SMOKE Jazz Club, New York City, Programme for April 2025.

Monday, February 24, 2025

SMOKE Jazz Club has announced its schedule for April and early May 2025. Performers include Walter Smith III, One for All featuring Jon Faddis, Cyrus Chestnut, Something Else! feat. Vincent Herring.

We have received the following press release;

Smoke Jazz Club Announces April Line-Up including Jim Rotondi Tribute, Walter Smith III and More

Announcing SMOKE Jazz Club’s April Line-Up Featuring a Special Jim Rotondi Tribute Concert, the Return of Legendary Artists George Cables, Vincent Herring, and More

Walter Smith III Quartet (April 2-6)
George Cables Quartet (April 9-13)
ONE FOR ALL featuring special guest Jon Faddis
“Jim Rotondi Celebration” (April 16-20)
Cyrus Chestnut Trio (April 23-27)
Something Else! featuring Vincent Herring (April 30-May 4)

NEW YORK, NY, 02.24.25)
Hailed as the “#1 Jazz Club in New York City (SecretNYC),” SMOKE Jazz Club presents today’s leading artists in April aka Jazz Appreciation Month. The lauded tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III begins the month with a five-night run (Apr 2-6) at the helm of his stellar quartet. SMOKE is thrilled to host a special tribute concert series honoring trumpeter Jim Rotondi featuring the One For All ensemble with special guest Jon Faddis (Apr 16-20). Longtime audience favorites return to the club including legendary pianists George Cables (Apr 9-13) and Cyrus Chestnut (Apr 23-27), as well as Something Else! featuring Vincent Herring (Apr 30-May 4). For the complete and most updated April schedule, please visit http://www.smokejazz.com.

April 2025 Concert Schedule (subject to change):

Wed-Sun April 2-6 Walter Smith III Quartet
Walter Smith III – tenor saxophone
James Francies – piano
Harish Raghavan – bass
Kendrick Scott – drums
“A tenor saxophonist for our times.” – The Guardian
Tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III leads an exciting quartet featuring pianist James Francies, bassist Harish Raghavan, and fellow Houston native, drummer Kendrick Scott. Since his debut nearly two decades ago, Smith has become a cornerstone of the jazz scene, contributing to legendary groups such as Roy Haynes’s Fountain of Youth Band, the Terence Blanchard Quintet, Eric Harland’s Voyager, and the Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, as well as collaborations with Jason Moran, Christian McBride, Gerald Clayton, and the Sean Jones Quintet, among many others.
JazzWise praises Smith for expressing his deep modern jazz roots with “an airy tenor sax tone and a ferocious yet understated technique.” Meanwhile, Downbeat highlights his “killing” tone and melodicism, noting his “vast and beautiful flow of ideas.”

Wed-Sun April 9-13: George Cables Quartet
Craig Handy – tenor saxophone & flute
George Cables – piano
Alexander Claffy – bass
Jerome Jennings – drums
“Anyone serious about jazz will tell you that George Cables belongs in the pantheon of the greatest jazz pianists.” – All About Jazz
Legendary pianist George Cables, celebrated for his impeccable sound, sensitive accompaniment, and distinctive playing, leads a stellar quartet. Joining him at SMOKE in this remarkable ensemble are saxophonist Craig Handy, bassist Alexander Claffy, and drummer Jerome Jennings.
Recently named an inaugural recipient of the 2025 Jazz Legacy Fellowship by the Mellon Foundation and the Jazz Foundation of America, Cables is described as a “humble keyboard genius with impeccable technique and a unique songbook.” A key collaborator with jazz icons like Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, and Art Pepper, Cables’ contributions to jazz are undeniable. As a bandleader, he has released numerous classic recordings, solidifying his place as a major figure in the genre. The New York City Jazz Record hails him as “a piano giant,” while National Public Radio notes that his solos “reveal a deep sense of groove and pacing and a mind at work.”

Wed-Sun April 16-20­: ONE FOR ALL featuring special guest Jon Faddis “Jim Rotondi Celebration”
Jon Faddis – trumpet
Eric Alexander – tenor saxophone
Steve Davis – trombone
David Hazeltine – piano
John Webber – bass
Joe Farnsworth – drums
“New York’s premier hard bop supergroup” – JazzTimes
One for All, the renowned sextet featuring Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine, John Webber, and Joe Farnsworth, is joined by special guest Jon Faddis for a heartfelt tribute to their beloved trumpeter and founding member, Jim Rotondi, who tragically passed away last summer at 61.
Formed in the late 1990s and deeply inspired by the iconic hard bop sextets of the golden age, One for All became a fixture at Smoke, delivering electrifying performances over the years. Their unique sound blends a deep reverence for jazz tradition with a forward-thinking approach that pushes its boundaries. As All About Jazz noted, “Cohesive and interdependent, these musicians bring out the best in one another.”
At the heart of this dynamic group was Rotondi—an exceptional composer, arranger, and performer—whose fiery contributions helped shape the sextet’s distinct identity. For these special performances, the great Jon Faddis, famed for his incredible technical prowess and work with jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie, joins One for All to honor Rotondi’s legacy with his own powerful voice.

Wed-Sun April 23-27: Cyrus Chestnut Trio
Cyrus Chestnut – piano
Dezron Douglas – bass
Willie Jones III – drums
“The best jazz pianist of his generation.” – Time
Renowned for his soulful brilliance, piano virtuoso Cyrus Chestnut leads an exceptional trio featuring bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Willie Jones III. Chestnut’s playing, deeply rooted in gospel and blues, infuses each performance with profound emotional depth. As The New York Times notes, his “crisp articulation and blues-inflected harmony evoke another era… multifaceted and dynamic,” seamlessly blending tradition with fresh innovation to captivate audiences.”
Chestnut’s artistry has earned him widespread acclaim as one of the most distinctive and compelling jazz pianists of his generation. As The New York Daily News aptly describes him, he is “the rightful heir to Bud Powell, Art Tatum, and Erroll Garner.”

Wed-Sun April 30-May 4 Something Else! featuring Vincent Herring
Vincent Herring – alto saxophone
Jeremy Pelt – trumpet (except Sat)
Freddie Hendrix – trumpet (Sat only)
Wayne Escoffery – tenor saxophone
Adam Rodgers – guitar
David Kikoski – bass
Essiet Essiet – bass
Lewis Nash – drums
“Top-shelf soul-jazz and swing… Every one of these musicians is elite – it was an extraordinary set.” – Glide Magazine
Fiery and soulful alto saxophonist Vincent Herring leads this exceptional collective supergroup, bringing together trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, guitarist Adam Rodgers, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Lewis Nash. On Saturday night, Freddie Hendrix will join in place of Pelt. Herring sums it up perfectly: “The best musicians playing great music and thoroughly enjoying it.”
Their repertoire reinvents classic soul jazz with fresh arrangements of iconic tunes while also introducing their own original contributions to the genre. The performances are rich, soulful, and irresistibly funky. As The New Yorker puts it: “This powerhouse ensemble taps into a timeless repertoire of funk-infused tracks by legends such as Bobby Timmons, Horace Silver, and Lou Donaldson, practically daring audiences to stay still or behave.”

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. For everything else, visit http://www.smokejazz.com.

Ticketing + Information:                                                                               
When: 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. (unless otherwise noted).
Where: SMOKE Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway (between 105/106th Streets), New York, NY, Train: 1 to 103rd Street.
Tickets: In-Person $35+. Livestream $15 (Fri only). For more information and to make reservations, please visit http://www.smokejazz.com.