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The Django, downtown Manhattan’s premier jazz club, brings another month of stellar jazz by some of the field’s heroes alongside young, emerging artists. Two new albums are released on The Django stage in June: Together Again by the leading swing band, Danny Jonokuchi and The Revisionists (6/8) followed by The Lighting of the Lamps by saxophonist Grant Stewart (6/17). In addition, you can find regular guests this month including: Thursday nights with Ken Fowser Quintet featuring guest trumpeter Jeremy Pelt (6/2, 6/9, 6/16, 6/23 and 6/30), Sachal Vasandani singers showcase (6/22), Latin Jazz Tuesdays (6/14, 6/21 and 6/28), monthly concert by guitarist Mark Whitfield (6/16), and weekly Mingus Mondays featuring the Mingus Big Band (6/6 & 6/20), Mingus Dynasty (613), and Mingus Orchestra (6/27). Be?low is a com?plete schedule of June performances.
Vocalist John Dokes has stepped into the spotlight using his wryly smooth baritone to delight audiences weekly at jazz clubs throughout New York City. Singing a mixture of blues, ballads and jazz standards his unmistakable swinging delivery is entirely his own while harkening back to greats like Nat King Cole and Joe Williams.
Big, bad beauty from Boise, Idaho, Emily Braden covers a lot of ground. Whether she’s fronting an orchestra or leading a world-class trio in the heart of Manhattan, Braden has the innate ability to win the heart of any audience with her powerhouse vocals and striking stage presence. Winner of New York City’s prestigious “Best of the Best" Jazzmobile Vocal Competition, Braden’s signature sound is an effortless blend of jazz and soul. She is currently completing her sophomore release “Cannon & Sparrow." Her debut album Soul Walk is composed of high-energy originals, bilingual improvisations (Braden is fluent in Spanish and received her Masters degree in Latin American Studies) and “flipped-out" jazz standards. Producer Misha Piatigorsky says, “As a singer, Emily has no boundaries. She gives me goosebumps.” Before the COVID-19 global pandemic, Braden toured regularly and could be seen every first Friday at NYC’s famed 55 Bar. She has performed at NYC's Blue Note Jazz Club, Birdland Jazz Club and Minton’s Playhouse as well as on international festival circuits. She has been a featured vocalist with Postmodern Jukebox and is the front woman for NYC's Sketchy Orkestra.
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.
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.
Whether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group (with 30 CDs as a leader to date), or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” Hot House magazine awarded him Best Guitarist Fans Decision for 2017. He was recently voted once again as one of the top Jazz Guitarists in the 2019 Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls for the 10th time.
“Saul is a consummate musician, a person who is aware of the feelings of others and a person who is gentle in that sense. He is everything I could ask for in a band mate.” —Sonny Rollins
“Saul has it all together and is a positive force in the world of the guitar. He plays hip melodies, which he’s totally in touch with when improvising. His harmonies, both with his impeccable comping and chord soloing, employ refreshing voicings, and certainly keep the listener involved." —Gene Bertoncini
The Mini Q’s have been a staple on the Philadelphia scene since keyboardist Luke Carlos O’Reilly and guitarist Ben O’Neill joined forces to create the hard-hitting organ trio in 2004. Pulling from a wide range of influences, The Qs meld the rich and flavorful jazz tradition of Jimmy Smith, Don Patterson, Pat Martino and Grant Green with the hip hop and soul sensibilities of J Dilla, Jill Scott, TSOP and an ever-expanding repertoire of spirituals and hymns. For three and a half years, The Mini Qs ran a legendary Monday night jam session that served as a gathering place and proving ground for many of the city’s finest musicians. Their debut record, Monday Night Jump, came out of that celebrated time. Since then, they have performed at the Kimmel Center, South Jazz Kitchen, Django and other venues in and around Philadelphia and New York City. The Mini Q’s Ride Again, the long-awaited follow up, is in every way the product of years of maturation, musical marination and growth. In five tracks, funky, fluid, swinging and savory, the trio covers ground as diverse as the American songbook, traditional gospel, and deep, “Blue Note” style groove. It’s taken some time, but The Mini Q’s are in peak form.
Alexander Claffy moved to New York in 2011. Since then 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.
Briana Swann Christie is a native of San Jose, California where she grew up singing in church and putting on shows with her three sisters. Knowing the arts is where her heart is happiest, she arrived in New York City in 2008, with a similar dream to many others that came before her. Over the years, she's immersed herself in the arts, having written and published an animated relationship book titled, The Circle and The Line. Balancing a full life, with a family and career, Briana has figured out there's always room to honor yourself and make your dreams come to fruition. Paying tribute and honoring the legends that are walking this earth, and the ones who have passed on, Briana has chosen to sing songs that resonate deep within her spirit.
Danny Jonokuchi and The Revisionists have quickly become one of New York City's premier swing bands. This summer begins with headlining the opening night of Lincoln Center’s Summer in the City Festival followed by a CD release concert at The Django celebrating Together Again album. A favorite in the Lindy Hop dance community, their “smile-inducing” (DownBeat) sound is fueled by trumpeter/arranger Danny Jonokuchi and vocalist Alexa Barchini. In 2020, they won the inaugural Count Basie Great American Swing Contest in a unanimous vote for their virtual performance of “One O’Clock Jump”. The band’s debut album, Let Me Off Uptown, was released in 2019.
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.
Widely regarded as one of today’s leading voices on the trombone, Steve Davis’s lyrical, hard-swinging style first gained him broad recognition. Born in Worcester, MA, in 1967, Davis was raised in Binghamton, NY, and graduated in 1989 from Hartt School’s Jackie McLean Institute. It was with McLean’s guidance and recommendation that Davis landed his ?rst major performance with Art Blakey in NYC. In ‘98 Steve winning the TDWR (Rising Star) Trombone Category and later named consecutively as Trombonist of the Year by The JJA – (2010-2013). Widely regarded as one of today’s leading voices on the trombone. His lyrical, hard-swinging style ?rst gained him broad recognition. Steve has released 20 albums including: Think Ahead (2017), Say When(2015), For Real & Gettin’ It Done (2014) featuring his longtime musical colleagues Larry Willis and Nat Reeves along with drummer Billy Williams, saxophonists Abraham Burton (For Real), Mike DiRubbo and trumpeter Josh Bruneau (Gettin’ It Done), in addition to over 100 recordings with names including: Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Hank Jones. In 2018 his original composition “Optimism” was included in Christian McBride’s Grammy Award winning album “Bringin’ it”. Steve Davis’s latest release with his sextet “Correlations” (label: Smoke Sessions Records) Steve features Joshua Bruneau, trumpet; Wayne Esco?ery, tenor saxophone; Xavier Davis, piano; Dexron Dougles, bass; Johnathan Barber, drums; Caro Baptista, percussion on “Batista Revenge”.
