Dida Pelled: I Wish You Would album release at Dizzy's @ JALC
Aug
19
9:00 PM21:00

Dida Pelled: I Wish You Would album release at Dizzy's @ JALC

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Guitarist and singer-songwriter Dida Pelled celebrates the release of her new album, I Wish You Would, with a band featuring Tony Scherr and Kenny Wollesen. Blending blues, jazz, and American roots music, the performance brings Pelled’s deeply personal interpretations to the stage with a quartet of celebrated New York musicians.

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Samuel Torres and Trío Libre at Hamptons Jazz Fest
Aug
15
6:00 PM18:00

Samuel Torres and Trío Libre at Hamptons Jazz Fest

Vibraphonist Dan Neville will appear at the Hamptons Jazz Fest performance.

With Trio Libre, I sought sounds of intimacy over expansion, deliberately focusing on the exposed texture created by Carmen Staaf on Piano, Felipe Fournier on Vibraphone, and myself on Congas. This special combination of instruments brings us into a delicate musical conversation.

The exposed ensemble setting mirrors the emotional landscape of the central suite, We the People, which I conceived during a period of personal uncertainty. The compositions reflect the vulnerability inherent in our times, balanced by the powerful discovery of solidarity and strength found within our communities.

Musically, I wanted to blend the chamber music experience with Afro Latin American rhythmic depth. Incorporating diverse musical influences, from a reimagined Bach piece to an unconventional Bolero, with Trio Libre I aim to challenge Latin Jazz stereotypes by giving the congas and the rest of the ensemble an evolving, non-clichéd role. For me, music is about taking risks and furthering connections within cultural traditions and our communities. I hope you enjoy this album as much as we did while recording it.

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John Ellis and Double Wide at Nomad Jazz Festival
Aug
7
12:00 PM12:00

John Ellis and Double Wide at Nomad Jazz Festival

Tenor saxophonist John Ellis is a cornerstone of the New York jazz scene, with more than 150 recording credits alongside artists including Sting, Robert Glasper, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. A runner-up in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Competition, Ellis is also an accomplished composer, earning multiple commissions from The Jazz Gallery. His projects range from his New Orleans-inspired band Double-Wide to multimedia works and film collaborations. Ellis has released over a dozen albums as a leader, including Bizet: Carmen in Jazz, showcasing his inventive approach to tradition and storytelling through music.


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Camila Meza at Stanford Jazz Festival
Jul
27
8:00 PM20:00

Camila Meza at Stanford Jazz Festival

Camila Meza, a regular presence on the Workshop faculty for the past decade, is a guitarist, composer and vocalist with a strikingly original sound. She shares the Guitar Night double bill with Dan Wilson, a supremely soulful improviser who anchored the late organ star Joey DeFrancesco’s last band.

With Hannah Marks, bass and Obed Calvaire, drums.

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Samuel Torres + Trío Libre at Terraza 7
Jul
10
8:00 PM20:00

Samuel Torres + Trío Libre at Terraza 7

“With Trio Libre, I sought sounds of intimacy over expansion, deliberately focusing on the exposed texture created by Carmen Staaf on Piano, Felipe Fournier on Vibraphone, and myself on Congas. This special combination of instruments brings us into a delicate musical conversation.

The exposed ensemble setting mirrors the emotional landscape of the central suite, We the People, which I conceived during a period of personal uncertainty. The compositions reflect the vulnerability inherent in our times, balanced by the powerful discovery of solidarity and strength found within our communities.

Musically, I wanted to blend the chamber music experience with Afro Latin American rhythmic depth. Incorporating diverse musical influences, from a reimagined Bach piece to an unconventional Bolero, with Trio Libre I aim to challenge Latin Jazz stereotypes by giving the congas and the rest of the ensemble an evolving, non-clichéd role. For me, music is about taking risks and furthering connections within cultural traditions and our communities. I hope you enjoy this album as much as we did while recording it.”

— Samuel Torres

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May
30
8:00 PM20:00

ContraPunctus Album Release at Bar Bayeux

ContraPunctus is an ensemble uniting four distinctive voices in contemporary music: with

Mike McGinnis - clarinet and saxophones
Carmen Staaf - piano
Gui Duvignau - bass
Hamir Atwal - drums

The group takes its name and inspiration from the ancient musical practice of weaving independent melodies into a single harmonic and rhythmic texture. Their music embraces the full breadth of their collective experience across jazz, free improvisation, rock, and folk traditions, moving fluidly between original compositions, reimaginings of works by Carla Bley, Baden Powell, and Billy Strayhorn, and spontaneous improvisations. At once rooted and exploratory, ContraPunctus invites listeners into music that is alive in the moment; polyphonic, adventurous, joyful and generous.

