 SMOKE Jazz Club located in NYC’s Upper West Side has announced its exciting line-up for the annual Coltrane Festival – one of the musical highlights of the holiday season. Over the course of four weeks (Dec 9 – Jan 10), some of today’s top jazz artists join forces to celebrate the life and musical legacy of the great saxophonist and composer John Coltrane. SMOKE’s 14th annual Coltrane Festival “Countdown 2027” features Ravi Coltrane (pictured above) making an encore appearance at the festival dedicated to his father. Other Festival artists include Vincent Herring, Melissa Aldana, Jeremy Pelt, James Carter, Mark Turner, Eric Alexander, Eric Scott Reed, Nicholas Payton, Randy Brecker, Eddie Henderson, and more. For the complete and most updated concert schedule, please visit SMOKEjazz.com. As always, all Friday night concerts are livestreamed! Wed-Sun Dec 9-13 “COUNTDOWN 2027” COLTRANE FESTIVAL: MELISSA ALDANA QUINTET featuring WALTER SMITH III
Countdown 2027, Smoke’s 14th Annual Coltrane Festival, opens with a quintet featuring two modern tenor saxophone masters: Melissa Aldana and Walter Smith III joined by a stellar rhythm sction of pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Matt Brewer, and drummer Kendrick Scott. Aldana, originally from Chile, is one of the new stars in jazz who embodies “a new sense of possibility and direction in jazz,” according to The Washington Post. Since arriving in New York from Boston 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.” Since his debut nearly two decades ago, Walter Smith III has become a cornerstone of the jazz scene, contributing to legendary groups such as Roy Haynes’ Fountain of Youth Band, the Terence Blanchard Quintet, Eric Harland’s Voyager, and the Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, as well as collaborations with Jason Moran, Christian McBride, Gerald Clayton, and the Sean Jones Quintet, among many others. Wed-Sun Dec 16-20 “COUNTDOWN 2027” COLTRANE FESTIVAL: RAVI COLTRANE QUARTET
For the second week of Smoke’s 14th annual Coltrane Festival, Countdown 2027, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane leads his incredible quartet with trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, pianist Gadi Lehavi, and drummer Elé Howell. An artist whose career occupies a singular niche in modern jazz, Ravi Coltrane has established a sound and concepts that stand undeniably on their own, extending far beyond the shadow of his iconic name. Over a twenty-plus-year career, Coltrane has worked as a sideman to many and recorded noteworthy albums for himself and others, including McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Terence Blanchard, Geri Allen, and many more. All About Jazz reviewed his group, saying, “The band is dynamite. Coltrane mainly played tenor, on which his sound is massive but softer-edged and less biting than that of his father.” The New York Times adds, “There are few saxophonists in jazz today as silvery and deft as Ravi Coltrane.” Born in Long Island, the second son of John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane, Ravi was named after Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar. He was raised in Los Angeles where his family moved after his father’s death in 1967. His mother, Alice Coltrane, was a significant influence on Ravi and it was he who encouraged Alice to return to performance and the recording studio after a long absence. Subsequently, Ravi produced and played on Alice Coltrane’s powerful, Translinear Light, which was released in 2004. Ravi lives in Brooklyn, NY and leads the effort to restore the John Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, Long Island www.thecoltranehome.org and presides over important reissues of his parents’ recordings. Tue Dec 22 “COUNTDOWN 2027” COLTRANE FESTIVAL: THE COUNTDOWN FESTIVAL QUARTET featuring VINCENT HERRING & ERIC SCOTT REED
The Countdown Festival Quartet is led by two Smoke favorites: alto saxophonist Vincent Herring and pianist Eric Scott Reed. The New York City Jazz Record says Herring “has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters,” and The New York Times notes that he “projects his sound in a strong, centered beam.” His latest Smoke Sessions release, Split Decision, a live summit with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander recorded at Smoke, prompted Downbeat to call the pair “two of the finest saxophonists on the jazz scene,” and made The Times of London’s mid-year list of the best jazz albums of 2025. Reed, a veteran of Wynton Marsalis’s septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, is “one of my very favorite pianists,” according to the late, great Ahmad Jamal, and All About Jazz says he has “fully established himself at the forefront of jazz pianists.” With bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Willie Jones III rounding out the rhythm section, it’s a hard-swinging band that anchors Smoke’s holiday week of special guests. Wed Dec 23 “COUNTDOWN 2027” COLTRANE FESTIVAL: JEREMY PELT WITH THE COUNTDOWN FESTIVAL QUARTET featuring VINCENT HERRING & ERIC SCOTT REED