Jonathan Beshay-jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer-says that there's no other agenda when his group takes the bandstand. Fortunately for audiences, Beshay likes to hear good music. After many years of performing and listening, the result is an adaptable, energetic, fearlessly hard-swinging sound that pulls from a vast body of musical sources. Beshay has no trouble moving from the street- band wailing of traditional jazz to the intricate post-bop melodies of a Joe Henderson tune. It's all fair game, “. . . as long as it sounds good!” In addition to his own musical projects, Beshay has also served as musical director for both Winard Harper and his brother Philip Harper through tours at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, and the Omani Royal Opera House. He also spent time in New Orleans with Delfayo Marsalis, and has performed with many other masters including Anthony Wonsey, Frank Lacy and Rodney Whitaker.
Charles Turner is a multi-faceted, Brooklyn-based composer and vocalist whose work transcends borders and styles from Jazz, R&B to Soul. Turner has held residencies, hosted, and performed at venues such as Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Smoke Jazz club and the historic Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem. International performances include, Pizza Express, in London, Sunside Sunset in Paris, Sala Claomores in Madrid, and more venues abroad from Seoul, South Korea, to Wellington, New Zealand.
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.”
Lezlie Harrison is her own personal renaissance. Her constant state of evolution and growth brings with it, gifts for those paying attention. As a vocalist both bold and subtle, her vulnerability attends to the fragile matters of our collective human affairs while her optimistic momentum inspires us to rise above any tribulation to rejoice. Be it jazz, blues, gospel, soul, The American Song Form, original compositions, or any song in ANY form, Ms. Harrison will imbue it with her distinctive stamp and make a very personal delivery. On the planet's premier jazz radio station; WBGO, her voice as a regular curator and presenter reveals the love and pride with which she regards America's classical music. Hyper-active on the New York and global jazz scenes, Lezlie is also, along with the late Dale Fitzgerald and trumpeter Roy Hargrove, a member of the triumvirate responsible for launching New York's world-renowned JAZZ GALLERY. On occasion Lezlie lends her regal presence to the stage as an actress, bringing to those endeavors, the same sense of organic elegance that she brought to the runways and photo studios of Paris some years ago. By way of her childhood in New York and North Carolina or her maturation in New York, Boston or on stages throughout Asia, Russia, Europe, and elsewhere, Ms. Lezlie Harrison shows aesthetic evidence that she is a recipient of the lessons of dignity, integrity, and grace bestowed upon her by her elders and fine-tuned by her own history.
The weekly Mingus Mondays series continues with the rare appearance of the Mingus Dynasty. The nimble and expert seven-piece Mingus Dynasty was the first band Sue Mingus organized after Charles Mingus’ death in 1979, collaborating with his own sidemen to honor the life and work of the bassist and composer. Although big bands like the Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey bands had continued to perform after their leader passed on, a similar legacy never existed for smaller ensembles. Because Mingus always said he was first and foremost a composer, and because he left behind over 300 compositions that deserved to be played, a band carrying on his music became a natural, if unanticipated, mission. The first Dynasty bands were expected to include only musicians who had actually performed with Mingus—except for the bassist of course. Today, four decades later, the rich legacy of Mingus music ignites the bandstand while new generations of musicians add their individual voices and continue to celebrate and explore this rich and varied musical legacy.
Since his arrival in the U.S. in mid-1995, Elio Villafranca is at the forefront of the latest generation of remarkable pianists, composers and bandleaders. His concert Letters to Mother Africa was selected by NYC Jazz Record as Best Concerts in 2016. In 2015, Mr. Villafranca was among the five pianists hand-picked by Chick Corea to perform at the first Chick Corea Jazz Festival, curated by Chick himself at JALC. Elio Villafranca’s album Caribbean Tinge (Motema), received a 2014 Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik Nomination by the German Records Critics Award, as well was selected by JazzTimes and DownBeat magazines for a feature on their very competitive section Editor’s Pick. He also received a 2010 Grammy Nomination in the Best Latin Jazz Album of the Year category. In 2008 The Jazz Corner nominated Elio Villafranca as pianist of the year. That year, Mr. Villafranca was also honored by BMI with the BMI Jazz Guaranty Award and received the first NFA/Heineken Green Ribbon Master Artist Music Grant for the creation of his Concerto for Mariachi, for Afro-Cuban Percussion and Symphony Orchestra. Finally, his first album, Incantations/ Encantaciones, featuring Pat Martino, Terell Stafford, and Dafnis Prieto was ranked amongst the 50 best jazz albums of the year by JazzTimes magazine in 2003.
Over the years Elio Villafranca has recorded and performed nationally and internationally as a leader, featuring jazz master artists such as Pat Martino, Terell Stafford, Billy Hart, Paquito D’Rivera, Eric Alexander, and Lewis Nash, David Murray, and Wynton Marsalis among other. As a sideman Elio Villafranca has collaborated with leading jazz and Latin jazz artists including: Chick Corea, Jon Faddis, Billy Harper, Sonny Fortune, Giovanni Hidalgo, Miguel Zenón, and Johnny Pacheco among others.
In the true spirit of the Roaring Twenties, radically queer jazz song interpreter, Richard Cortez, spent the pandemic setting the underground music scene ablaze with his provocative and high-energy horn driven shows. Cortez, known for his ambition and extensive knowledge of The Great American Songbook, currently performs five weekly residencies with his band that features some of New York City’s most celebrated jazz musicians. Richard breathes exciting new life into this beloved timeless material, forever reminding us that as we progress as a society- so do our stories told within these sacred songs.
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.
Mark Whitfield graduated from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, the world’s foremost institution for the study of Jazz and modern American music in the spring of 1987. Shortly thereafter, he returned to his to his native New York to embark on a career as a Jazz Guitarist that afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with legendary artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Carmen McRae, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Shirley Horn, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Joe Williams, Stanley Turrentine and his greatest teacher and mentor George Benson.
In 1990 The New York Times dubbed Whitfield “The Best Young Guitarist in the Business”. Later that year, Warner Bros. released his debut album The Marksman. The success of his debut release led to a recording career that has produced a total of 14 solo recordings and a myriad of collaborative efforts with some of the most important artists in recent years; Sting, Steven Tyler, D’Angelo, Mary J. Blige, John Mayer, Chaka Khan, Jill Scott, Diana Krall, Christian McBride, Chris Botti, Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton.
Grant Stewart was born in Toronto, Canada, on June 4, 1971, and moved to New York City at the age of 19 studying with masters such as Donald Byrd and Barry Harris. He has performed internationally with Jimmy Cobb, Harold Mabern, Louis Hayes, Curtis Fuller, Renee Fleming, Clark Terry, Bob Mover, Etta Jones, Bill Charlap, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Brad Mehldau, Russell Malone, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Harry Connick, Mickey Roker, Jimmy Lovelace, Cecil Payne, Dick Hymen, Herb Geller and was a member of the last Al Grey Sextet.
In New York, Stewart can be found playing at such clubs as Smalls, Lincoln Center, Birdland, SMOKE, The Kitano, The Jazz Standard, The Django, and many more. Stewart has performed all over North America and Europe as well as in Japan, Brazil, and Taiwan. He was also one of the first jazz artists to be invited to play at the historical Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. In addition Grant was a featured artist at the Guggenheim Museums’ Jazz series with his trio including drum legend Jimmy Cobb.
