On through Feb. 15, Joel Ross’ Good Vibes will brighten the Village Vanguard with a stimulating band of young lions who have grown into artists sharing unique sounds for worldly ears. The growing den of roaring lions includes alto saxophonist Josh Johnson, tenor saxophonist Maria Grand, pianist Tyler Bullock, bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, and drummer Jeremy Dutton.
Ross, unlike many contemporary jazz vibraphonists, plays with two mallets rather than four, to avoid dictating harmony and keep each note distinct. Ross’ bandmembers are all composers and bandleaders in their own rights. Together, they represent a dynamite unit of unbridled creativity.
For reservations, visit villagevanguard.com.
A day for lovers: In Italy, Saint Valentine’s keys are given to lovers “as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart.” In Ghana, Valentine’s Day is known as “National Chocolate Day,” a government initiative to promote the country’s cocoa industry. In the city of Gotham, jazz clubs will offer acts of love and passion.
From Feb. 13–14, song-stylist and five-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves returns to the Rose Theater for two nights of titillating rapture. The NEA Jazz Masters enticing vocals are so warm, so distinct, they would stop an envious nightingale in mid-song. Reeves’s interpretations are striking, silhouette-extensive love stories that ring with the clarity of an Ella Fitzgerald tune.
For tickets, visit jazz.org.
On Valentine’s Day, saxophonist Camille Thurman and the Darrell Green Quartet will be at Dizzy’s Club. Thurman’s prowess flies from her saxophone dexterity to her effortless song interpretations, from standards to originals. Their repertoire will include their various Burt Bacharach and Horace Silver projects, as well as music from their current CD “Confluence, Vol. 1: Alhambra” (2024), featuring Thurman’s unique jazz restructures of “Going Out of My Head,” “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” and the intoxicating original “Love Vibrations.”
She will be accompanied by drummer Darrell Green’s intuitive hard bop swing, trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr., pianist Jordan Williams, and bassist Paul Beaudry. This young quartet’s music is an inventive source of magic. Thurman’s vocals reflect a tinge of vocalist Jean Carne.
Two shows at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; for reservations, visit jazz.org.
Just in case you find yourself on the West Coast on Feb. 14, you may want to check out Jazz in the Sky at the City Club Los Angeles, honoring the legacy of live jazz, love, and the story behind Leon Hefflin Sr. and the Cavalcade of Jazz, an historical book that erects a monument of new facts to be included in the annals of jazz (print, social media, oral history). 6-9 p.m.
Visit eventbrite.com for more info.
As the almighty hawk flapped her enormous wings covering Gotham’s starless wintery skies, a jazz club whispered my name. From such blistery weather reports, any meteorologist would simply think I was out of my mind. What — you seriously going out into that icebox to experience live jazz? Is the music really all that? Yes, if it’s worth going out in summer, then why not in single digits.
To be honest, the Jazz Gallery (1158 Broadway) isn’t that far from Harlem. On that howling winter’s night, Anna Webber Nonet was playing — no, never seen her before; another reason for my going. That nonet (group of nine) snatched the chill from my frosty bones, filled me with a fiery glow. Music that fluttered in my mind; my feet moved, my head bobbed — who said avant garde music, or, let’s say, inventive sounds, can’t be groovin’, with DoYeon Kim on gayageum (Korean zither)? Webber is an imaginative saxophonist/flautist who leads and plays in the possibility of now with intricate notes of tomorrow as her open nonet conversed in altered notes of spontaneity.
It was so delightfully energizing at the cozy Jazz Gallery that I returned a few nights later to witness bassist Russell Hall and his band of four years, Dragon of the South. Odd name for a band on such a frostbiting night, but ironically even locations of warmth inspire heat, and as we know, Hall, a native of Jamaica, loves to spice up his music with hot Jamaican flavor. Matthew Lee’s drums were blazing like a runaway train, with Mike Troy bringing the smoke on tenor sax and Esteban Castro setting the pearly keys on fire with special guest tenor saxophonist Seventh Son burning so much I had to remove my scarf. “We play rock, jazz, bebop, trying to make the world a better place through the music and the original music of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie,” said Hall.
Declan Sheehy-Moss, a creative young saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, mixed-media artist, and producer, also made his own definitive sound during those polar bear nights at the Jazz Gallery. It was my second time seeing Declan. His creativity doesn’t allow fans or newcomers an opportunity to get comfortable — he consistently introduces new material that grabs you instantly or not at all. His music soars beyond those boundless clouds. On this particular night, his visual light show kept the band hidden in dark shadows, playing in the dark with music hittin’ all about. Wow, what a scene, and you missed it just because it was cold! Well, to be honest, thanks to technology, I didn’t make it out that frigid night because I accessed the Jazz Gallery livestream instead, but was upset for missing Declan’s media lights. I could feel the energy from my apartment. Jazz cats rarely go in for lights, but it’s about moving the music forward, innovation.
These artists just happened to be booked on the coldest nights of 2026. They showed up and played as if the Gallery was jammed packed-sold out. That’s what musicians do — they play rain, snow, hail, or deep freeze. They come out to warm us, heal us, rejuvenate us to move on! Thank you.
Some years ago, the legends alto saxophonist Sonny Fortune and drummer Rashied Ali were playing at Sweet Rhythm on 7th Avenue South. That night, it was below zero. This writer ventured down to the West Village — after all, who knew if these two legends would ever play together again. Arriving early, I took a seat only a breath away from the bandstand.
They stepped onto the stage, Fortune wearing his signature hip fedora and Ali in his noted kofi. They roared together — at times, the alto sax was crying, the drums were consolin’, the alto sax chasin’ the drums flyin’. They met at the bridge, dancing in delight. The drum soloed while the sax whispered sweet notes, alto soloed as drum brushes softly kissed.
The illustrious duo, the genius of two, played non-stop for an hour. It became so hot I took off my sweater — it was a jazz oasis; the music was our sun. As the set came to an end, the audience of two — yes, two; myself and Sweet Rhythm owner James Browne — gave them a standing ovation. Wow, what a night. The reason why I continue to venture out in the cold: There’s always a great band looking to give their best performance for even one audience member!