70’s Jazz-Fusion and modern day Hip-Hop and R&B. Over a two-year weekly residency at the famous Wally’s Jazz Club, The Ego have gained a loyal following and have been active ever since, releasing two singles and performing throughout Boston and New York City. The Ego was featured on Alonzo Demetrius' debut album Live from the Prison Nation (2020).
The Django welcomes young trumpeter/composer Anthony Hervey as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. At the age of 18 Anthony was admitted to The Juilliard School, graduating with his B.M. in 2019 and his M.M. in 2020. Hailed as a “beautiful trumpet player of the first magnitude” by Wynton Marsalis, Hervey has performed at jazz festivals and concert halls around the world with some of the best that Jazz has to offer, including Wynton Marsalis, Rodney Whitaker, Christian McBride, Aaron Diehl, and Jon Batiste.
James Sarno is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. James has played with many established Australian artists in his time as an undergraduate and has played at many venues and jazz festivals across Australia. James moved to New York in 2020 to study his master’s degree in jazz performance at The Juilliard School having been the only trumpet player to be accepted for the 2020 academic year. Since moving to New York, James has performed with many famous jazz musicians including Emmet Cohen, Joe Farnsworth, Benny Benack III, Samara Joy, Cyrille Aimee and more. James has also performed multiple times at Lincoln Center with the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. James released his first album entitled Reflections in early 2020.
The Django welcomes the Grammy award-winning Mingus Big Band to its stage every Monday night. The “city’s hardest big band (Time Out New York),” celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly performances in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays" at Jazz Standard where it alternated with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. Mingus Mondays became a NYC institution and Monday night stronghold for over 12 years, halted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has 11 recordings to its credit, six of which have been nominated for Grammys.
The Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet is widely acknowledged as one of the most compelling tango ensembles today, moving forward from the giant footsteps of Astor Piazzolla, and continuing to take this musical genre into new territories. With immense respect for its roots and rich musical past, the ensemble effectively serves as an active ambassador of tango and a proponent of its evolution. The quartet’s fervent and virtuosic musical style takes elements from Argentine tango, European classical music, and American jazz, and combines them gracefully and organically, bringing something new and exciting to the form while retaining all the lushness and beauty that characterizes the genre.
Brooklyn’s Los Hacheros are modern day torchbearers of the Golden Age of Latin music. Their beat revives folkloric styles like Son Montuno, Guaracha and Salsa, and often combines them with Bomba, a fiery rhythm from the mountains of Puerto Rico.
The Django
2 Avenue of the Americas
(Cellar Level at The Roxy Hotel)
New York, NY
Trains: A/C/N/Q/R/W to Canal, 2/3 to Franklin, 1 to Chambers
Sets @ 7:30 + 10:30pm, Monday-Saturday
$25 Cover Charge per person (not including two-drink minimum). To reserve, visit TheDjangoNYC.com or call 212.519.6649.
Health + Safety Protocols: The Django regularly updates its COVID protocols and procedures based on CDC, federal, state, city and other scientific data.
May 2022 Schedule
5/02 | Mingus Big Band
7:30 + 9:30pmThe Django welcomes the Grammy award-winning Mingus Big Band to its stage every Monday night. The “city’s hardest big band (Time Out New York),” celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly performances in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays" at Jazz Standard where it alternated with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. Mingus Mondays became a NYC institution and Monday night stronghold for over 12 years, halted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has 11 recordings to its credit, six of which have been nominated for Grammys.
5/03 | Martes Latinos
The Django brings back its popular Tuesday Latin jazz concert series each month.7:30pm | Yotam Silberstein Brazilian Quartet
As a young musician in Tel Aviv, Yotam Silberstein was quickly recognized as a prodigy and was invited to perform with many of the nation’s top musicians. At 21, he performed at Italy’s renowned Umbria Jazz Festival, released a critically acclaimed debut album and set out on an extensive tour of Europe. Upon receiving a scholarship to the prestigious New School, Yotam Silberstein moved to New York in 2005. He was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Guitar Competition in 2005 with one critic noting: “Yotam’s tones are exquisitely old school but his playing fresh, fiery and bursting with joyful exuberance, and musically he is one heavy cat.” Jazz Times noted that Yotam has “made an impact on the scene with his precision bebop lines and fleet fingered improvisation”. All About Jazz saw a resemblance between his 2009 release, Next Page and The Heyday of Blue Note Records, adding that Yotam is “forging his own path with skills and style.”10:30pm | Fabiana Masili
Fabiana Masili is a Brazilian singer and songwriter. She started playing the organ at the age of eight and began working professionally and singing in bands at 15. Fabiana studied at the prestigious State University of Campinas- UNICAMP, in Brazil, earning her bachelor's degree in Popular Music while singing in several bands and producing at a Brazilian recording studio, Fabrica do Som. Afterwards she started a meteoric international career singing in São Miguel Island (Portugal), in Berkeley (United States) and, finally, in New York City (United States). Throughout her career, Fabiana Masili has also participated in several album recordings.5/04 | Next Gen Series: Anais Reno featuring The Pete Malinverni Trio
7:30pmThe Django welcomes back the young up-and-coming jazz vocalist Anais Reno to its stage as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. Earlier this year, she performed with the Pete Malinverni Trio at The Django to rave reviews: “an 18-yearold with a performing maturity that belies her age (Jersey Jazz).” Reno is a freshman at SUNY/Purchase studying Jazz Voice.