Stewart has released 16 recordings as a leader, the highlights of which are his most recent release Grant Stewart Trio on Cellar Live Records and his award winning Live At Smalls (2012), released on Smalls Live Records, In the Still of the Night (2007), Young at Heart (2008), Grant Stewart Plays the Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn (2009) and Around The Corner (2010). He also has co-led two sessions with fellow tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander on the Criss Cross label and has appeared on many other recordings as a sideman.
From 2008 until 2015, Stewart has been voted a “rising star on the tenor” in the Downbeat Critic’s Poll. On the international front Stewart was named one of the top three tenor saxophonists and as #7 jazz artist of the year by the noted jazz magazine Swing Journal in its 2009 poll.
Vanisha Gould came to New York in 2015 from Simi Valley, California. Inspired by artists like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Joni Mitchell, Carmen McRae and Ella Fitzgerald- she has successfully curated her own sound as a composer and band leader. Performing originals and music from the Great American Songbook on several groundbreaking stages both in New York and overseas, she aspires to continue sharing her voice with audiences in New York and beyond.
Lucy Yeghiazaryan has established herself as a leading voice in the world of straight-ahead vocal jazz in and outside of New York City. She tours domestically and internationally and is a recipient of grants from the Doris Duke Foundation, Chamber Music and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She has shared the stage with Grant Stewart, Harold Mabern, Houston Person, Bernadette Peters, Rodney Whitaker, Arto Tuncboyaijian, Steve Williams and many more. She was a top 10 finalist in the 2015 Thelonious Monk Competition and holds a degree in World History in addition to being a skilled classical violinist.
“The Russian born alto saxophonist has made quite a name for himself since immigrating to New York from his St. Petersburg birthplace nearly 20 years ago. Now a charter member of the world jazz community, Baevsky has proven himself to be a formidable force to be reckoned with, confirming his prodigious abilities in countless appearances with some of the music’s greatest artists. From his very first recording with NEA Jazz Masters Cedar Walton and Jimmy Cobb the altoist has shown himself to be an important new voice on his instrument. Possessing a robust sound, acute harmonic mind and keen sense of rhythm, the young horn man puts it all together in a manner that is appealing in its lyricism, yet intriguing in its originality."
Saxophonist Craig Handy began his career performing with jazz masters such as Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Abdullah Ibrahim, and the Mingus Dynasty Band. By his late 20s, Handy was already known for his technical mastery and prodigious post-bop talent, as well as the versatility demonstrated by performing with vocalists like Betty Carter and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Handy has since toured and performed with numerous jazz masters, including Herbie Hancock, Cedar Walton, Wynton Marsalis, and The Cookers. Handy now leads a new project entitled Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith, drawing on New Orleans music and the groove-filled re-imaginings of originals and standards by the late, great organist Jimmy Smith.
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 explosive Los Habaneros are a force to behold on stage. Mixing musical styles from their home in Cuba with the diversity of sounds they encountered when they made New York City their home, Los Habaneros transcend traditional musical genres to create a real fusion that provokes fans into hip-shaking abandon. The band is comprised of a young generation of Havana-trained musicians, including director and singer Gerardo Contino, artistic director and pianist Axel Tosca Laugart, and percussionist Yusnier Sanchez Bustamante.
The band's first album, Somos Latinos (2013), was released to very high critical acclaim. It was produced by Latin Grammy-nominated Luisito Quintero, and included five-time Grammy-award winning bassist John Benitez. Los Habaneros have toured in Peru, Canada, Qatar, and all throughout the United States. They have played at the Kennedy Center for the Arts as official performers for TEDMED, the American Folk Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music, BB King Blues Club, Subrosa, BAMCafe, The Green Space, Sounds of Brazil (SOBs), Le Poisson Rouge, The Bronx Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, Live at the Gantries, Roulette, Gonzalez y Gonzalez, Taj, and many others.
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.
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.
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.
Lee Taylor is a singer/songwriter based in New York City. Writing and performing in a wholly unique style, Lee dazzles audiences with her blues, jazz, pop and gospel. Her voice has been described as “distinctive” by legendary bassist Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones, Miles Davis), “uncommon” by The Memphis Commercial Appeal, and as “a voice to cut diamonds” by The Canberra Times.
Liam Sutcliffe is a trumpet player from New Jersey. He performs regularly as a freelance musician in the Philadelphia/New York metro area. In 2019, he was selected to be a part of the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In 2020, he won the United States Army Blues solo competition. He is about to complete his undergraduate studies at Rutgers University in the spring of 2022.
Jennifer Jade Ledesna, a native Bronx polyglot, is an alumna of the New School Jazz Conservatory & the “Famed” LaGuardia Arts. A Montreux Jazz Voice Competition Finalist, Equity actress, & “Betty Carter Jazz Ahead" composer, Ms. Jade often performs at “Aux Trois Mailletz" in Paris. She's sung at Carnegie Hall w Bobby McFerrin in “INSTANT OPERA!”, in the World Premiere Tour of “CHAPEL/CHAPTER” w the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Co. She's graced the stages of the CHORUS Jazz Club in Lausanne, Norway's International “Silda Jazz Fest” w her group “RAJAFRO", Saint Croix's “Take Five” fest, Santiago de Chile's “Teatro Municipal de Las Condes", & Austria's PORGY & BESS. She's also shared the stage with Elew, Dave Valentin, Wycliffe Gordon, Junior Mance, Benny Powell, Candido Camero, & Wynton Marsalis, among others. Jenn Jade recently starred as “Tinima” in HATUEY: MEMORY OF FIRE! at BAM in NYC.
As a freelance trumpet player, Magnarelli has played engagements in New York and around the world with Aretha Franklin, Rosemary Clooney, Joe Williams, Freddy Cole, Mel Torme, Johnny Mathis, John Pizzarelli, Jane Monheit, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, George Grunz’s European Orchestra, the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the Smalls Jazz All-Stars, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, Chico O'Farrill, Jimmy Cobb's Mob, and Louis Hayes’s Cannonball Legacy Band. Mags has also performed such jazz and pop luminaries as Dr. John, Leon Russell, Liberace, the Manhattan Transfer, Freddie Hubbard, Art Farmer, Jimmy Heath, Al Jarreau, Jerry Bergonzi, Louie Bellson, Paquito D'Rivera, and Thiago Dimello.
Nick Hempton is an alto and tenor saxophonist producing new music in the modern/mainstream tradition. Calling New York home since 2004, he headlines clubs throughout the city, as well as concert halls and festivals around the world. Influenced by the greats of the instrument– Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Cannonball Adderley– and informed by a youth misspent playing Rhythm & Blues and Ska in his native Australia, Hempton's jazz is original, approachable, and always swinging.
