Downtown Manhattan’s jazz club, The Django, begins 2022 by opening its doors six days a week Monday through Saturday. On January 6th, The Django hosts an evening dedicated to guitarist Pat Martino, comprised of a documentary screening and tribute concerts by Rick Germanson, four all-star guitarists Peter Bernstein, Dave Stryker, Paul Bollenback and Mark Whitfield, and special guests. The Django’s weekly residency with the Mingus Big Band switches from Tuesdays to Mondays and The Ken Fowser Quintet returns for its weekly Friday night shows.
THE JANUARY SCHEDULE IS:
1/05 BRANDI DISTERHEFT-7:00 PM
Jazz bassist Brandi Disterheft relocated to NYC to begin an apprenticeship under Miles Davis’s bassist Ron Carter. It’s not only her fiery bass playing that make audiences stand-up and holler, but also her innovative live shows showcasing her up-tempo, swinging originals and ambient voice. Winning a JUNO (Canadian Grammy) for her debut album, Brandi had the honor to be the bassist for the legendary Hank Jones on the album “Pleased to Meet You” and has since captivated international audiences at jazz festivals in Japan, Haiti, Canada, Europe, USA and at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, and the Vienna Opera House.
1/05 JENNIFER JADE LEDESNA-10:00 PM
Bronx native Jennifer Jade Ledesna has sung at Carnegie Hall with Bobby McFerrin in INSTANT OPERA!, in the world premiere tour of CHAPEL/CHAPTER w the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company. She has graced the stages of the CHORUS Jazz Club in Lausanne, Norway’s International “Silda Jazz Fest” with her group “RAJAFRO”, Saint Croix’s “Take Five” fest, Santiago de Chile’s “Teatro Municipal de Las Condes” and Austria’s Porgy & Bess. She’s also shared the stage with Elew, Dave Valentin, Wycliffe Gordon, Junior Mance, Benny Powell, Candido Camero and Wynton Marsalis, among others.
1/06 PAT MARTINO TRIBUTE: RICK GERMANSON-7:00 PM
Jazz pianist Rick Germanson has toured with Pat Martino 2003-2008 and also has toured around the world appearing at major concert halls, festivals and clubs with: Elvin Jones; Louis Hayes; Joe Chambers; Will Calhoun; Pat Martino; Russell Malone; Slide Hampton; Curtis Fuller; Papo Vazquez; Steve Davis; Frank Morgan; Gary Bartz; Charles McPherson; James Spaulding; Donald Harrison; Jeremy Pelt; George Coleman; Regina Carter; Marlena Shaw; Ray Mantilla; Cecil Payne; Charles Davis and Steve Nelson.
PAT MARTINO TRIBUTE: DOCUMENTARY SCREENING-9:00 PM
Screening in the theater next door to The Django.
PAT MARTINO TRIBUTE: PETER BERNSTEIN, PAUL BOLLENBACK, MARK WHITFIELD, ERIC ALEXANDER, PAT BIANCHI, DAVE STRYKER AND CARMEN INTORRE-10:00 PM
A quartet of some of today’s leading guitarists join forces for a shared purpose: to honor one of their musical heroes and mentors.
1/07 EVAN SHERMAN QUINTET “SIDEWALKIN” CD RELEASE-10:00PM
Born into a musical family in New Jersey, Evan Sherman began playing the drums at age five and had his first professional gigs at 13. Since then, Evan performed, recorded and toured with Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Roy Hargrove, Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, Cyrus Chestnut, Branford Marsalis and more. He has performed at the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club, Birdland, Jazz Standard, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, New Morning in Paris, Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall and the Kennedy Center, among others.
1/08 ISAIAH J. THOMPSON-7:00 PM
Isaiah J. Thompson is a jazz pianist, bandleader and composer from West Orange, New Jersey. He began studying at The Calderone School of Music at an early age, and soon after continued his studies with Jazz House Kids and NJPAC Jazz For Teens. He was later admitted to The Juilliard School at the age of 18, and graduated with his B.M. in 2019 and his M.M. in 2020. Isaiah has performed with major artists, including Ron Carter, John Pizzarelli, Christian McBride, Steve Turre and Buster Williams.
1/08 JOE SAYLOR AND “THE KINGDOM”-10:00 PM
Joe Saylor is a percussionist, educator, and jazz artist as well as a member of Jon Batiste’s Stay Human, the house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He also performs at various jazz clubs, festivals, and venues around the world. He has conducted jazz workshops at various educational institutions including Stanford University. He has performed at such places as the Howard Theater, the White House, Lincoln Center, Rockwood Music Hall, Webster Hall and the Great GoogaMooga. He has performed or recorded with Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis, Dwayne Dolphin, Steve Wilson, Joe Lovano, Jon Faddis, Slide Hampton, and Ellis Marsalis.
1/10 JAM SESSION featuring ALEXANDER CLAFFY-10:00 PM
Bassist Alexander Claffy has worked 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. NOTE; Claffy’s Jam Session follows every Mingus Monday 7:00 PM show.
