One of New York City’s premier live music venues, Smoke Jazz Club, continues its grand reopening celebration with a spectacular line-up of legendary jazz performers during the month of August.
Acclaimed for its essential music programming and inspired setting, Smoke Jazz Club recently reopened to much fanfare after being closed to indoor performances and dining for over two years.
This revered institution has undertaken an impressive expansion and renovation that anchors its place as a world-renowned destination for the best in classic and modern jazz.
Please scroll down for more artist information and a complete the schedule or visit SMOKEjazz.com.
August 2022 Schedule
Thr-Sun Aug 4-7 Louis Hayes & The Cannonball Legacy Band
Jeremy Pelt – trumpet
Vincent Herring – alto saxophone
Rick Germanson – piano
Dezron Douglas – bass
Louis Hayes – drums
A treasure of American music, Louis Hayes is a drummer whose impeccable feel and infectious swing over the past 60 years can make it seem like he invented jazz drumming.
He established himself while still in Detroit as a teenager before historic tenures with Horace Silver, Oscar Peterson, and Cannonball Adderley.
He celebrates the legacy of the last of these three giants with this star-studded band featuring alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, pianist Rick Germanson, and bassist Dezron Douglas.
This group features all of the soulful hard bop and effusive swing that made Adderley one of the most popular jazz artists of all time and the Cannonball Legacy Band one of the most satisfying jazz groups working today.
Wednesday, August 10th, 2022, Russell Hall Quartet
Grant Stewart – tenor saxophone
Luther Allison – piano
Russell Hall – bass
Kush Abadey – drums
A dynamic force on the New York music scene, bassist Russell Hall debuts as a leader at Smoke with his quartet featuring saxophonist Grant Stewart, pianist Luther Allison, and drummer Kush Abadey.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Hall started acting when he was three years old. When he emigrated to the US in 2007, he discovered the bridge between the world of drama and the world of music.
He progressed quickly from the electric bass to the double bass and now is in the highest demand performing with some of the biggest names in music, dance, and film.
His work is featured on the Grammy-nominated album My Favorite Things by Joey Alexander, “Motherless Brooklyn”, a film by Edward Norton which was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Score, and HBO’s “Masterclass Series” which feature Wynton Marsalis as a master teacher which was nominated for an Emmy.
Thursday – Sunday, August, 11-14, 2022, Mary Stallings
Mary Stallings – vocals
Emmet Cohen – piano
Yasushi Nakamura – bass
Joe Farnsworth – drums
Mary Stallings, known for her soulful style and lyrically illuminating interpretations, is one of our most enchanting jazz vocalists. The Wall Street Journal calls her “our greatest living link to the late, great (Carmen) McRae.” The New York Times says she is “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.”
Stallings is more than ably supported here by a classic piano trio led by the emerging star pianist, Emmet Cohen, along with bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Joe Farnsworth.
Wednesday, August 17, 2022, Carolyn Leonhart Quintet featuring Helen Sung
Carolyn Leonhard – vocals
Helen Sung – piano
Carolyn Leonhart, a versatile vocalist well-known for her work with Steely Dan over the past two decades, leads an exciting quintet featuring the acclaimed pianist Helen Sung.
Leonhart sings R&B, rock, pop, and jazz, with equal skill and combination finding a unique style of her own. Noted jazz critic David R. Adler says, “Her jazz style is tinged with the edginess of a soul or R&B singer.”
All About Jazz adds, “It’s rare to hear a singer who has both chops and discernible style. Carolyn Leonhart is one of the few: it’s a pleasure to hear the intelligence and nuance in her delivery.”
Thursday – Sunday, August 18-21, 2022, The Heavy Hitters
Jeremy Pelt – trumpet
Jim Snidero – alto saxophone
Eric Alexander – tenor saxophone
Mike LeDonne – piano
Alex Claffy – bass
Kenny Washington – bass
The Heavy Hitters is a new collective quintet conceived by two of the music’s greatest artists: pianist Mike LeDonne and saxophonist Eric Alexander.
They join forces for this powerhouse ensemble with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, alto saxophonist Jim Snidero, bassist Alex Claffy, and drummer Kenny Washington.
These world-renowned musicians are the epitome of New York jazz and are known for bringing the heat and taking no prisoners.
They are all familiar fan favorites at Smoke, too, and with LeDonne and Alexander leading the way, this constellation of masters is bound to cook up something to remember.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022, TBA
Thr-Sun Aug 25-28 Rudresh Mahanthappa Trio: Charlie Parker Celebration
Rudresh Mahanthappa – alto saxophone
Harish Raghavan – bass
Rudy Royston – drums
The innovative saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa makes a highly anticipated Smoke Jazz Club debut performing music inspired by and celebrating the great Charlie Parker.
JazzWise called his 2015 album, Bird Calls, “one of the most intelligent investigations of Charlie Parker’s music in recent memory, using his bebop classics as a jumping-off point for thrilling original songs.” Pitchfork said he is “jaw-dropping… one of the finest saxophonists going.”
His recent, highly acclaimed release Hero Trio features more explorations of Parker’s compositions in the context of a piano-less trio inspired perhaps by the precedents of Sonny Rollins or Lee Konitz.
It is the leads a trio here that features bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Rudy Royston.
Wednesday, August 31st, 2022 TBA
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 in Harlem.
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.
Photo credit: Rudresh Mahanthappa Hero Trio (credit: David Crow).
Become a Harlem Insider!
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