The Charles Mingus Orchestra began alternating performances with its older sibling, the Mingus Big Band, during a 14-year tenure at New York's Fez Under Time Cafe. In March and April of 2005, the Mingus Orchestra performed across the street from Fez for a series of extraordinary late-night performances at Joe's Pub. More recently, Mingus Mondays celebration ran at Jazz Standard for nearly 12 years rotating the Orchestra, the Dynasty, and the Big Band, becoming a local culture institution halted only by the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. Now the Charles Mingus Orchestra marks its triumphant return to the live stage.
Assembled in 1999 by Sue Mingus, the 10-piece Mingus Orchestra plays with the intensity of Mingus Big Band, with a focus on composition and exploration of Mingus’ more diverse works. Its distinctive sound and textures emerge from an expanded repertory and more exotic instrumentation including bassoon, bass clarinet, French horn, and guitar ?— instruments not heard in the Big Band, and mostly non- traditional to jazz and modern improvisational music. The other six instruments are chaired by musicians that also perform in Mingus Big Band, and include drums, bass, trombone, trumpet, alto and tenor saxophone, with additional doublings on flute, soprano and clarinet.
Since 2007, Mr. Abadie has been leading his own jazz quintet. And with his quintet he has played all of the major venues in New York and the tri-state area. Mr. Abadie started wearing the hat of producer in 2013, when he was asked by legendary bassist Andy Gonzalez to be part of Mister Gonzalez’s album entitled Entre Colegas. Entre Colegas was nominated for a Grammy in 2016, Mr. Abadie was also a featured soloist on this album.
Carlos Abadie is a constant musical presence and is revered by his colleagues on the New York jazz scene. Mr. Abadie continues to be a source inspiration to the musical community in NYC and to younger musicians just coming on to the scene.
Pianist and vocalist Johnny O’Neal, whose credits include Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson and Milt Jackson has established a popular destination spot for jazz musicians and fans alike. “O’Neal is an extremely moving musician whose blend of styles (blues, gospel, stride) can take your breath away”. (Justin Time Record) This late-night institution often concludes with a vocal jam led by the unmistakable scatting of O’Neal and includes an array of talented jazz vocalists.
C. Anthony Bryant is emerging as one of the most versatile, powerful, and technically sound voices of our day. A highly sought-after vocalist, instructor, composer, choral conductor and coach, Bryant has performed in houses of worship, clubs, and concert halls, both in the United States and abroad. A resident of Harlem/New York City, Bryant began singing with his family and in church at the age of two in his hometown of Washington, DC. This small beginning has given way to an increasingly stellar career in music that continues to grow not just vocally, but in the areas of composition, conducting, pedagogy, and music program management. Bryant, a self-avowed “church boy”, is a performer of all genres from classical to jazz, from gospel to pop. Following his appearance in BET’s stirring documentary, “Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church”, Bryant began his work in activism and LGBTQ rights.
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.
New York City-based saxophonist and flutist Ian Hendrickson-Smith is mostly noted for his remarkable tone, soulful approach and blues-driven melodies. Equally adept on all the saxophones, Ian stays very busy doing what he loves and loves staying busy! 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 twelve jazz records as a leader. His most recent, The Lowdown (Cellar Music 2020) is currently charting at #18 on the national jazz charts.
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
$20 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.
June 2022 Schedule
6/01 | John Dokes
7:30pmVocalist John Dokes has stepped into the spotlight using his wryly smooth baritone to delight audiences weekly at jazz clubs throughout New York City. Singing a mixture of blues, ballads and jazz standards his unmistakable swinging delivery is entirely his own while harkening back to greats like Nat King Cole and Joe Williams.
6/01 | Emily Braden
10:30pmBig, bad beauty from Boise, Idaho, Emily Braden covers a lot of ground. Whether she’s fronting an orchestra or leading a world-class trio in the heart of Manhattan, Braden has the innate ability to win the heart of any audience with her powerhouse vocals and striking stage presence. Winner of New York City’s prestigious “Best of the Best" Jazzmobile Vocal Competition, Braden’s signature sound is an effortless blend of jazz and soul. She is currently completing her sophomore release “Cannon & Sparrow." Her debut album Soul Walk is composed of high-energy originals, bilingual improvisations (Braden is fluent in Spanish and received her Masters degree in Latin American Studies) and “flipped-out" jazz standards. Producer Misha Piatigorsky says, “As a singer, Emily has no boundaries. She gives me goosebumps.” Before the COVID-19 global pandemic, Braden toured regularly and could be seen every first Friday at NYC’s famed 55 Bar. She has performed at NYC's Blue Note Jazz Club, Birdland Jazz Club and Minton’s Playhouse as well as on international festival circuits. She has been a featured vocalist with Postmodern Jukebox and is the front woman for NYC's Sketchy Orkestra.
6/02 Ken Fowser Quintet featuring Jeremy Pelt
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.
6/02 | 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.
6/03 | Dave Stryker Quartet
7:30pmWhether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group (with 30 CDs as a leader to date), or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” Hot House magazine awarded him Best Guitarist Fans Decision for 2017. He was recently voted once again as one of the top Jazz Guitarists in the 2019 Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls for the 10th time.
6/03 | Marianne Solivan
10:30pm Vocalist Marianne Solivan has been one of the leading jazz vocalists in the New York jazz community for the past 10 years. As an energetic powerhouse vocalist Solivan brings passion and nuance to every performance. Consistently surrounded by a who's who of great musicians she has built a reputation of presenting unique repertoire in a personal way. With two critically acclaimed discs under her name and numerous guest performances on others she has been able to tour worldwide for numerous years including France, Italy, Czech Republic, Japan, Lebanon & Russia amongst them.6/04 | Saul Rubin Quartet
7:30pm A mainstay on the New York jazz scene, Saul Rubin graduated from the Hartt School of Music, where he majored in composition and studied jazz with the legendary saxophonist Jackie McLean and saxophonist/arranger Paul Jeffrey, before moving back home to New York. Since then his soulful and virtuosic playing has been heard alongside some of the world's greatest jazz musicians, including Sonny Rollins (touring Europe and the US), Roy Hargrove (he arranged for the Roy Hargrove Big Band album Emergence (Verve, 2009), and has toured extensively with them throughout Europe, Canada, Japan and the US), Renee Fleming, John Hicks, Victor Lewis, Bob Cranshaw, Sammy Figueroa, Johnny O'Neal, Hank Jones, Frank Wess, Cameron Brown, Candido, Winard Harper, Larry Willis, Sue Terry, Essiet Essiet, Willie Jones III, Eric Revis, James Hurt, Gerald Cannon, Sherman Irby, Lew Soloff, Jonathan Batiste, Roberta Gambarini, and many more.“Saul is a consummate musician, a person who is aware of the feelings of others and a person who is gentle in that sense. He is everything I could ask for in a band mate.” —Sonny Rollins
“Saul has it all together and is a positive force in the world of the guitar. He plays hip melodies, which he’s totally in touch with when improvising. His harmonies, both with his impeccable comping and chord soloing, employ refreshing voicings, and certainly keep the listener involved." —Gene Bertoncini
6/04 | Joe Farnsworth
10:30pm One of the most highly regarded jazz drummers on the scene today, Joe is known for his blazing speed, precision, musical, and melodic playing. Upon moving to New York City, he led the weekend jazz combos at Augie’s (now Smoke Jazz & Supper Club). He performed with Junior Cook, Cecil Payne, John Ore, Big John Patton, Harold Mabern, Eddie Henderson, John Jenkins and his brothers, John and James. Joseph’s career includes recording over 100 CDs as leader and side-man, jazz festivals and world tours with Pharaoh Sanders, Horace Silver, Harold Mabern, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, Diana Krall, Benny Golson, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin, Lou Donaldson, Benny Green, Harold Mabern, Barry Harris, Curtis Fuller to name a few.6/06 | Mingus Big Band
7:30 + 9:30pm 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.6/07 | The Mini Q’s featuring Luke O’Reilly
7:30pmThe Mini Q’s have been a staple on the Philadelphia scene since keyboardist Luke Carlos O’Reilly and guitarist Ben O’Neill joined forces to create the hard-hitting organ trio in 2004. Pulling from a wide range of influences, The Qs meld the rich and flavorful jazz tradition of Jimmy Smith, Don Patterson, Pat Martino and Grant Green with the hip hop and soul sensibilities of J Dilla, Jill Scott, TSOP and an ever-expanding repertoire of spirituals and hymns. For three and a half years, The Mini Qs ran a legendary Monday night jam session that served as a gathering place and proving ground for many of the city’s finest musicians. Their debut record, Monday Night Jump, came out of that celebrated time. Since then, they have performed at the Kimmel Center, South Jazz Kitchen, Django and other venues in and around Philadelphia and New York City. The Mini Q’s Ride Again, the long-awaited follow up, is in every way the product of years of maturation, musical marination and growth. In five tracks, funky, fluid, swinging and savory, the trio covers ground as diverse as the American songbook, traditional gospel, and deep, “Blue Note” style groove. It’s taken some time, but The Mini Q’s are in peak form.
