10th Annual Coltrane Festival Comes to Smoke Jazz Club

SMOKE's year-end Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023" begins with the first of 16 nights led by a longtime friend of the club: living legend and renowned performer George Coleman. He joins forces with a most illustrious protégé, the great Eric Alexander for an intergenerational tenor saxophone summit meeting for the ages. Coleman and Alexander will be joined by dazzling pianist Emmet Cohen, rock-solid bassist John Webber and rousing drummer Joe Farnsworth.

Fri-Sat Dec 23-24 Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023": Melissa Aldana Quartet
Melissa Aldana - tenor saxophone
Gadi Lehavi - piano
Pablo Menares - bass
Kush Abadey - drums

SMOKE's year-end Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023" continues with tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, a major rising talent originally from Santiago, Chile, who leads an exciting quartet with pianist Gadi Lehavi, bassist Pablo Menares, and drummer Kush Abadey. Since arriving in New York in 2009, she has won the 2013 Monk Competition and numerous accolades for her music. The New York Times calls her "one of the more exciting young tenor saxophonists today" and Hot House Jazz adds, "Melissa Aldana's expression is rare and wildly evolving as she continues to reach for more."

Sun Dec 25 Closed for Christmas Day

Mon-Tue Dec 26-27 Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023": Featuring Louis Hayes with the Eric Reed/Vincent Herring Quartet
Vincent Herring - alto & tenor saxophone
Eric Reed - piano
Dezron Douglas - bass
Louis Hayes - drums

SMOKE's year-end Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023" continues with the first of 10 nights led by the incomparable pianist Eric Reed and the amazing alto saxophonist Vincent Herring featuring special guest artists. First up is the one and only drum master Louis Hayes who NPR says, "spent his youth creating the pulse of hard-bop, as a top-shelf drummer with artists like Cannonball Adderley and Horace Silver," and who remains a "catalyst, channeling his boundless energy into the band," according to The Washington Post. Hayes will be rousing an exciting quartet led by Reed who All About Jazz says "has fully established himself in the forefront of jazz pianists." According to The New York City Jazz Record, Herring "has firmly established himself as one of his generation's masters." The Chicago Reader says bassist Dezron Douglas displays "the kind of fiery interaction and musical prodding that can allow hard bop to sound as fresh and exciting as anything out there."

Wed-Thu Dec 28-29 Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023": Steve Turre and the Eric Reed Quintet with Vincent Herring
Steve Turre - trombone & shells
Vincent Herring - alto & tenor saxophone
Eric Reed - piano
John Webber - bass
Joe Farnsworth - drums

SMOKE's year-end Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023" continues with featured guest trombone master and seashells innovator Steve Turre joining the Eric Reed/Vincent Herring Quintet. Turre was called "perhaps the leading trombonist of this generation" by Rolling Stone. Turre will be performing with an exciting quintet led by the perpetually swinging Reed who All About Jazz says "has fully established himself in the forefront of jazz pianists" and Herring who has "has firmly established himself as one of his generation's masters" adds The New York City Jazz Record. It includes two of the elite musicians working today: bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth.

Fri Dec 30 Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023": Jeremy Pelt and the Eric Reed Quintet with Vincent Herring
Jeremy Pelt - trumpet
Vincent Herring - alto & tenor saxophone
Eric Reed - piano
John Webber - bass
Joe Farnsworth - drums

SMOKE's year-end Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023" continues with featured guest trumpeter Jeremy Pelt joining the Eric Reed/Vincent Herring Quintet. JazzTimes says, "Pelt is a technical marvel. He executes intricate solos with ease, plays gorgeous ballads in a tasteful manner, and never lacks flair or sensitivity." Audiophile Audition adds he has "the power and range of Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard in their seminal years." Pelt will be performing with an exciting quintet led by the perpetually swinging Reed who All About Jazz says "has fully established himself in the forefront of jazz pianists." According to The New York City Jazz Record, Herring has "has firmly established himself as one of his generation's masters." It also includes two of the elite musicians working today: bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth.

Sat Dec 31 New Year's Eve Celebration: Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023": Jeremy Pelt and the Eric Reed Quintet with Vincent Herring plus special guest vocalist
Jeremy Pelt - trumpet
Vincent Herring - alto & tenor saxophone
Eric Reed - piano
John Webber - bass
Joe Farnsworth - drums
TBA - special guest vocalist

SMOKE's year-end Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023" continues with featured guest trumpeter Jeremy Pelt joining the Eric Reed/Vincent Herring Quintet. JazzTimes says, "Pelt is a technical marvel. He executes intricate solos with ease, plays gorgeous ballads in a tasteful manner, and never lacks flair or sensitivity." Audiophile Audition adds he has "the power and range of Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard in their seminal years." Pelt will be performing with an exciting quintet led by the perpetually swinging Reed who All About Jazz says "has fully established himself in the forefront of jazz pianists." According to The New York City Jazz Record, Herring has "has firmly established himself as one of his generation's masters." It also includes two of the elite musicians working today: bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth. New Year's Eve prix fixe menu, champagne toast, and ticket prices TBA soon.

Sun Jan 1 Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023": Jeremy Pelt and the Eric Reed Quintet with Vincent Herring
Jeremy Pelt - trumpet
Vincent Herring - alto & tenor saxophone
Eric Reed - piano
John Webber - bass
Joe Farnsworth - drums

SMOKE's year-end Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023" continues with featured guest trumpeter Jeremy Pelt joining the Eric Reed/Vincent Herring Quintet. JazzTimes says, "Pelt is a technical marvel. He executes intricate solos with ease, plays gorgeous ballads in a tasteful manner, and never lacks flair or sensitivity." Audiophile Audition adds he has "the power and range of Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard in their seminal years." Pelt will be performing with an exciting quintet led by the perpetually swinging Reed who All About Jazz says "has fully established himself in the forefront of jazz pianists." According to The New York City Jazz Record, Herring has "has firmly established himself as one of his generation's masters." It also includes two of the elite musicians working today: bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth.

Wed Jan 4 TBA

Thu-Sun Jan 5-8 Coltrane Festival "Countdown 2023": Billy Harper 80th Birthday Celebration
Josh Evans - trumpet
Billy Harper - tenor saxophone
Benito Gonzalez - piano
Lonnie Plaxico - bass
Billy Hart - drums

SMOKE's annual Coltrane Festival concludes with an 80th birthday celebration for the incredible Billy Harper who is leading a very special quintet with trumpeter Josh Evans, pianist Benito Gonzalez, bassist Lonnie Plaxico and fellow legend and "Cooker" drummer Billy Hart. One of the indispensable saxophonists of the past 50 years stylistically indebted to Trane, Harper has a distinctive sound and approach that is purely his own. Over the years, he's worked with Art Blakey, Max Roach, Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Lee Morgan, and, most recently, the Cookers. The San Francisco Chronicle says, "he is a soul of sensitivity and intelligence, as well as of explosive, majestic passion." "His viscous, chocolaty tone and depth-charge bursts from the bottom of his range [are] a stark contrast to the current trend for a post-bop homogeneity of tone in the newer generation of saxophone sounds," reports JazzWise.