Pete Malinverni heads the Jazz Studies program at SUNY/Purchase, and has been a mainstay on the NYC Jazz Scene since the early 1980s, his 15 recordings as a leader having received excellent notices and heavy airplay. Originally from Niagara Falls, NY, Pete came to the great crucible of jazz that our city is, and has shared club bandstands and stages with the likes of Mel Lewis, Vernel Fournier, Joe Lovano, Charles Davis, Gary Smulyan and so many others, adding, in each instance, his own inimitable style, rooted firmly in the tradition yet always reaching for the new thing.
5/04 | Tony Glausi
10:30pmTony Glausi is widely celebrated as one of the most accomplished trumpet players on the planet, with more awards and accolades than we have time to get into here. For years now, Glausi has been hailed as such while being overlooked for his prowess as a composer and producer. With EVERYTHING AT ONCE album, Tony heads for straight- to-the-gut pop jams and R&B-influenced tunes that take inspiration from a bevy of sources while still remaining uniquely true to Glausi’s vision as an artist.
5/05 | Benito Gonzalez Trio
7:30pmTwo-time Grammy nominated-pianist Benito Gonzalez (Venezuelan-born, Brooklyn-based) is an internationally beloved artist who combines a long lineage of American jazz traditions with rhythms from around the world. Benito is an exhilarating pianist who won the 2005 Great America Jazz Piano Competition and was honored in 2020 to be a Steinway & Sons artist for “his sound [that] is recognizable for the powerful rhythm section and Afro-Latin patterns he prioritizes across his projects.” The Venezuela-born, New York-based artist grew up playing traditional Venezuelan folk music with his family before absorbing the inventiveness of such pianists as Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett who inspired him to join in the explorations on the instrument.
5/05 | High and Mighty Brass Band
10:30pmThere’s a reason legendary groups like Galactic, Eli “Paperboy” Reed & Lake Street Dive collaborated with High and Mighty Brass Band since NYC drummer Evan Howard started the band back in 2009. This rotating cast has toured all over the world including major performances at Bonnaroo, The US Open, Gov Ball and Sonidos Liquidos. They entertain crowds with both their original music and fresh take on current and classic cover songs. Check out NYC’s favorite brass band making noise worldwide.
5/06 | Ken Fowser Quintet
7:30pmKen Fowser is the Music Director of The Django, and performs every Friday night on our stage with special guests each week. Since his arrival on the New York scene in 2005, Ken Fowser has continued to steer traditional harmony in uncharted directions. His lyrical approach to line construction and depth of harmonic sensibility allows him to record and play all over the world. A prolific composer, Fowser has celebrated four cooperative releases on Posi-tone Records, co-led with vibraphone virtuoso, Behn Gillece. His debut release as a leader, Standing Tall earned him the #1 spot on Jazz Week Radio Chart seven weeks in a row. Fowser enjoyed both downtown and uptown residencies at iconic New York venues, hosting the session at Smalls Jazz Club every Tuesday for four years and playing the late set at Smoke Jazz and Supper Club every Friday for two years.
5/06 | Alphonso Horne and The Gotham Kings
10:30pmGotham Kings is a high energy immersive jazz experience! Two-time Grammy nominated trumpeter, Alphonso Horne has put together a band that weaves the sound of New Orleans into a rich musical fabric that demonstrates the history of the trumpet and the story of jazz. Inspired by the music of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, Gotham Kings uses the virtuosity of the young Louis Armstrong and innovative genius of King Oliver to take you on a journey of sound that encompasses rags, stomps, shouts and funk! The band has played in venues including Caramoor Jazz Festival, Louis Armstrong House Museum, Jazz at Lincoln Center and many more! Individually, members of the Gotham Kings have compiled a diverse resume of collaborations with top artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Michael Feinstein, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, The Colbert Show and more!
