The Iridium Jazz Club started with a mission in December 1994 to present local artists in an attractive nightclub setting. New York's jazz scene is littered with the remains of countless jazz clubs, who shot up quickly, only to close soon after. The Iridium took an unplanned evolutionary approach, utilizing local artists culled from homemade tapes. Soon, Iridium was 'discovered' and was fortunate to begin operations in the midst of a jazz revival, the success of jazz at Lincoln Center, and an affluent West Side looking to experience a real NY Jazz Club. The club has undergone several renovations to keep up with its increasing popularity. There have been many major releases recorded live at Iridium from such artists as Jacky Terrasson, Charlie Haden, Kenny Barron, Benny Carter, The Jazz Messengers, Sweets Edison, Monty Alexander and Clark Terry to name a few and this fall the Iridium's own Bob Dorough will release his 'Live at the Iridium' recording on the Arbors Jazz label that will feature special guests Daryl Sherman and trumpeter Joe Wilder. The celebration continues with a live recording from noted French pianist Jean-Michel Pilc for Dreyfus Jazz (Oct. 19-21). And beginning Nov. 9th the world renowned Mingus Big Band will play two sets at 8:00 and 10:30 PM and continue every Tuesday.

Other highlights of the Iridium 10th anniversary season includea live taping of Les Paul, who just received and Emmy for his contributions to sound recording, by NBC's Today Show that will air in October. Iridium will officially celebrate its tenth anniversary on Monday, December 6th with 5-time Grammy Award Winner and Rock and Roll Hall Of Famer, Les Paul And His Quartet.

Catch Sex Mob At The Iridium Jazz Club Sept.28-Sept. 29.

Steven Bernstein, Briggan Krauss, Tony Scherr, Kenny Wollesen Sex Mob is a band out of time: a smartly old-fashioned quartet of world-class musicians with a satchel full of charts. Sex Mob is a band of the now: post-modern waltzes mutating into dub-echoed free jazz. Sex Mob is social music: a rollicking midnight set with clatter and drinks and a band. Sex Mob is a happy contradiction: an experimental jazz outfit whose music has slid readily into the mainstream via Saturday Night Live, MTV, and National Public Radio.

Nat Hentoff writing in Jazz Times had this to say “On trumpet, and as a composer and leader, Steven Bernstein is uncategorizable.” And Ben Ratliff writing in the The New York Times says, “Steven Bernstein, a trumpeter and rogue historian of jazz, believes that jazz should be closely associated with fun and also shock.” And Isaac Guzman, New York Daily News says, “Sex Mob is on a mission to make jazz fun again.”