6/07 | Claffy Electric Birthday Bash and Dance Party
10:30pmAlexander Claffy moved to New York in 2011. Since then 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.
6/08 | Lady Bri and the Time to Swing Trio
7:30pmBriana Swann Christie is a native of San Jose, California where she grew up singing in church and putting on shows with her three sisters. Knowing the arts is where her heart is happiest, she arrived in New York City in 2008, with a similar dream to many others that came before her. Over the years, she's immersed herself in the arts, having written and published an animated relationship book titled, The Circle and The Line. Balancing a full life, with a family and career, Briana has figured out there's always room to honor yourself and make your dreams come to fruition. Paying tribute and honoring the legends that are walking this earth, and the ones who have passed on, Briana has chosen to sing songs that resonate deep within her spirit.
6/08 | Danny Jonokuchi & The Revisionists Together Again
cd release 10:30pmDanny Jonokuchi and The Revisionists have quickly become one of New York City's premier swing bands. This summer begins with headlining the opening night of Lincoln Center’s Summer in the City Festival followed by a CD release concert at The Django celebrating Together Again album. A favorite in the Lindy Hop dance community, their “smile-inducing” (DownBeat) sound is fueled by trumpeter/arranger Danny Jonokuchi and vocalist Alexa Barchini. In 2020, they won the inaugural Count Basie Great American Swing Contest in a unanimous vote for their virtual performance of “One O’Clock Jump”. The band’s debut album, Let Me Off Uptown, was released in 2019.
6/09 | Ken Fowser Quintet featuring Jeremy Pelt
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.
6/09 | Steve Davis Quartet featuring Abena Koomson-Davis
10:30pmWidely regarded as one of today’s leading voices on the trombone, Steve Davis’s lyrical, hard-swinging style first gained him broad recognition. Born in Worcester, MA, in 1967, Davis was raised in Binghamton, NY, and graduated in 1989 from Hartt School’s Jackie McLean Institute. It was with McLean’s guidance and recommendation that Davis landed his ?rst major performance with Art Blakey in NYC. In ‘98 Steve winning the TDWR (Rising Star) Trombone Category and later named consecutively as Trombonist of the Year by The JJA – (2010-2013). Widely regarded as one of today’s leading voices on the trombone. His lyrical, hard-swinging style ?rst gained him broad recognition. Steve has released 20 albums including: Think Ahead (2017), Say When(2015), For Real & Gettin’ It Done (2014) featuring his longtime musical colleagues Larry Willis and Nat Reeves along with drummer Billy Williams, saxophonists Abraham Burton (For Real), Mike DiRubbo and trumpeter Josh Bruneau (Gettin’ It Done), in addition to over 100 recordings with names including: Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Hank Jones. In 2018 his original composition “Optimism” was included in Christian McBride’s Grammy Award winning album “Bringin’ it”. Steve Davis’s latest release with his sextet “Correlations” (label: Smoke Sessions Records) Steve features Joshua Bruneau, trumpet; Wayne Esco?ery, tenor saxophone; Xavier Davis, piano; Dexron Dougles, bass; Johnathan Barber, drums; Caro Baptista, percussion on “Batista Revenge”.
6/10 | Jon Beshay
7:30pmJonathan Beshay-jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer-says that there's no other agenda when his group takes the bandstand. Fortunately for audiences, Beshay likes to hear good music. After many years of performing and listening, the result is an adaptable, energetic, fearlessly hard-swinging sound that pulls from a vast body of musical sources. Beshay has no trouble moving from the street- band wailing of traditional jazz to the intricate post-bop melodies of a Joe Henderson tune. It's all fair game, “. . . as long as it sounds good!” In addition to his own musical projects, Beshay has also served as musical director for both Winard Harper and his brother Philip Harper through tours at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, and the Omani Royal Opera House. He also spent time in New Orleans with Delfayo Marsalis, and has performed with many other masters including Anthony Wonsey, Frank Lacy and Rodney Whitaker.
6/10 | Charles Turner & Uptown Swing
10:30pmCharles Turner is a multi-faceted, Brooklyn-based composer and vocalist whose work transcends borders and styles from Jazz, R&B to Soul. Turner has held residencies, hosted, and performed at venues such as Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Smoke Jazz club and the historic Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem. International performances include, Pizza Express, in London, Sunside Sunset in Paris, Sala Claomores in Madrid, and more venues abroad from Seoul, South Korea, to Wellington, New Zealand.
6/11 | Yotam Silberstein Trio featuring Brian Charette & Ari Hoenig
7:30pmAs 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.”
6/11 | Lezlie Harrison
10:30pmLezlie Harrison is her own personal renaissance. Her constant state of evolution and growth brings with it, gifts for those paying attention. As a vocalist both bold and subtle, her vulnerability attends to the fragile matters of our collective human affairs while her optimistic momentum inspires us to rise above any tribulation to rejoice. Be it jazz, blues, gospel, soul, The American Song Form, original compositions, or any song in ANY form, Ms. Harrison will imbue it with her distinctive stamp and make a very personal delivery. On the planet's premier jazz radio station; WBGO, her voice as a regular curator and presenter reveals the love and pride with which she regards America's classical music. Hyper-active on the New York and global jazz scenes, Lezlie is also, along with the late Dale Fitzgerald and trumpeter Roy Hargrove, a member of the triumvirate responsible for launching New York's world-renowned JAZZ GALLERY. On occasion Lezlie lends her regal presence to the stage as an actress, bringing to those endeavors, the same sense of organic elegance that she brought to the runways and photo studios of Paris some years ago. By way of her childhood in New York and North Carolina or her maturation in New York, Boston or on stages throughout Asia, Russia, Europe, and elsewhere, Ms. Lezlie Harrison shows aesthetic evidence that she is a recipient of the lessons of dignity, integrity, and grace bestowed upon her by her elders and fine-tuned by her own history.