5/07 \ Next Gen Series: Hank Allen-Barfield Quintet
7:30pmThe Django welcomes the young up-and-coming jazz drummer Hank Allen-Barfield to its stage as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. Hank recently graduated from New Jersey’s prestigious jazz studies program at William Patterson University.
5/07 | Next Gen Series: Domo Branch Trio featuring Imani Rousselle and Abdias Armenteros
10:30pmThe Django welcomes three emerging artists to its stage as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. Vocalist Imani Rousselle currently resides in New York City, where she recently completed her master's degree in jazz voice at The Manhattan School of Music. Prior to moving to NYC, Imani studied at Columbia College Chicago where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Vocal performance as well as a minor in management and a second minor in environmental studies. Young tenor saxophonist Abdias Armenteros recently graduated from the Juilliard School and is working on his Masters in Music at Juilliard.
5/09 | Mingus Mondays: Mingus Big Band
7:30 + 9:30pmThe Django welcomes the Grammy award-winning Mingus Big Band to its stage every Monday night. The “city’s hardest big band (Time Out New York),” celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly performances in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays" at Jazz Standard where it alternated with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. Mingus Mondays became a NYC institution and Monday night stronghold for over 12 years, halted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has 11 recordings to its credit, six of which have been nominated for Grammys.
5/10 | ELEW Electro Acoustic Trio and Dance Party
10:30pmOmnivorous artist ELEW hosts a memorable night on The Django stage. First, he wears he jazz hat joined by his Trio and then showcases his DJ skills. A native of Camden, New Jersey, Eric Lewis began his musical studies at two years old and would ultimately receive the Rodger's and Hammerstein full merit scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music. A Dean's List student, upon graduation, he toured the world, recorded and performed with Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Elvin Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Roy Hargrove, and John Hendricks among others. In 1999, Eric won the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, at the time, the most coveted prize in all of jazz.
A decade into his career, he reemerged as ELEW and began fusing his piano techniques with rock guitar-based ideas and experimental prepared piano methods, generating a powerful crossover brand he coined “Rockjazz". Over the course of multiple award winning, critically acclaimed albums, ELEW has re-imagined songs by The Killers, Nirvana, Coldplay and Michael Jackson to name a few. Throughout his career he has built an elite fanbase of some of the most distinguished leaders and celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Gerard Butler, Barack and Michele Obama, Prince Albert I1, Will Smith, Eli Roth, Al Pacino and the list goes on..
Inspired by the European masters of Baroque Counterpoint, ELEW has innovated the technique of simultaneously executing two independent melodies which precisely detail harmonic forms bursting with idiomatic verisimilitude and wide ranging historical references while flawlessly maintaining the idiosyncratic Afrocentric timing at the core of Jazz improvisation. He has named this technique Counterbop. His album Cubism- ELEW plays Rosenwinkel, a solo piano exploration of contemporary jazz legend Kurt Rosenwinkel provides perspective an insight into the nature of what Counterbop is and how it may be implemented.
In addition to piano performance, appearing in and scoring for film, ELEW is a prominent international DJ. He has created disco infernos for multiple events such as The World Economic Forum, TED, Art Basel, A-list Oscar parties, the Monte-Carlo Gala, the Cannes Film Festival and multiple celebrity birthdays and weddings. In some cases, ELEW places the turntables within the piano, seamlessly executing transitions and improvisations all while generating a pleasing frenzy on the dance floor. This has led him to creating yet another brilliant innovation he calls Piano Turntablism. He literally plays two different yet recognizable songs simultaneously as a DJ would but on the Piano. All while maintaining the type of euphoric festival.
5/11 | “Terreno Comum” featuring Alexia Bomtempo
7:30pmPianist-composer Orrin Evans, who is also appearing at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival with his Captain Black Big Band, unveils his new Brazilian project for the first time in Cape May. Born out of a commissioned project by The August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Terreno Comum is a powerful collective comprised of some of the most acclaimed musicians in modern jazz and Brazilian music. With Evans as musical director, this new quintet features Brazilian-American singer-songwriter Alexia Bomtempo, bassist Luques Curtis, drummer Clarence Penn and São Paulo-born guitarist Leandro Pellegrino. The song list includes beautiful arrangements of Brazilian standards giving an opportunity for all to shine. Their debut album will be released on Evans’ label, Imani Records, later in 2021. While the members of Terreno Comum may come from disparate backgrounds — Alexia from Rio de Janeiro, Leandro from São Paulo, Luques from Hartford, Clarence from Detroit, Orrin from Trenton — they share a musical “common ground” (the English translation of the band name). Hear their masterful interpretations of soothing bossa novas and alluring sambas in their Exit Zero Jazz Festival debut.