1/11 MARTES LATINOS-MANUEL VALERA CUBAN JAZZ QUARTET-7:00 PM
Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Manuel Valera is a Guggenheim Fellow who has recorded 13 CDs as a bandleader. Touring projects range from his Grammy nominated group New Cuban Express to modern contemporary jazz trio to solo piano.
1/11 LOS HACHEROS-10:00PM
Brooklyn’s Los Hacheros is a modern-day torchbearer of the Golden Age of Latin music, reviving folkloric styles like son montuno, guaracha and salsa, and often combining them with Bomba, a fiery rhythm from the mountains of Puerto Rico.
1/12 GABRIELLE STRAVELLI-7:00 PM
Gabrielle Stravelli’s pairing of a jazz artist’s musicianship with an ability to interpret lyrics and connect with an audience has led to a richly varied career. She regularly leads her quartet in performances at the country’s jazz clubs and performing arts centers and has headlined domestic and international jazz festivals including the 2021 and 2018 WBGO Jazz on the Mountain Festival in New Paltz, NY, the 2019 Providencia Jazz Festival in Santiago, Chile, the 2016 All That Jazz Festival in Eleuthera, Bahamas and the 2014 Maree Sonore Festival in Venice, Italy.
1/12 ASHLEY PEZZOTTI-10:00 PM
Ashley Pezzotti is a young jazz vocalist who completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music in 2018. In 2019, Pezzotti moved to New York City to further her career, and since then she has performed and/or toured with jazz giants such as Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Arturo Sandoval.
1/13 LEANDRO PELLEGRINO QUARTET-7:00 PM
Leandro Pellegrino is a Brazilian guitarist who studied music composition and Jazz improvisations during his teenage years. In the Fall of 2011, Leandro moved to the U.S to live his dream of being immersed in the country’s fertile musical environment. Since then he has worked with Dave Liebman, Danilo Perez, Christian McBride, John Pattittuci, Bob Cranshaw, Terri Lyne Carrington, Eric Harland, Donny McCaslin and Gerald Clayton, among others. He is also part of the Grammy-award winning album “Beautiful Life” by the jazz singer Dianne Reeves.
1/13 MARK WHITFIELD QUINTET-10:00PM
Guitarist Mark Whitfield has collaborated 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. Warner Bros. released his debut album The Marksman in 1990, which has been followed by 14 solo recordings since
1/14 ENDEA OWENS & THE COOKOUT-10:00PM
Lincoln Center’s emerging artist of 2019 and Detroit native, Endea Owens, is a bassist mentored by the likes of Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker and Ron Carter. She has toured and performed with Jennifer Holliday, Rhonda and Diana Ross, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Steve Turre and Lea Delaria. Endea is the bassist for Jon Batiste’s Stay Human and the house bassist for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
1/15 WAYNE ESCOFFERY-7:00 PM
Grammy Award-winning tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery has been mostly associated with trumpet master Tom Harrell’s working quintet, recording seven CDs and touring the world. He has also been a member of the Mingus Dynasty, Big Band, and Orchestra, since 2000. Over the years he has recorded and performed with Ron Carter, Ben Riley, Eric Reed, Carl Allen, Al Foster and Billy Hart to name a few.
1/15 JERRY WELDON SEXTET-10:00PM
Veteran sax man Jerry Weldon has been a player on the jazz scene for more than 35 years. With eight CDs as a leader and more sideman sides than he can count. In 1990, Jerry became a charter member and featured soloist with Harry Connick Jr.’s newly formed big band. Since then Jerry has toured the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia with Harry and was also part of Connick’s Broadway musical production, “Thou Shalt Not.” Jerry was also part of the “house band” on Connick’s daytime television variety show for its two-year run.
1/18 FRENCH QUARTER JAZZ FEST-7:00 PM-12:00 AM
Six bands featuring some of the finest French and NYC Jazz musicians come together for one night.
1/19 THE PETE MALINVERNI TRIO featuring ANAIS RENO-7:00 PM
Pianist Pete Malinverni has shared club bandstands and stages with the likes of Mel Lewis, Vernel Fournier, Joe Lovano, Charles Davis, Gary Smulyan and many others. Guest vocalist Anais Reno won the 2016 Forte International Competition’s Platinum Award at Carnegie Hall and Second Place at Michael Feinstein’s Great American Song Book Academy competition in the summer of 2018. These wins were followed by First Place at the Mabel Mercer Foundation competition, in March of 2019, receiving the Foundation’s Julie Wilson award in 2020 and in November 2021, was announced as one of the finalists for Young Arts in jazz voice.
1/19 SACHAL VASANDANI PRESENTS…VANISHA GOULD AND APRIL VARNER-9:00 PM
Vocalist Sachal Vasandani returns to the stage with surprise guest vocalists,. This new series features Sachal sharing the stage with different emerging singers each month exploring and improvising. His deeply creative approach to improvisation across lyrics, melodic changes and time signatures has led him to becomecome to be regarded as one of the eminent vocal improvisers of his generation.