A Los Angeles native who studied at Berklee, Pelt has been one of the most compelling trumpeters on the New York scene since emerging in the early 2000s, with credits alongside Wayne Shorter, Roy Hargrove, Cassandra Wilson, the Mingus Big Band, and Ravi Coltrane, who leads his own quartet earlier in this year’s festival. A prolific bandleader, he has released a long run of albums for HighNote, most recently Our Community Will Not Be Erased (2026). JazzTimes calls him “a technical marvel,” while The Village Voicedescribed his musical personality as “intrepid, convincing, resolute.” The Countdown Festival Quartet is led by two Smoke favorites: alto saxophonist Vincent Herring and pianist Eric Scott Reed. The New York City Jazz Record says Herring “has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters,” and The New York Times notes that he “projects his sound in a strong, centered beam.” His latest Smoke Sessions release, Split Decision, a live summit with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander recorded at Smoke, prompted Downbeat to call the pair “two of the finest saxophonists on the jazz scene,” and made The Times of London’s mid-year list of the best jazz albums of 2025. Reed, a veteran of Wynton Marsalis’s septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, is “one of my very favorite pianists,” according to the late, great Ahmad Jamal, and All About Jazz says he has “fully established himself at the forefront of jazz pianists.” With bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Willie Jones III rounding out the rhythm section, it’s a hard-swinging band that anchors Smoke’s holiday week of special guests. Thu Dec 24 “COUNTDOWN 2027” COLTRANE FESTIVAL: STEVE TURRE WITH THE COUNTDOWN FESTIVAL QUARTET featuring VINCENT HERRING & ERIC SCOTT REED
Turre’s storied career includes work alongside music legends Ray Charles, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Woody Shaw, and he has consistently won both the Readers’ and Critics’ polls in JazzTimes, DownBeat, and Jazziz for “Best Trombone” and “Best Miscellaneous Instrumentalist (shells).” A versatile master and a true jazz original, he is, in the words of DownBeat, an artist who “owns” his instrument: “Whether playing the music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, performing as a member of the Saturday Night Live house band, or with one of his own groups, his voice is distinctive and memorable.” The Countdown Festival Quartet is led by two Smoke favorites: alto saxophonist Vincent Herring and pianist Eric Scott Reed. The New York City Jazz Record says Herring “has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters,” and The New York Times notes that he “projects his sound in a strong, centered beam.” His latest Smoke Sessions release, Split Decision, a live summit with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander recorded at Smoke, prompted Downbeat to call the pair “two of the finest saxophonists on the jazz scene,” and made The Times of London’s mid-year list of the best jazz albums of 2025. Reed, a veteran of Wynton Marsalis’s septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, is “one of my very favorite pianists,” according to the late, great Ahmad Jamal, and All About Jazz says he has “fully established himself at the forefront of jazz pianists.” With bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Willie Jones III rounding out the rhythm section, it’s a hard-swinging band that anchors Smoke’s holiday week of special guests. Fri Dec 25 “COUNTDOWN 2027” COLTRANE FESTIVAL: EDDIE HENDERSON WITH THE COUNTDOWN FESTIVAL QUARTET featuring VINCENT HERRING & ERIC SCOTT REED
A member of Herbie Hancock’s groundbreaking Mwandishi band in the early 1970s, and a medical doctor to boot, Henderson is one of jazz’s true originals. The New York Times says his “deft feel and plush sound made him a central figure in the worlds of jazz-funk and hard-bop in the 1970s.” The Chicago Reader adds, “His progressive, assured, and imaginative improvisations roll out in a glorious sun-splashed tone… he seems to dance through his solos, balancing his quick clockwork technique with bursts of bluesy soul.” Now in his 80s, the eternally youthful Henderson is still making some of the most important music of his career. The Countdown Festival Quartet is led by two Smoke favorites: alto saxophonist Vincent Herring and pianist Eric Scott Reed. The New York City Jazz Record says Herring “has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters,” and The New York Times notes that he “projects his sound in a strong, centered beam.” His latest Smoke Sessions release, Split Decision, a live summit with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander recorded at Smoke, prompted Downbeat to call the pair “two of the finest saxophonists on the jazz scene,” and made The Times of London’s mid-year list of the best jazz albums of 2025. Reed, a veteran of Wynton Marsalis’s septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, is “one of my very favorite pianists,” according to the late, great Ahmad Jamal, and All About Jazz says he has “fully established himself at the forefront of jazz pianists.” With bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Willie Jones III rounding out the rhythm section, it’s a hard-swinging band that anchors Smoke’s holiday week of special guests. Sat Dec 26 “COUNTDOWN 2027” COLTRANE FESTIVAL: TIA FULLER WITH THE COUNTDOWN FESTIVAL QUARTET featuring VINCENT HERRING & ERIC SCOTT REED
For one night only, Tia Fuller joins the Countdown Festival Quartet led by two Smoke favorites: alto saxophonist Vincent Herring and pianist Eric Scott Reed. One of today’s most in-demand saxophonists, Fuller has played in bands led by everyone from Beyoncé to esperanza spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington, Sean Jones, Dianne Reeves, Wycliffe Gordon, T. S. Monk, and more. The New York City Jazz Record says Herring “has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters,” and The New York Times notes that he “projects his sound in a strong, centered beam.” His latest Smoke Sessions release, Split Decision, a live summit with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander recorded at Smoke, prompted Downbeat to call the pair “two of the finest saxophonists on the jazz scene,” and made The Times of London’s mid-year list of the best jazz albums of 2025. Reed, a veteran of Wynton Marsalis’s septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, is “one of my very favorite pianists,” according to the late, great Ahmad Jamal, and All About Jazz says he has “fully established himself at the forefront of jazz pianists.” With bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Willie Jones III rounding out the rhythm section, it’s a hard-swinging band that anchors Smoke’s holiday week of special guests. Sun Dec 27 “COUNTDOWN 2027” COLTRANE FESTIVAL: RANDY BRECKER WITH THE COUNTDOWN FESTIVAL QUARTET featuring VINCENT HERRING & ERIC SCOTT REED