5/11 | Ray Gallon Trio featuring Carolyn Leonhart
10:30pmA NYC-native, pianist Ray Gallon has been a mainstay on the jazz scene for over 30 years. Rooted in bebop and blues, his expressive, swinging playing melds old and new into a fresh, original style. As a young player, Ray was mentored by jazz piano giants John Lewis, Hank Jones, and Jaki Byard. He has performed at major jazz festivals and venues around the world with such luminaries as Ron Carter, Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, George Adams, Les Paul, and Wycliffe Gordon. Ray has appeared at the White House and the Kennedy Center, sharing the stage with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Sweets Edison, and Joe Williams. An in-demand accompanist, he has worked with many vocal greats, including Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan, Dakota Staton, Gloria Lynne, Jane Monheit and Chaka Khan. Ray's inventive compositions have been recorded by acclaimed artists T.S. Monk and George Adams. His new trio album Make Your Move is available on Cellar Live and features the stellar rhythm section of David Wong and Kenny Washington, with liner notes by Ron Carter. Ray is a faculty member of the jazz programs at The City College of NY in Harlem and the Vermont Jazz Center’s Summer Workshop Series and has taught classes at Juilliard and The New School.
5/12 | Next Gen Series: Alex de Lazzari Quartet
7:30pmThe Django welcomes young saxophonist Alex de Lazzari as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. Alex is originally from Italy, but grew up in the D.C. area. He is a recent graduate of William Patterson University where he studied with famed saxophonist Vincent Herring. Originally from Italy, saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Alex De Lazzari first picked up the saxophone at age 12. Shortly after hearing a few John Coltrane records he was hooked, and began delving deeper into jazz, winning awards and competitions while still in high school. He has performed at countless venues along the east coast and even overseas, such as Germano’s in Baltimore, the Petworth Citizen in Washington DC, Orania in Berlin, the Umbria Jazz Festival, the New Brunswick Jazz Project, the Bar Next Door, Smalls Jazz club, and the Blue Note in New York City, among other places. Alex now keeps a busy schedule of performing and teaching around the New York City area. To quote the established New York saxophonist Mike Lee, “Alex De Lazzari is a very serious player. Keep your eye on him.”
5/12 | Django All-Stars
10:30pmThe Django All-Stars is a collective unit comprised of some of the best musicians in NYC. All of them have led multiple gigs at The Django, and have performed throughout the world. This super group represents straight ahead and modern jazz at its finest.
5/13 | Ken Fowser Quintet
7:30pmKen Fowser is the Music Director of The Django, and performs every Friday night on our stage with special guests each week. Since his arrival on the New York scene in 2005, Ken Fowser has continued to steer traditional harmony in uncharted directions. His lyrical approach to line construction and depth of harmonic sensibility allows him to record and play all over the world. A prolific composer, Fowser has celebrated four cooperative releases on Posi-tone Records, co-led with vibraphone virtuoso, Behn Gillece. His debut release as a leader, Standing Tall earned him the #1 spot on Jazz Week Radio Chart seven weeks in a row. Fowser enjoyed both downtown and uptown residencies at iconic New York venues, hosting the session at Smalls Jazz Club every Tuesday for four years and playing the late set at Smoke Jazz and Supper Club every Friday for two years.
5/13 | Next Gen Series: Aaron Seeber First Move cd release
10:30pmThe Django is thrilled to be hosting tonight’s CD release concert for emerging jazz drummer Aaron Seeber. As part of The Django’s Next Gen Series, Aaron shares works off of his debut album First Move featuring Warren Wolf, Tim Green, Sullivan Fortner, and Ugonna Okegwo. It drops today, May 13th, 2022, on Cellar Live Records. Aaron attended SUNY Purchase where he studied jazz drums under the tutelage of renowned instructors Kenny Washington and John Riley.
5/14 | Next Gen Series: Evan Sherman Quintet 10:30pm
Born into a musical family in New Jersey, Evan Sherman (b. 1993) began playing the drums at age five and had his first professional gigs at 13. He recently graduated from Manhattan School of Music. Since then, Evan performed, recorded and toured with Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Roy Hargrove, Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, Cyrus Chestnut, Branford Marsalis, and more. He has performed at the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Birdland, Jazz Standard, London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, New Morning in Paris, Lincoln Center's Rose Hall, JALC Doha & Shanghai, and Washington's Kennedy Center as well as the Newport, Detroit, and Jerusalem jazz festivals.