6/13 | Mingus Mondays: Mingus Dynasty
7:30 + 9:30pmThe weekly Mingus Mondays series continues with the rare appearance of the Mingus Dynasty. The nimble and expert seven-piece Mingus Dynasty was the first band Sue Mingus organized after Charles Mingus’ death in 1979, collaborating with his own sidemen to honor the life and work of the bassist and composer. Although big bands like the Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey bands had continued to perform after their leader passed on, a similar legacy never existed for smaller ensembles. Because Mingus always said he was first and foremost a composer, and because he left behind over 300 compositions that deserved to be played, a band carrying on his music became a natural, if unanticipated, mission. The first Dynasty bands were expected to include only musicians who had actually performed with Mingus—except for the bassist of course. Today, four decades later, the rich legacy of Mingus music ignites the bandstand while new generations of musicians add their individual voices and continue to celebrate and explore this rich and varied musical legacy.
6/14 | Martes Latinos
The Django brings back its popular Tuesday Latin jazz concert series each month.7:30pm | Elio Villafranca Quartet
Born in the Pinar del Río province of Cuba, Steinway Artist, Grammy Nominated, and 2014 JALC Millennium Swing Award! recipient pianist and composer Elio Villafranca was classically trained in percussion and composition at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, Cuba.Since his arrival in the U.S. in mid-1995, Elio Villafranca is at the forefront of the latest generation of remarkable pianists, composers and bandleaders. His concert Letters to Mother Africa was selected by NYC Jazz Record as Best Concerts in 2016. In 2015, Mr. Villafranca was among the five pianists hand-picked by Chick Corea to perform at the first Chick Corea Jazz Festival, curated by Chick himself at JALC. Elio Villafranca’s album Caribbean Tinge (Motema), received a 2014 Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik Nomination by the German Records Critics Award, as well was selected by JazzTimes and DownBeat magazines for a feature on their very competitive section Editor’s Pick. He also received a 2010 Grammy Nomination in the Best Latin Jazz Album of the Year category. In 2008 The Jazz Corner nominated Elio Villafranca as pianist of the year. That year, Mr. Villafranca was also honored by BMI with the BMI Jazz Guaranty Award and received the first NFA/Heineken Green Ribbon Master Artist Music Grant for the creation of his Concerto for Mariachi, for Afro-Cuban Percussion and Symphony Orchestra. Finally, his first album, Incantations/ Encantaciones, featuring Pat Martino, Terell Stafford, and Dafnis Prieto was ranked amongst the 50 best jazz albums of the year by JazzTimes magazine in 2003.
Over the years Elio Villafranca has recorded and performed nationally and internationally as a leader, featuring jazz master artists such as Pat Martino, Terell Stafford, Billy Hart, Paquito D’Rivera, Eric Alexander, and Lewis Nash, David Murray, and Wynton Marsalis among other. As a sideman Elio Villafranca has collaborated with leading jazz and Latin jazz artists including: Chick Corea, Jon Faddis, Billy Harper, Sonny Fortune, Giovanni Hidalgo, Miguel Zenón, and Johnny Pacheco among others.
10:30pm | Lulada Club
Vocalist and bandleader Andrea Chavarro has curated a collective of vibrant New York based musicians, each brilliant and accomplished in her own right. Inspired by her heritage of Cali Colombia-the world capital of salsa- and on a mission to fill the gap in female ensembles in NYC, she founded Lulada Club. This powerhouse band interprets vintage tropical salsa, mixing the classics and the deep cuts from across Latin America and the diaspora. These women bring excitement and charm to the stage, and their contagious energy will keep crowds dancing all night long! What is a Lulada? Lulo is a tangy and delicious sub-tropical fruit native to Colombia. Una Lulada is a refreshing drink that you can only find in Cali, Colombia, and is an emblem of La capital de la salsa!6/15 | Richard Cortez
10:30pmIn the true spirit of the Roaring Twenties, radically queer jazz song interpreter, Richard Cortez, spent the pandemic setting the underground music scene ablaze with his provocative and high-energy horn driven shows. Cortez, known for his ambition and extensive knowledge of The Great American Songbook, currently performs five weekly residencies with his band that features some of New York City’s most celebrated jazz musicians. Richard breathes exciting new life into this beloved timeless material, forever reminding us that as we progress as a society- so do our stories told within these sacred songs.
6/16 | Ken Fowser Quintet featuring Jeremy Pelt
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.
6/16 | Mark Whitfield
10:30pmMark Whitfield graduated from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, the world’s foremost institution for the study of Jazz and modern American music in the spring of 1987. Shortly thereafter, he returned to his to his native New York to embark on a career as a Jazz Guitarist that afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with legendary artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Carmen McRae, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Shirley Horn, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Joe Williams, Stanley Turrentine and his greatest teacher and mentor George Benson.
In 1990 The New York Times dubbed Whitfield “The Best Young Guitarist in the Business”. Later that year, Warner Bros. released his debut album The Marksman. The success of his debut release led to a recording career that has produced a total of 14 solo recordings and a myriad of collaborative efforts with some of the most important artists in recent years; Sting, Steven Tyler, D’Angelo, Mary J. Blige, John Mayer, Chaka Khan, Jill Scott, Diana Krall, Christian McBride, Chris Botti, Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton.
6/17 | Grant Stewart The Lighting of the Lamps cd release
7:30pmGrant Stewart was born in Toronto, Canada, on June 4, 1971, and moved to New York City at the age of 19 studying with masters such as Donald Byrd and Barry Harris. He has performed internationally with Jimmy Cobb, Harold Mabern, Louis Hayes, Curtis Fuller, Renee Fleming, Clark Terry, Bob Mover, Etta Jones, Bill Charlap, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Brad Mehldau, Russell Malone, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Harry Connick, Mickey Roker, Jimmy Lovelace, Cecil Payne, Dick Hymen, Herb Geller and was a member of the last Al Grey Sextet.
In New York, Stewart can be found playing at such clubs as Smalls, Lincoln Center, Birdland, SMOKE, The Kitano, The Jazz Standard, The Django, and many more. Stewart has performed all over North America and Europe as well as in Japan, Brazil, and Taiwan. He was also one of the first jazz artists to be invited to play at the historical Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. In addition Grant was a featured artist at the Guggenheim Museums’ Jazz series with his trio including drum legend Jimmy Cobb.