"[..] their book teems with melodies, always a plus compared to the mildly predictable riff tunes that occasionally show up on stages these days. Plus, they’re a band, with a handful of writers and broader persona because of it. The three or four times I’ve caught ’em, [ContraPunctus] have tickled me immensely by continuously passing the ball around. A romantic tune from the bassist, an introspective piece from the pianist, and a flight of fancy from the reed player - their directions are many. Not to mention that Carla Bley update. And the solos "Staaf’s a fire starter, pure and simple. Variety is you know what, so get ready to be tickled yourself." Jim Macnie

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May
27
8:00 PM20:00

ContraPunctus Album Release at Close Up

ContraPunctus is an ensemble uniting four distinctive voices in contemporary music: with

Mike McGinnis - clarinet and saxophones
Carmen Staaf - piano
Gui Duvignau - bass
Hamir Atwal - drums

The group takes its name and inspiration from the ancient musical practice of weaving independent melodies into a single harmonic and rhythmic texture. Their music embraces the full breadth of their collective experience across jazz, free improvisation, rock, and folk traditions, moving fluidly between original compositions, reimaginings of works by Carla Bley, Baden Powell, and Billy Strayhorn, and spontaneous improvisations. At once rooted and exploratory, ContraPunctus invites listeners into music that is alive in the moment; polyphonic, adventurous, joyful and generous.

"[..] their book teems with melodies, always a plus compared to the mildly predictable riff tunes that occasionally show up on stages these days. Plus, they’re a band, with a handful of writers and broader persona because of it. The three or four times I’ve caught ’em, [ContraPunctus] have tickled me immensely by continuously passing the ball around. A romantic tune from the bassist, an introspective piece from the pianist, and a flight of fancy from the reed player - their directions are many. Not to mention that Carla Bley update. And the solos "Staaf’s a fire starter, pure and simple. Variety is you know what, so get ready to be tickled yourself." Jim Macnie

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May
21
7:00 PM19:00

ContraPunctus Album Release at Hermit Woods

ContraPunctus is an ensemble uniting four distinctive voices in contemporary music: with

Mike McGinnis - clarinet and saxophones
Carmen Staaf - piano
Gui Duvignau - bass
Hamir Atwal - drums

The group takes its name and inspiration from the ancient musical practice of weaving independent melodies into a single harmonic and rhythmic texture. Their music embraces the full breadth of their collective experience across jazz, free improvisation, rock, and folk traditions, moving fluidly between original compositions, reimaginings of works by Carla Bley, Baden Powell, and Billy Strayhorn, and spontaneous improvisations. At once rooted and exploratory, ContraPunctus invites listeners into music that is alive in the moment; polyphonic, adventurous, joyful and generous.

Tickets available here

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May
20
7:00 PM19:00

ContraPunctus Album Release at Barbes

ContraPunctus is an ensemble uniting four distinctive voices in contemporary music: with

Mike McGinnis - clarinet and saxophones
Carmen Staaf - piano
Gui Duvignau - bass
Hamir Atwal - drums

The group takes its name and inspiration from the ancient musical practice of weaving independent melodies into a single harmonic and rhythmic texture. Their music embraces the full breadth of their collective experience across jazz, free improvisation, rock, and folk traditions, moving fluidly between original compositions, reimaginings of works by Carla Bley, Baden Powell, and Billy Strayhorn, and spontaneous improvisations. At once rooted and exploratory, ContraPunctus invites listeners into music that is alive in the moment; polyphonic, adventurous, joyful and generous.

"[..] their book teems with melodies, always a plus compared to the mildly predictable riff tunes that occasionally show up on stages these days. Plus, they’re a band, with a handful of writers and broader persona because of it. The three or four times I’ve caught ’em, [ContraPunctus] have tickled me immensely by continuously passing the ball around. A romantic tune from the bassist, an introspective piece from the pianist, and a flight of fancy from the reed player - their directions are many. Not to mention that Carla Bley update. And the solos "Staaf’s a fire starter, pure and simple. Variety is you know what, so get ready to be tickled yourself." Jim Macnie

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Feb
7
1:00 PM13:00

Freedom Riders at Winter Jazzfest Tokyo

  • In honor of the courage and struggle of the first Freedom Ride organized by the Conference on Racial Equality (CORE) in 1961, the Freedom Riders Band shares the history of the past civil rights movement as a groundbreaking new international jazz collective. It expands the message of modern social justice through music. As a project of the NYC Winter Jazz Fest, this ensemble welcomes a new generation of composers and performs powerful standard songs and original music. It inherits the tradition of providing soundtracks to the global civil rights movement. Based on the weight of our ancestors, musicians and activists, Freedom Riders connects the audience through music and provides important inspiration to convey the energy and spirit of shared humanity. Music director and bassist Luke Stewart, drummer Joe Dyson, pianist Carmen Staaf, and alto saxophonist Alfredo Colon participate. In addition, special guests will also appear.

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Jan
12
8:00 PM20:00

Freedom Riders "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at NYC Winter Jazzfest

Winter Jazzfest presents ‘My Country ’Tis of Thee’ — a powerful night of music, resistance, and hope. At the heart of the evening are the Freedom Riders, an all-star ensemble of youngish voices in creative music, dedicated to amplifying messages of social justice through sound including Tomoki Sanders, Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Alfredo Colón, Milena Casado, Sasha Berliner, Carmen Staaf, Joe Dyson and co-leaders Luke Stewart and Ben Williams (both bassists with deep roots in our nation’s capital).

This one-of-a-kind performance takes the shape of a truly improvised round robin, interweaving spontaneous creation with standard repertoire linked to the civil rights movement. Alongside these echoes of history, the Freedom Riders and their invited guests—visionary artists Arturo O’Farrill, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Adegoke Steve Colson, Samora Pinderhughes, Mádé Kuti plus other special guests soon to be announced — will share current songs born from their own activist practice, underscoring the ongoing struggle for equality and freedom.

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