5/16 | Mingus Big Band
7:30 + 9:30pmThe Django welcomes the Grammy award-winning Mingus Big Band to its stage every Monday night. The “city’s hardest big band (Time Out New York),” celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly performances in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays" at Jazz Standard where it alternated with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. Mingus Mondays became a NYC institution and Monday night stronghold for over 12 years, halted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has 11 recordings to its credit, six of which have been nominated for Grammys.
5/17 | Martes Latinos
The Django brings back its popular Tuesday Latin jazz concert series each month.7:30pm | Pedro Cortes Flamenco Ensemble
Pedro Cortes comes from a family of Spanish Gypsy guitarists and began his studies with his father and the esteemed Flamenco guitarist Sabicas. Having toured professionally since the age of 17, he is gaining international recognition as a soloist and composer. He premiered his work En la oscuridad de las minas at the Teatro Albeniz in Madrid, and has had works premiered by the Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Company at the Joyce Theater in New York. Cortes was commissioned by the Cohen Brothers to compose music for the film Paris Je T'Aime. He also wrote music for a children’s program on HBO called Fairy tale for Every Child.10:30pm | Chino Pons
Singer, bandleader, composer, dancer and record producer Chino Pons is considered one of the leading New York City-based Cuban musicians. Growing up in an environment of traditional and Afro-Cuban music, among musicians and legendary dancers from 1940's and 1950's, had a great influence on him and inspired him to create music. Chino's relatives gave him a solid foundation in Son Cubano music, and absorbing their knowledge of Rumba Guaguanco, Yambu, Columbia, Cha Cha Cha, Danzon, and Bolero gave him the desire to create a new, more modern, sound while still maintaining many elements of traditional Cuban music.In 1997, Chino Pons began working as a band boy with the band Tropical Sound in Miami. In 1998, he moved to New York City to pursue music, performing in the subway and on the streets, then enrolling in Ramon Rodriguez's workshop at the Boys Harbor (El Museo del Barrio). Chino worked with different groups, including Cafe con Crema, Many Puventud and Conjunto Classico (as a band boy). In 2007, he formed Grupo Irek with Hensy Perez, Tosso Hettinger and Heriberto Valentin, and made his first recording as a bandleader with them in 2008. It was during this period that Grupo Irek became one of the best-known and most respected Salsa acts on the New York City circuit, performing alongside the runway at fashion shows, playing regularly at The Socialista Club while it was open; and at Gala events for Sting's Rainforest Foundation. Chino also began playing every year at the Vanidades Magazine anniversary party- previously honoring such classic entertainers as Gloria Estefan, Paquito de Rivera, Ruben Blades and Juan Luis Guerra. In 2013, Chino toured in Japan, playing at the Cuban Japan festival. Since then, he has built up quite a following among Japanese fans of Salsa music.
5/18 | Pasquale Grasso and Friends
7:30pmIt was the kind of endorsement most rising guitarists can only dream of, and then some. In his interview for Vintage Guitar magazine’s February 2016 cover story, Pat Metheny was asked to name some younger musicians who’d impressed him. “The best guitarist I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso,” said the jazz-guitar icon and NEA Jazz Master. “This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult. Mostly what I hear now are guitar players who sound a little bit like me mixed with a little bit of [John Scofield] and a little bit of [Bill Frisell],” he continued. “What’s interesting about Pasquale is that he doesn’t sound anything like that at all. In a way, it is a little bit of a throwback, because his model—which is an incredible model to have—is Bud Powell. He has somehow captured the essence of that language from piano onto guitar in a way that almost nobody has ever addressed. He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.”
5/18 | Sachal Vasandani Presents...
10:30pmSinger Sachal Vasandani presents a monthly series at The Django celebrating New York's prominent jazz vocal scene. At the helm is Sachal Vasandani welcoming a rotating cast of singers each month plus the ‘house band’ featuring Victor Gould on Piano, Alex Claffy on Bass, and Domo Branch on Drums. Each singer will be highlighted exploring, improvising and having fun with the band and the audience. The Django is proud to bring the jazz community together with a space and a regular event for singers, instrumentalists, and their fans to swing and celebrate each other.
5/19 | Next Gen Series: Chris Lewis
7:30pmThe Django continues its Next Gen Series with Chris Lewis, an in-demand saxophonist and educator on both coasts of the United States. Lewis has played and worked with artists such as Herbie Hancock, Eric Reed, Terell Stafford, Willie Jones III, Delfeayo Marsalis, Rodney Green, Michael Buble, John Beasley’s MONK’estra and the GRAMMY- Award Winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, among numerous others. Lewis is an alumnus of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance (formerly the Thelonious Monk Institute), where he was selected by jazz luminaries Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter to study under their tutelage. In addition to attending the Hancock Institute, Lewis is also an alumnus of Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia and is currently working on his postgraduate studies at the Juilliard School under the artistic direction of Wynton Marsalis.