Stewart has released 16 recordings as a leader, the highlights of which are his most recent release Grant Stewart Trio on Cellar Live Records and his award winning Live At Smalls (2012), released on Smalls Live Records, In the Still of the Night (2007), Young at Heart (2008), Grant Stewart Plays the Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn (2009) and Around The Corner (2010). He also has co-led two sessions with fellow tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander on the Criss Cross label and has appeared on many other recordings as a sideman.
From 2008 until 2015, Stewart has been voted a “rising star on the tenor” in the Downbeat Critic’s Poll. On the international front Stewart was named one of the top three tenor saxophonists and as #7 jazz artist of the year by the noted jazz magazine Swing Journal in its 2009 poll.
6/17 | Vanisha Gould and Lucy Yeghiazaryan Together Again
10:30pmVanisha Gould came to New York in 2015 from Simi Valley, California. Inspired by artists like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Joni Mitchell, Carmen McRae and Ella Fitzgerald- she has successfully curated her own sound as a composer and band leader. Performing originals and music from the Great American Songbook on several groundbreaking stages both in New York and overseas, she aspires to continue sharing her voice with audiences in New York and beyond.
Lucy Yeghiazaryan has established herself as a leading voice in the world of straight-ahead vocal jazz in and outside of New York City. She tours domestically and internationally and is a recipient of grants from the Doris Duke Foundation, Chamber Music and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She has shared the stage with Grant Stewart, Harold Mabern, Houston Person, Bernadette Peters, Rodney Whitaker, Arto Tuncboyaijian, Steve Williams and many more. She was a top 10 finalist in the 2015 Thelonious Monk Competition and holds a degree in World History in addition to being a skilled classical violinist.
6/18 | Dmitry Baevsky Quartet
7:30pm“The Russian born alto saxophonist has made quite a name for himself since immigrating to New York from his St. Petersburg birthplace nearly 20 years ago. Now a charter member of the world jazz community, Baevsky has proven himself to be a formidable force to be reckoned with, confirming his prodigious abilities in countless appearances with some of the music’s greatest artists. From his very first recording with NEA Jazz Masters Cedar Walton and Jimmy Cobb the altoist has shown himself to be an important new voice on his instrument. Possessing a robust sound, acute harmonic mind and keen sense of rhythm, the young horn man puts it all together in a manner that is appealing in its lyricism, yet intriguing in its originality."
6/18 | Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith
10:30pmSaxophonist Craig Handy began his career performing with jazz masters such as Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Abdullah Ibrahim, and the Mingus Dynasty Band. By his late 20s, Handy was already known for his technical mastery and prodigious post-bop talent, as well as the versatility demonstrated by performing with vocalists like Betty Carter and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Handy has since toured and performed with numerous jazz masters, including Herbie Hancock, Cedar Walton, Wynton Marsalis, and The Cookers. Handy now leads a new project entitled Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith, drawing on New Orleans music and the groove-filled re-imaginings of originals and standards by the late, great organist Jimmy Smith.
6/20 | 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.
6/21 | Martes Latinos
The Django brings back its popular Tuesday Latin jazz concert series each month.7:30pm | “Juerga Flamenca” featuring Cristian Puig
Cristian Puig was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Son of Gloria Monreal, Flamenco singer and Pablo Puig, Flamenco guitarist. When he was 19 years old, Cristian began his studies in classical guitar at the conservatory of Manuel de Falla as well as flamenco guitar with his father. Soon he took classes in flamenco guitar with Quique de Cordoba and furthered his studies in jazz, bosa nova and contemporary music with various teachers. He has been self-taught ever since, using his musical influences and inspirations as his guide. His strongest inspirations include his parents Gloria and Pablo, Paco de Lucia, Juan M. Canizares, Sabicas, Gerardo Nú?ez, Astor Piazzola, Dino Saluzzi, C.F. Gomez, Egberto Gismonti, Hermeto Pascual, Chick Corea, John Mclaughlin and John Coltrane. From 1985 to 2000 Cristian has been integrated into various groups and flamenco companies performing in various tablaos, restaurants, cultural centers and theaters. In 1990 he formed the flamenco fusion group Rabat. Rabat appeared in various theaters and venues in Argentina and later went on to travel to various countries in South America including Uruguay, Brazil and Chile. Looking to fuse jazz and bossa nova with flamenco, Cristian integrated instruments such as the piano, electric guitar and saxophone, experimenting with his original compositions. In 1993 Gloria Monreal joined Rabat as a flamenco singer and Cristian worked and learned from her for the following 12 years. Gloria has shared the stage with several artists including Los Pericet, Orlando Romero, Maria Amaya, Antonio Maya, La China, Mario Escudero, Esteban de Sanlucar, Salinas, El Morito and Pepe Alonso. In 1996 Cristian joined Chango Farias Gomez and worked throughout Argentina for 3 years. Cristian can be heard on Chango Farías Gomez y la Manija CD, recorded in the Astral Theater in 1995. Cristian dissolved the group Rabat in 1997 to dedicate himself to work as a soloist but still collaborating with other local and foreign musicians, fusing bossa nova, jazz and Argentine tango. In 2000 Cristian was asked to travel to New York to make his debut at Alegrias tablao. Since then Cristian has been working and composing music for local and foreign artists and companies.10:30pm | Gerardo Contino and Los Habaneros
The explosive Los Habaneros are a force to behold on stage. Mixing musical styles from their home in Cuba with the diversity of sounds they encountered when they made New York City their home, Los Habaneros transcend traditional musical genres to create a real fusion that provokes fans into hip-shaking abandon. The band is comprised of a young generation of Havana-trained musicians, including director and singer Gerardo Contino, artistic director and pianist Axel Tosca Laugart, and percussionist Yusnier Sanchez Bustamante.
The band's first album, Somos Latinos (2013), was released to very high critical acclaim. It was produced by Latin Grammy-nominated Luisito Quintero, and included five-time Grammy-award winning bassist John Benitez. Los Habaneros have toured in Peru, Canada, Qatar, and all throughout the United States. They have played at the Kennedy Center for the Arts as official performers for TEDMED, the American Folk Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music, BB King Blues Club, Subrosa, BAMCafe, The Green Space, Sounds of Brazil (SOBs), Le Poisson Rouge, The Bronx Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, Live at the Gantries, Roulette, Gonzalez y Gonzalez, Taj, and many others.
6/22 | Champian Fulton Trio
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.
6/22 | 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.
6/23 | Ken Fowser Quintet featuring Jeremy Pelt
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.
6/23 | Lee Taylor
10:30pmLee Taylor is a singer/songwriter based in New York City. Writing and performing in a wholly unique style, Lee dazzles audiences with her blues, jazz, pop and gospel. Her voice has been described as “distinctive” by legendary bassist Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones, Miles Davis), “uncommon” by The Memphis Commercial Appeal, and as “a voice to cut diamonds” by The Canberra Times.
6/24 | Liam Sutcliffe Quartet featuring Byron Landham
7:30pmLiam Sutcliffe is a trumpet player from New Jersey. He performs regularly as a freelance musician in the Philadelphia/New York metro area. In 2019, he was selected to be a part of the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In 2020, he won the United States Army Blues solo competition. He is about to complete his undergraduate studies at Rutgers University in the spring of 2022.
