SMOKE Jazz Club, New York City, Programme for January and early February 2025.
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
SMOKE Jazz Club has announced its schedule for January 2025. Performers include Wayne Escoffery, Jimmy Greene, Bill Charlap. Al Foster, The Eubanks Brothers, The Cookers. Press release attached.
We have received the following press release;
Announcing SMOKE Jazz Club’s January Line-Up Featuring Dynamic Groups such as The Cookers, The Eubanks Brothers, Bill Charlap Trio, and More
Coltrane Festival: “Tenor Titans” Wayne Escoffery / Jimmy Greene Quintet (Jan 2-5)
Bill Charlap Trio (Jan 8-12)
Al Foster Quartet featuring Chris Potter “Al Foster’s Birthday Celebration”
(Jan 15-19)
The Eubanks Brothers featuring Robin, Kevin and Duane Eubanks (Jan 22-25)
The Cookers (Jan 29-Feb 2)
NEW YORK, NY — Hailed as the “#1 Jazz Club in New York City (SecretNYC),” SMOKE Jazz Club kickstarts 2025 with some of today’s top ensembles in performance this January. From one of the most musical families, The Eubanks Brothers – siblings Robin, Kevin and Duane – perform their collective club debut (Jan 22-25). The veteran jazz septet, The Cookers, electrifies audiences for five nights (Jan 29-Feb 2) with its forward-leaning hard-bop. SMOKE welcomes back both the acclaimed Bill Charlap Trio (Jan 8-12) as well as the legendary drummer Al Foster for a special 82nd Birthday Celebration concert series featuring special guest Chris Potter (Jan 15-19). SMOKE’s annual Coltrane Festival ends with “Tenor Titans” Wayne Escoffery and Jimmy Greene leading a Quintet featuring Buster Williams and Lenny White (Jan 2-5). As always, global audiences can enjoy SMOKE shows livestreamed every Friday night. For the complete and most updated January schedule, please visit http://www.smokejazz.com.
January 2025 Concert Schedule (subject to change):
Thu-Sun January 2-5: COLTRANE FESTIVAL: “Tenor Titans” Wayne Escoffery / Jimmy Greene Quintet featuring Buster Williams and Lenny White
Jimmy Greene – tenor saxophone
Wayne Escoffery – tenor saxophone
Orrin Evans – piano
Buster Williams – bass
Lenny White – drums
The year begins as 2024 ended with the final week in SMOKE’s annual Coltrane Festival! The “Tenor Titans” quintet features two old friends and incredible tenor saxophonists, Wayne Escoffery and Jimmy Greene. Greene and Escoffery are both former students and protégés of the great Jackie McLean. Their playing embodies his passion and fire, as well as the profound influence of John Coltrane. Jazzwise (UK) calls Greene “without doubt one of the most striking young tenors of recent years,” while The New York Timesdescribes Escoffery as “a powerful, passionate player.” Joining these two powerful saxophonists is an inspired rhythm section featuring pianist Orrin Evans and a pair of music legends: bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White.
Wed-Sun January 8-12: Bill Charlap Trio
Bill Charlap – piano
Peter Washington – bass
Kenny Washington – drums
“The premiere mainstream piano trio of our day.” – The New Yorker
Bill Charlap leads his acclaimed piano trio featuring bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. Known as a master interpreter of American popular song Time magazine says, “No matter how imaginative or surprising his take on a song is, he invariably zeroes in on its essence.” Charlap has performed with many leading artists of our time, from Phil Woods and Tony Bennett to Gerry Mulligan and Wynton Marsalis, and has led this trio since 1997. The Guardian explains, “As a unit, this must be one of the best piano trios ever, and certainly as instantly recognisable as any of its great predecessors. Charlap’s touch on the keyboard is light, almost stealthy, even when playing full chords, but always firm, clear, and beautifully articulated. With the spirited support of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington (famously unrelated), the total effect is just perfect.”
Wed-Sun January 15-19: Al Foster Quartet featuring Chris Potter “Al Foster’s Birthday Celebration”
Al Foster – drums
Chris Potter – tenor saxophone
TBA - band
“One of the great living drummers in jazz.” – Stereophile
The incredible drummer Al Foster celebrates his 82nd birthday (born 01/18/43) with an inspired quartet featuring tenor saxophonist Chris Potter. Well-known for his long association with Miles Davis throughout the ’70s and ’80s, Foster was also the first-call drummer for an amazing list of jazz legends such as Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, McCoy Tyner, and Joe Henderson. Downbeat calls him “an esteemed master and a consummate sideman.” JazzTimes describes him as “a not-so-secret special groove ingredient enlivening performances and sessions by a long list of heavy hitters.”
Wed-Sun January 22-25: The Eubanks Brothers featuring Robin, Kevin and Duane Eubanks SMOKE debut
Duane Eubanks – trumpet
Robin Eubanks – trombone
Kevin Eubanks – guitar
Rene Camacho – bass
Marvin “Smitty” Smith – drums
Hailing from one of the most musical families in one of the most musical of cities, the Eubanks Brothers—siblings Robin, Kevin, and Duane—join forces with bassist Rene Camacho and drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith to make their SMOKE Jazz Club debut as a group. The music in the Eubanks’ Philadelphia home started early and started with their mother, Vera Eubanks, who was also Kenny Barron’s first piano teacher. Their uncle and Vera’s brother was legendary pianist Ray Bryant. All three would extend the family legacy with remarkable careers of their own, the eldest Robin as one of the premier jazz trombonists of his generation; middle brother Kevin as a beloved guitarist, prolific composer, and musical director of the Tonight Show Band for 18 years; and the youngest Duane as a distinctive and fiery trumpeter who has been a major voice in jazz and beyond. The week following these performances, they will be featured on the sold-out Jazz Cruise.
Wed-Sun January 29-February 2: The Cookers
Eddie Henderson – trumpet
David Weiss – trumpet
Donald Harrison – alto saxophone
Azar Lawrence – tenor saxophone
George Cables – piano
Cecil McBee – bass
Billy Hart – drums
“Player for player, there’s no better working band in jazz than The Cookers.” - The Boston Globe
The all-star septet, The Cookers, features a line-up replete with celebrated jazz masters: Eddie Henderson, Azar Lawrence, Cecil McBee, George Cables, and Billy Hart. All are legendary artists who arrived on the scene during the fertile, exploratory 1960s. They were historic contributors to some of the most groundbreaking and important bands of that era and have been major artists in the years since. David Weiss and Donald Harrison are the youngest members of the group, but share many of the same formative experiences, working most notably with Art Blakey, Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, Charles Tolliver, Roy Haynes, and Herbie Hancock. The band’s repertoire draws on some of the well-known and lesser-known compositions from their incredible collective catalogs. The Los Angeles Times writes, “This hard-hitting septet wears its name like a mission statement. Rich with a mix of classic elegance and exploration, the group might reference the past by name, but it never sounds less than current.” The New York Timescalls them “a dream team of forward-leaning hard-bop.”
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 $25+. Livestream $15 (Fri only). For more information and to make reservations, please visit http://www.smokejazz.com.