5/19 | Next Gen Series: Sean Mason Quintet
10:30pmThe Django continues its Next Gen Series with the rising star pianist Sean Mason. Born and raised in Charlotte, NC, Sean Mason taught himself by ear how to play the piano at the age of 13. His beginning musical roots included Gospel, Classical, Hip-Hop, and R&B music, but then he discovered jazz and decided to make a career of it. To further his knowledge, Sean went to study music at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After two years of study, Sean decided to move to New York City and transfer his studies to The Juilliard School, studying for another two years before ultimately leaving to pursue his music interests independently. In his short but already groundbreaking career, Sean has played and toured with many jazz professionals, prominently including Branford Marsalis and Wynton Marsalis, but among many others – and he is most noted for his ability to fluently play many different styles of jazz, spanning across multiple time periods.
5/20 | Ken Fowser Quintet
Ken Fowser is the Music Director of The Django, and performs every Friday night on our stage with special guests each week. Since his arrival on the New York scene in 2005, Ken Fowser has continued to steer traditional harmony in uncharted directions. His lyrical approach to line construction and depth of harmonic sensibility allows him to record and play all over the world. A prolific composer, Fowser has celebrated four cooperative releases on Posi-tone Records, co-led with vibraphone virtuoso, Behn Gillece. His debut release as a leader, Standing Tall earned him the #1 spot on Jazz Week Radio Chart seven weeks in a row. Fowser enjoyed both downtown and uptown residencies at iconic New York venues, hosting the session at Smalls Jazz Club every Tuesday for four years and playing the late set at Smoke Jazz and Supper Club every Friday for two years.
5/20 | Endea Owens & The Cookout
10:30pmLincoln Center’s emerging artist of 2019 and Detroit native Endea Owens, is a vibrant up and coming bassist. She has been mentored by the likes of Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Ron Carter. She has toured and performed with Jennifer Holliday, Rhonda and Diana Ross, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Steve Turre, and Lea Delaria from the Netflix original series “Orange is the New Black”. Endea is the bassist for Jon Batiste’s Stay Human and the house bassist for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
5/21 | Next Gen Series: Andrew Wagner Quintet
7:30pmThe Django continues its Next Gen Series with young drummer Andrew Wagner. A former Jazz House Kids student in New Jersey, Andrew Wagner is an up-and-coming jazz trumpet player from the NY/NJ metropolitan area and a graduate of William Paterson University, where he studied with trumpet master Jeremy Pelt. After listening to a recording of Clifford Brown in high school, he pursued his passion to play trumpet professionally. Andrew is a recipient of the James Moody scholarship and has played at various clubs around the city such as the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, the Django, Cellar Dog and many more. Andrew has played with musicians such as Winard Harper, Joe Farnsworth, Christian McBride and more.
5/21 | Alexander Claffy and “Phamily”
10:30pmA graduate of the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, he has had the honor of working with many of his living heroes, including Jimmy Cobb, Louis Hayes, Harold Mabern, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Christian Scott, Joey Alexander, Wallace Roney and many more. In the past three years he has recorded for the Verve, HighNote, Positone, RopeADope and LaReserve record labels.
5/23 | Mingus Mondays: Mingus Big Band
7:30 + 9:30pmThe Django welcomes the Grammy award-winning Mingus Big Band to its stage every Monday night. The “city’s hardest big band (Time Out New York),” celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly performances in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays" at Jazz Standard where it alternated with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. Mingus Mondays became a NYC institution and Monday night stronghold for over 12 years, halted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has 11 recordings to its credit, six of which have been nominated for Grammys.
5/24 | Irwin Hall Quartet
7:30pmIrwin got his start at the age of nine when he won a lottery in his New Jersey public school and was gifted an alto saxophone. He attended Princeton University on a full ride to study East Asian philosophy, learning Japanese and eventually moving to Tokyo. He unexpectedly ran into songstress Melody Gardot backstage at the Tokyo Jazz Festival who heard him play and immediately hired him to on back-to-back international tours with her band. Soon after he caught the ear of 3x Grammy/Tony Award winning NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater and joined her working band, honing his skills under the master vocalist on saxophone, flute, and bass clarinet. His woodwind work is featured on Theo Croker’s Grammy-nominated album Star People Nation, and he has toured with Grammy-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn and bass virtuoso Charnett Moffett, among many others. Irwin now leads two bands of his own, the Irwin Hall Organ Trio & Toronto Sounds, and continues to perform in cities around the world including London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Rio, Prague, New York, Paris, Melbourne, and more.