1/20 EHUD ASHERIE TRIO featuring KENNY WASHINGTON-7:00PM
Pianist Asherie was mentored by the late Frank Hewitt, developing his skills in swing and stride. He is joined by drummer Kenny Washington who has played behind Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Ahmad Jamal and Bill Charlap, to name a few. He teaches jazz drumming at the New School in New York City.
1/20 IAN HENDRICKSON-SMITH-10:00 PM
Saxophonist and flutist Ian Hendrickson-Smith is mostly noted for his tone, driving soulful and blues-driven melodies. Equally adept on all the saxophones, he plays on the road with The Roots or on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. Hendrickson-Smith’s extensive recording experience includes the release of 12 jazz records as a leader.
1/21 CRAIG HANDY & 2ND LINE SMITH-10:00 PM
Saxophonist Craig Handy began his career performing with jazz masters such as Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Abdullah Ibrahim and the Mingus Dynasty Band. He has also performed 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. His Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith group draws on New Orleans music and the groove-filled re-imaginings of originals and standards by the late organist Jimmy Smith.
1/22 BRUCE WILLIAMS-7:00 PM
Saxophonist Bruce Williams is currently Adjunct Professor at Julliard School of Music. He has performed, toured, and recorded with a long roster of jazz legends such as: Little Jimmy Scott, Frank Foster, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Stanley Cowell, Louis Smith, Cecil Brooks III, The Count Basie Orchestra, The World Saxophone Quartet, Russell Gunn, Curtis Fuller and Roy Hargrove, to name a few. He newest and youngest member, of the internationally recognized jazz group, “The World Saxophone Quartet” as well as a member of a newly founded group by drummer Ben Riley, the “Thelonious Monk Legacy Septet.”
1/22 JOE FARNSWORTH-10:00 PM
Joe Farnsworth is one of the most highly regarded jazz drummers on the scene today, 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 and John Jenkins and his brothers, John and James. His career includes recording over 100 CDs as leader and side-man, jazz festivals and world tours.
1/25 TBA
1/26 PHILIP HARPER AND ILYA LUSHTAK “CELEBRATING SONG”-7:00 PM
Trumpeter Philip Harper performs with the Mingus Big Band every Monday night. He returns for this special one-nighter with vocalist/guitarist Ilya Lushtak. Lushtak is a Russian-born, New York jazz musician who has played with such greats as Hank Jones, Barry Harris, Cedar Walton, Jimmy Cobb, Frank Wess and numerous others.
1/27 ED CHERRY TRIO-7:00 PM
Ed Cherry is a jazz guitarist and studio musician. Cherry is perhaps best known for his long association with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, with whom he performed from 1978 until shortly before Gillespie’s death in 1993. Since that time, he has worked with Paquito Rivera, Jon Faddis, John Patton, Hamiet Bluiett, Henry Threadgill and Paula West. He has recorded a number of albums as a leader.
1/27 DJANGO ALL STARS-10:00 PM
The Django Allstars is a collective unit comprised of musicians who have led multiple gigs at The Django. finest.
1/28 HUDSON HORNS-10:00 PM
Hudson Horns was born of the underground Daybreaker parties five years ago and is comprised of professionally trained brass musicians from renowned programs such as The New School, University of Michigan, Julliard, Harvard, The University of The Arts, and Manhattan School of Music. Hudson Horns artists have collaborated with leading performers such as Rihanna, Solange, Ricky Martin, Joe Jonas, Shawn Mendes, Macklemore, Busta Rhymes, Dave Chapelle, The Legendary Johnny O’neal, Roy Hargrove, and The Skatelites.
1/29 MIKE LEDONNE TRIO-7:00 PM
Mike LeDonne is a jazz pianist and Hammond organist. He has worked with a wide spectrum of Jazz greats from Benny Goodman to Sonny Rollins, Bobby Hutcherson and many others. He spent 11 years as pianist and musical director for vibes legend Milt Jackson, and has been working with Benny Golson since 1997. He was nominated for “Best Keyboards” 2012 by the Jazz Journalists Association and won the Downbeat Critic’s Poll as “Rising Star” on organ that same year. He has 22 recording out as a leader and has co-authored a piano comping book as part of Jim Snidero’s Jazz Conception series on Advance Music.
1/29 LEZLIE HARRISON-10:00 PM
Vocalist Lezlie Harrison sings jazz, blues, gospel, soul, the American Songbook and original compositions. With the late Dale Fitzgerald and trumpeter Roy Hargrove she launched the Jazz Gallery in Manhattan.
All tickets are $25 per person, plus a two-drink minimum.To reserve, visit TheDjangoNYC.com or call 212.519.6649.
The Django is located at 2 Avenue of the Americas (Cellar Level at The Roxy Hotel), New York City, NY,
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