Renowned trumpeter Randy Brecker is the special guest of the Countdown Festival Quartet featuring saxophonist Vincent Herring and pianist Eric Scott Reed. For more than six decades, Brecker has been an unmistakable voice in American music. A founding member of Blood, Sweat & Tears and an alumnus of the bands of Horace Silver and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, he went on to co-found the hugely influential Brecker Brothers with his late brother, saxophonist Michael Brecker, and became one of New York’s most in-demand studio players. His trumpet and flugelhorn grace hundreds of recordings by artists as varied as James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Parliament-Funkadelic, Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, and Frank Zappa. A multiple GRAMMY winner, Brecker remains one of the most versatile and influential figures in jazz, R&B, and rock. The Countdown Festival Quartet is led by two Smoke favorites: alto saxophonist Vincent Herring and pianist Eric Scott Reed. The New York City Jazz Record says Herring “has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters,” and The New York Times notes that he “projects his sound in a strong, centered beam.” His latest Smoke Sessions release, Split Decision, a live summit with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander recorded at Smoke, prompted Downbeat to call the pair “two of the finest saxophonists on the jazz scene,” and made The Times of London’s mid-year list of the best jazz albums of 2025. Reed, a veteran of Wynton Marsalis’s septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, is “one of my very favorite pianists,” according to the late, great Ahmad Jamal, and All About Jazz says he has “fully established himself at the forefront of jazz pianists.” With bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Willie Jones III rounding out the rhythm section, it’s a hard-swinging band that anchors Smoke’s holiday week of special guests. Mon-Wed Dec 28-30 + Fri-Sun Jan 1-3 “COUNTDOWN 2027” COLTRANE FESTIVAL: A SUPREME BLUE: INSPIRED BY “A LOVE SUPREME” AND “KIND OF BLUE”
In celebration of the centennial birth years of John Coltrane and Miles Davis, GRAMMY Award-winning trumpeter, pianist, composer, and producer Nicholas Payton presents A Supreme Blue, a groundbreaking reimagining of two of their most iconic and influential recordings: Coltrane’s A Love Supreme (1965) and Davis’s Kind of Blue (1959). Joining Payton is an all-star quintet featuring tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, guitarist Mike Moreno, bassist Vicente Archer, and drummer Mark Whitfield Jr. Conceived in honor of the Coltrane and Davis centennials, A Supreme Blue—also the title of Payton’s acclaimed collaboration with the band Butcher Brown—explores the compositions of these landmark recordings with arrangements informed by the musical developments since the 1960s. These performances present Payton’s vision in an acoustic setting with an all-star ensemble, offering a distinctive new perspective on the project. A New Orleans native and one of the most original creative voices of his generation, Payton has built a singular body of work across the spectrum of Black American Music (BAM). As The Chicago Tribunereported, “No descriptive label or category could be affixed to Payton’s solos, which were as brashly original as they were technically imposing.” Wed-Sun Jan 6-10 “COUNTDOWN 2027” COLTRANE FESTIVAL: JAMES CARTER QUINTET
Smoke’s 14th annual Coltrane Festival, Countdown 2027, comes to a close with its final week, as Detroit saxophone powerhouse James Carter leads a hard-swinging quintet to bring the festival home in the new year. A master of the entire saxophone family, from soprano to bass, Carter first made his name as a teenage stand-in for Lester Bowie and went on to work with Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and his cousin, violinist Regina Carter. He has won DownBeat’s Critics and Readers polls for baritone saxophone in several consecutive years and even appeared on screen as Ben Webster in Robert Altman’s Kansas City. TIME praised his “sweet, sinuous tone,” while the Los Angeles Times noted he can also play “with a surprisingly soft and tender sound.” Carter is joined on the front line by fellow tenor saxophonist Stacy Dillard, setting up a two-tenor summit in the tradition of the great tenor battles. Dillard moved to New York in 2002, shortly after Wynton Marsalis heard him at a Cincinnati jam session and told him, “Man, you can play.” He has since become a fixture of the New York scene, working with pianists Eric Reed and Cyrus Chestnut and drummer Willie Jones III, among many others. About SMOKELocated on Manhattan’s Upper West Side at the junction of Broadway and 106th Street (aka Duke Ellington Boulevard), Smoke Jazz Club is one of New York City’s premier live music venues. Renowned for offering top-notch programming of accessible, timeless jazz featuring legendary performers, modern masters, and rising stars, Smoke stands apart with its candlelit dining room, stellar acoustics, and classic American cuisine. Founded in 1999, SMOKE also boasts a Grammy®-nominated label, Smoke Sessions Records, and a celebrated streaming concert series, Smoke Screens.
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