6/24 | Jenn Jade 5tet “Bronx Passport”
10:30pmJennifer Jade Ledesna, a native Bronx polyglot, is an alumna of the New School Jazz Conservatory & the “Famed” LaGuardia Arts. A Montreux Jazz Voice Competition Finalist, Equity actress, & “Betty Carter Jazz Ahead" composer, Ms. Jade often performs at “Aux Trois Mailletz" in Paris. She's sung at Carnegie Hall w Bobby McFerrin in “INSTANT OPERA!”, in the World Premiere Tour of “CHAPEL/CHAPTER” w the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Co. She's graced the stages of the CHORUS Jazz Club in Lausanne, Norway's International “Silda Jazz Fest” w her group “RAJAFRO", Saint Croix's “Take Five” fest, Santiago de Chile's “Teatro Municipal de Las Condes", & Austria's PORGY & BESS. She's also shared the stage with Elew, Dave Valentin, Wycliffe Gordon, Junior Mance, Benny Powell, Candido Camero, & Wynton Marsalis, among others. Jenn Jade recently starred as “Tinima” in HATUEY: MEMORY OF FIRE! at BAM in NYC.
6/25 | Joe Magnarelli Quintet
7:30pmAs a freelance trumpet player, Magnarelli has played engagements in New York and around the world with Aretha Franklin, Rosemary Clooney, Joe Williams, Freddy Cole, Mel Torme, Johnny Mathis, John Pizzarelli, Jane Monheit, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, George Grunz’s European Orchestra, the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the Smalls Jazz All-Stars, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, Chico O'Farrill, Jimmy Cobb's Mob, and Louis Hayes’s Cannonball Legacy Band. Mags has also performed such jazz and pop luminaries as Dr. John, Leon Russell, Liberace, the Manhattan Transfer, Freddie Hubbard, Art Farmer, Jimmy Heath, Al Jarreau, Jerry Bergonzi, Louie Bellson, Paquito D'Rivera, and Thiago Dimello.
6/25 | Nick Hempton
10:30pmNick Hempton is an alto and tenor saxophonist producing new music in the modern/mainstream tradition. Calling New York home since 2004, he headlines clubs throughout the city, as well as concert halls and festivals around the world. Influenced by the greats of the instrument– Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Cannonball Adderley– and informed by a youth misspent playing Rhythm & Blues and Ska in his native Australia, Hempton's jazz is original, approachable, and always swinging.
6/27 | Mingus Mondays: Mingus Orchestra
7:30 + 9:30pmThe Charles Mingus Orchestra began alternating performances with its older sibling, the Mingus Big Band, during a 14-year tenure at New York's Fez Under Time Cafe. In March and April of 2005, the Mingus Orchestra performed across the street from Fez for a series of extraordinary late-night performances at Joe's Pub. More recently, Mingus Mondays celebration ran at Jazz Standard for nearly 12 years rotating the Orchestra, the Dynasty, and the Big Band, becoming a local culture institution halted only by the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. Now the Charles Mingus Orchestra marks its triumphant return to the live stage.
Assembled in 1999 by Sue Mingus, the 10-piece Mingus Orchestra plays with the intensity of Mingus Big Band, with a focus on composition and exploration of Mingus’ more diverse works. Its distinctive sound and textures emerge from an expanded repertory and more exotic instrumentation including bassoon, bass clarinet, French horn, and guitar ?— instruments not heard in the Big Band, and mostly non- traditional to jazz and modern improvisational music. The other six instruments are chaired by musicians that also perform in Mingus Big Band, and include drums, bass, trombone, trumpet, alto and tenor saxophone, with additional doublings on flute, soprano and clarinet.
6/28 | Martes Latinos
The Django brings back its popular Tuesday Latin jazz concert series each month.7:30pm | Carlos Abadie’s “The Latin Jazz Express”
Grammy-nominated producer and trumpeter Carlos Abadie, hails from Miami, Florida, where his first professional musical endeavors were with Melton Mustafa and the great Ira Sullivan. Mr. Abadie decided to move to New York City in 1993 and quickly became entrenched in the New York music scene starting out with Jason Linder's Big Band. Now almost 30 years later, Mr. Abadie has had the distinct honor of playing with Junior Mance, Louis Hayes, Illinois Jacquet, Ocean Pope, Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Ray Santos and his Orchestra, Bobby Sanabria, Andy Gonzalez and many more.Since 2007, Mr. Abadie has been leading his own jazz quintet. And with his quintet he has played all of the major venues in New York and the tri-state area. Mr. Abadie started wearing the hat of producer in 2013, when he was asked by legendary bassist Andy Gonzalez to be part of Mister Gonzalez’s album entitled Entre Colegas. Entre Colegas was nominated for a Grammy in 2016, Mr. Abadie was also a featured soloist on this album.
Carlos Abadie is a constant musical presence and is revered by his colleagues on the New York jazz scene. Mr. Abadie continues to be a source inspiration to the musical community in NYC and to younger musicians just coming on to the scene.
10:30pm | Maria Raquel
Maria Raquel is a Colombian singer based in New York since 2016. She has participated in festivals such as the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival, the Summer Arts Festival, Color Es Festival and the Primavera Fest. She has taken her talent from Colombia to Germany, Israel, Netherlands, and now the United States. Her powerful voice makes her an outstanding ambassador of Latin music in the world.6/29 | Johnny O’Neal
7:30pmPianist and vocalist Johnny O’Neal, whose credits include Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson and Milt Jackson has established a popular destination spot for jazz musicians and fans alike. “O’Neal is an extremely moving musician whose blend of styles (blues, gospel, stride) can take your breath away”. (Justin Time Record) This late-night institution often concludes with a vocal jam led by the unmistakable scatting of O’Neal and includes an array of talented jazz vocalists.
6/29 | C. Anthony Bryant
10:30pmC. Anthony Bryant is emerging as one of the most versatile, powerful, and technically sound voices of our day. A highly sought-after vocalist, instructor, composer, choral conductor and coach, Bryant has performed in houses of worship, clubs, and concert halls, both in the United States and abroad. A resident of Harlem/New York City, Bryant began singing with his family and in church at the age of two in his hometown of Washington, DC. This small beginning has given way to an increasingly stellar career in music that continues to grow not just vocally, but in the areas of composition, conducting, pedagogy, and music program management. Bryant, a self-avowed “church boy”, is a performer of all genres from classical to jazz, from gospel to pop. Following his appearance in BET’s stirring documentary, “Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church”, Bryant began his work in activism and LGBTQ rights.
6/30 | Ken Fowser Quintet Birthday Bash featuring Jeremy Pelt
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.
6/30 | 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. Equally adept on all the saxophones, Ian stays very busy doing what he loves and loves staying busy! 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 twelve jazz records as a leader. His most recent, The Lowdown (Cellar Music 2020) is currently charting at #18 on the national jazz charts.
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
$20 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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