
Billy Hart Quartet
July 8 ‑ July 13
Walter Smith III – Saxophone
Ethan Iverson – Piano
Ben Street – Bass
Billy Hart – Drums
“One of the leading drummers of his generation, Billy Hart continues to make jazz history with his quartet. Working with the phenomenally creative and talented pianist Ethan Iverson, saxophonist Mark Turner, and bassist Ben Street, Hart constantly seeks new territory, pushing the boundaries of post-bop and straight-ahead, of free jazz and composition, all the while embracing beauty and soulful communication. Turner’s rich, gorgeous tenor and Iverson’s exquisite technique combine to create a nearly infinite variety of textures and colors. Street and Hart have an uncanny connection that enables them to move effortlessly between swinging, tight grooves and sonic landscapes. Hart made an indelible mark on the jazz world in the ’60s and ’70s with his work with such jazz legends as Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Eddie Harris, Marian McPartland, Stan Getz, Herbie Hancock, and Miles Davis. Less known is his earlier work with soul artists Otis Redding and Sam and Dave.

VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Every Monday Night
SAXOPHONES:
Dick Oatts (lead alto)
Billy Drewes (alto)
Rich Perry (tenor)
Ralph Lalama (tenor)
Gary Smulyan (bari)
TRUMPETS:
John Chudoba (lead trumpet), Brian Pareschi, Terell Stafford, Scott Wendholt
TROMBONES:
Dion Tucker (lead trombone)
Jason Jackson, Robert Edwards, (bass trombone)
RHYTHM SECTION:
Adam Birnbaum (piano)
David Wong (bass)
John Riley (drums)
“The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra began its life as the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1966.The world-famous Village Vanguard jazz club in New York City booked the newly formed band for three Monday nights that February. Those performances were wildly successful and the engagement was extended indefinitely. The Village Vanguard’s owner, Max Gordon, told Mel Lewis, “We’ll keep it going until it tapers off.” Over half a century and more than 2700 Monday nights later, it still hasn’t. The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra stands apart from all other modern ensembles of its kind and is still as strong and vital as ever.

Kevin Hays Trio
July 15 - July 20
Kevin Hays – Piano
Rick Rosato – Bass
Nasheet Waits – Drums
Now offering $30 advance discount tickets to Kevin Hays’s 10pm shows Tuesday – Thursday, and Sunday. Offer expires 8pm day of show. No refunds or exchanges.
Limited to availability.
“There are plenty of talented pianists...but few have Hays' melodic charm and sense of style.

Ben Wendel
July 22 - July 27
Ben Wendel – Saxophone
Taylor Eigsti – Piano
Gilad Hekselman – Guitar
Harish Raghavan – Bass
Nate Wood – Drums
“Mr. Wendel is a naturally inquisitive musician whose credentials branch out beyond jazz. (He briefly toured with Snoop Dogg.) He’s a member of Kneebody, a postmillennial groove band with a sizable following, as well as an accomplished solo artist and producer.

Edward Simon Trio
July 29 - August 3
Edward Simon – Piano
Larry Grenadier – Bass
Adam Cruz – Drums
“Pianist and composer Edward Simon is a Latin jazz musician, though not necessarily in the way that term traditionally suggests. The hyphen of his Afro-Latin hybrid conjoins the distinctively modern strain of post-bop common to his generation of jazz musicians with a studied take on the folkloric music of his native Venezuela.

COMING SOON!
August 5-10 Andrew Cyrille
with Bill Frisell, David Virelles, Ben Street
August 12-17 Bill Frisell Four
with Gerald Clayton, Greg Tardy, Johnathan Blake
August 19-24 Bill Frisell Trio + Ambrose Akinmusire
with Thomas Morgan, Rudy Royston
August 26-31 Joe Lovano
“Changes come and go in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood, but the basement club occupying 178 Seventh Avenue South since 1935 remains a stable and revered New York City landmark.