5/24 | Hudson Horns
10:30pmHudson Horns was born from the famous underground Daybreaker parties five years ago and has grown into one of the most sought-after brass bands in NYC. Professionally trained, fused with their love of music, the HH band members excel in sound, creativity and performance. Hudson Horns is comprised of professionally trained musicians from renowned programs such as The New School, University of Michigan, Julliard, Harvard, The University of The Arts, and Manhattan School of Music. Hudson Horns artists have collaborated with the music industry’s leading performers such as Rihanna, Solange, Ricky Martin, Joe Jonas, Shawn Mendes, Macklemore, Busta Rhymes, Dave Chapelle, The Legendary Johnny O'neal, Roy Hargrove, and The Skatelites.
5/25 | Champian Fulton
7:30pmWith 12 albums to her credit, Champian is considered one of the most gifted pure jazz musicians of her generation. Among her multiple awards she was recently named Pianist and Vocalist of 2019 by Hot House Magazine Readers Poll. Today her piano and voice skills are widely recognized by peers and critics as possessing distinction and sophistication. From North America to Europe, Africa to Australia, Champian’s swinging style and charismatic performances have made her a guardian of the legacy of jazz.
5/25 | Next Gen Series: The Octet featuring Samara Joy
10:30pmThe Django continues its Next Gen Series with one of today’s brightest young stars, vocalist Samara Joy. Samara graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2021. With a voice as smooth as velvet, Samara’s star only seems to rise with each performance. At only 22 years old, Samara has already performed in many of the great jazz venues in NYC, including Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, The Blue Note, and Mezzrow, in addition to working with jazz greats such as Christian McBride, Pasquale Grasso, Kirk Lightsey, Cyrus Chestnut, and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Barry Harris. Following her winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she recorded her debut album and performed at the famed Newport Jazz Festival. Jazz Times selected Samara as its Best New Artist in 2021 critics’ poll.
5/26 | Next Gen Series: Joe Block Trio
7:30pmThe Django continues its Next Gen Series with a dynamic rising talent: pianist, composer, and bandleader Joe Block. He began playing classical piano at the age of two before switching to jazz in middle school. While growing up in Philadelphia, a city with a rich jazz and musical tradition, he was fortunate to learn and study from older musicians on the scene and in jazz education programs at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts and the Kimmel Center. Joe currently resides in New York City where he attends the Juilliard School (MM ‘22) and Columbia University (BA ‘21) as part of their highly selective and vigorous dual-degree exchange program. He has studied with Geoff Keezer, Marc Cary, Ted Rosenthal, Bruce Barth, and Frank Kimbrough.
5/26 | Ian Hendrickson-Smith
10:30pmNew York City-based saxophonist and flutist Ian Hendrickson-Smith is mostly noted for his remarkable tone, soulful approach and blues-driven melodies. Currently, you can find Ian playing on the road with The Roots or on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. Hendrickson-Smith’s extensive recording experience includes the release of 12 jazz records as a leader. His most recent, The Lowdown (Cellar Music 2020) is currently charting at #18 on the national jazz charts.
5/27 | Ken Fowser Quintet
7:30pmKen Fowser is the Music Director of The Django, and performs every Friday night on our stage with special guests each week. Since his arrival on the New York scene in 2005, Ken Fowser has continued to steer traditional harmony in uncharted directions. His lyrical approach to line construction and depth of harmonic sensibility allows him to record and play all over the world. A prolific composer, Fowser has celebrated four cooperative releases on Posi-tone Records, co-led with vibraphone virtuoso, Behn Gillece. His debut release as a leader, Standing Tall earned him the #1 spot on Jazz Week Radio Chart seven weeks in a row. Fowser enjoyed both downtown and uptown residencies at iconic New York venues, hosting the session at Smalls Jazz Club every Tuesday for four years and playing the late set at Smoke Jazz and Supper Club every Friday for two years.
5/27 | Next Gen Series: Alonzo Demetrius
10:30pmThe Django welcomes young trumpeter/social justice activist Alonzo Demetrius as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. Demetrius attended Berklee College of Music undergrad followed by Berklee Global Jazz Institute Master’s Program, graduating with a Master of Music in 2019.
Born from the minds of trumpeter Alonzo Demetrius, drummer Brian Richburg Jr., keyboardist Daniel Abraham, and guitarist Sean Cronin, The Ego is a genre-fluid collective of instrumentalists that explore improvisation and spontaneity within a modern musical context. Our mission is to create a space that is bold and exciting, yet open to people from all walks of life.
Over years of live experimentation, The Ego crafted its sound from a perfect blend of acoustic and synthesized elements. Lush keyboard pads combined with rich keybass provide a dynamic space for the drums and trumpet to build within, while the guitar adds texture and energy to the mix. Their influences range from Haitian Kompa and New Orleans Bamboula to 70’s Jazz-Fusion and modern day Hip-Hop and R&B. Over a two-year weekly residency at the famous Wally’s Jazz Club, The Ego have gained a loyal following and have been active ever since, releasing two singles and performing throughout Boston and New York City. The Ego was featured on Alonzo Demetrius' debut album Live from the Prison Nation (2020).
5/28 | Next Gen Series: Anthony Hervey Quintet
7:30pmThe Django welcomes young trumpeter/composer Anthony Hervey as part of this month’s Next Gen Series. At the age of 18 Anthony was admitted to The Juilliard School, graduating with his B.M. in 2019 and his M.M. in 2020. Hailed as a “beautiful trumpet player of the first magnitude” by Wynton Marsalis, Hervey has performed at jazz festivals and concert halls around the world with some of the best that Jazz has to offer, including Wynton Marsalis, Rodney Whitaker, Christian McBride, Aaron Diehl, and Jon Batiste.
5/28 | Next Gen Series James Sarno Quintet
10:30pmJames Sarno is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. James has played with many established Australian artists in his time as an undergraduate and has played at many venues and jazz festivals across Australia. James moved to New York in 2020 to study his master’s degree in jazz performance at The Juilliard School having been the only trumpet player to be accepted for the 2020 academic year. Since moving to New York, James has performed with many famous jazz musicians including Emmet Cohen, Joe Farnsworth, Benny Benack III, Samara Joy, Cyrille Aimee and more. James has also performed multiple times at Lincoln Center with the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. James released his first album entitled Reflections in early 2020.
5/30 | Mingus Big Band
7:30 + 9:30pmThe Django welcomes the Grammy award-winning Mingus Big Band to its stage every Monday night. The “city’s hardest big band (Time Out New York),” celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly performances in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays" at Jazz Standard where it alternated with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. Mingus Mondays became a NYC institution and Monday night stronghold for over 12 years, halted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has 11 recordings to its credit, six of which have been nominated for Grammys.
5/31 | Martes Latinos
The Django brings back its popular Tuesday Latin jazz concert series each month.7:30pm | “Tango at The Django” with the Pedro Giraudo Quartet
Latin GRAMMY winner Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet is a virtuoso quartet that elegantly brings the beauty and passion of the tango repertoire into the world of chamber music.The Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet is widely acknowledged as one of the most compelling tango ensembles today, moving forward from the giant footsteps of Astor Piazzolla, and continuing to take this musical genre into new territories. With immense respect for its roots and rich musical past, the ensemble effectively serves as an active ambassador of tango and a proponent of its evolution. The quartet’s fervent and virtuosic musical style takes elements from Argentine tango, European classical music, and American jazz, and combines them gracefully and organically, bringing something new and exciting to the form while retaining all the lushness and beauty that characterizes the genre.
10:30pm | Los Hacheros
Brooklyn’s Los Hacheros are modern day torchbearers of the Golden Age of Latin music. Their beat revives folkloric styles like Son Montuno, Guaracha and Salsa, and often combines them with Bomba, a fiery rhythm from the mountains of Puerto Rico.
About The Django
Located in the cellar of The Roxy Hotel, The Django is downtown Manhattan’s premier jazz club. With its vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls, it is a subterranean den for dinner, craft cocktails and live jazz in the heart of Tribeca. Created by GrandLife Hotel’s Tony Fant, The Django is modeled after the eponymous musician’s boites of Paris. The Django is home to the weekly Mingus Big Band residency, monthly Mark Whitfield residency, and some of today’s top jazz artists and emerging musicians.The Django
2 Avenue of the Americas
(Cellar Level at The Roxy Hotel)
New York, NY
Trains: A/C/N/Q/R/W to Canal, 2/3 to Franklin, 1 to Chambers
Sets @ 7:30 + 10:30pm, Monday-Saturday
$25 Cover Charge per person (not including two-drink minimum). To reserve, visit TheDjangoNYC.com or call 212.519.6649.
Health + Safety Protocols: The Django regularly updates its COVID protocols and procedures based on CDC, federal, state, city and other scientific data.
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For more information contact AMT Public Relations.
