HotSpots - This Weekend

Weekend Jazz Hang (Curated by Hot House Jazz Magazine)

December 12, 2025

Melba Liston Remembered: Two Nights, One Legacy

This week, New York honors the enduring legacy of Melba Liston—trailblazing trombonist, composer, arranger, and one of the most quietly influential architects of modern jazz.

On Saturday, December 13, Sista’s Place hosts a special tribute celebrating Liston’s life and music, performed by an ensemble deeply connected to her sound and spirit. The tribute continues Friday, December 19 at The Django NYC, where the same core band reconvenes, joined by saxophonist TK Blue, a longtime collaborator and close musical ally of Liston.

Liston’s career defied the limitations imposed on her era. As a composer and arranger, she shaped the sound of Charles Mingus, Randy Weston, Dizzy Gillespie, and others—often without receiving the recognition afforded her male peers. Her work blended orchestral precision with Afro-diasporic depth, leaving an indelible mark on large-ensemble jazz and modern composition.

These two performances are not retrospectives—they are living continuations. Heard across intimate stages rather than museum walls, Liston’s music remains exactly where it belongs: active, resonant, and necessary. MORE INFO

🚀 Boundary-Pushers

Artists experimenting, innovating, and stretching jazz forward

Boundary-Pushers this week center on artists and settings where form is flexible and the music leads. The focus ranges from large-scale reinterpretation to intimate risk-taking: Duke Ellington’s Such Sweet Thunder reframed at Symphony Space; the Coltrane lineage extended at Smoke through Melissa Aldana, Walter Smith III, and George Garzone; and Jacky Terrasson’s elastic trio language at Dizzy’s. The category also reaches into club and listening-room spaces—Briana Swann at Aman, Darrell Green at Cellar Dog, and the rhythm-driven edge of Billy Drummond and April Varner at Mezzrow—then outward to Tyshawn Sorey’s uncompromising trio work at Firehouse 12, Jon Faddis’s high-octane leadership with Jazz Arts Project, and large-ensemble reinvention from New York Voices and Dan Pugach’s big band. Taken together, these dates trace a through-line of innovation that honors tradition while actively reshaping it in real time.

Countdown 2026 Coltrane Festival ft. Melissa Aldana, Walter Smith III & George Garzone Sextet | Dec 13–14 | Smoke Jazz Club: A boundary-pushing Coltrane-centered bill where three distinct improvising minds converge—Aldana’s modern tenor logic, Smith’s wide-angle phrasing, and Garzone’s veteran intensity. Expect music that honors the lineage by testing its edges. MORE INFO

Jacky Terrasson Trio | Dec 13–14 | Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center: Terrasson’s trio is built for surprise—elastic time, quick pivots, and a feel that can turn on a dime without losing the thread. A strong pick for listeners who want swing plus spontaneity, not comfort. MORE INFO

Billy Drummond Trio | Dec 13 | Mezzrow: Drummond is a master of forward motion—drumming that reshapes the room’s gravity and forces new decisions in real time. Mezzrow’s close listening environment makes the trio’s inner architecture audible. MORE INFO

Duke Ellington’s Such Sweet Thunder | Dec 14 | Symphony Space: Ellington’s Shakespeare suite remains radical: character-driven writing, color, and narrative structure that still feels modern. A reminder that “boundary-pushing” doesn’t always mean new—sometimes it means hearing a masterwork as the experiment it was. MORE INFO

Countdown 2026 Coltrane Festival ft. Melissa Aldana, Walter Smith III & George Garzone Sextet | Dec 12-14| Smoke Jazz Club: 2751 B'way, New York, NY 10025. 212-864-6662. www.smokejazz.com 

Duke Ellington’s Such Sweet Thunder | Dec 12 | Symphony Space: 2537 B'way, New York, NY 10025. 212-864-5400. symphonyspace.org . Dec 12

Jacky Terrasson Trio — Dizzy's Club At Jazz At Lincoln Center: 10 Columbus Cir, 5th Fl, New York, NY 10019. 212-258-9595. jazz.org/dizzys . Dec 12- 14: 9:00pm Jacky Terrasson Trio

Briana Swann — Jazz Club (The) At Aman New York: The Crown Building, 9 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019. 212-970-2626. www.thejazzclub.com . Dec 13: 6:30pm Briana Swann

Darrell Green Quartet — Cellar Dog: 75 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014. 212-675-6056. www.cellardog.net . Dec 13: 7:00pm Darrell Green Quartet

Billy Drummond Trio — Mezzrow: 163 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014. 646-476-4346. www.smallslive.com . Dec 12 & 13: 7:30pm Billy Drummond Trio

April Varner Quartet — Mezzrow: 163 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014. 646-476-4346. www.smallslive.com . Dec 14: 7:30pm April Varner Quartet

Eddie Allen Quintet — Smalls Jazz Club: 183 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014. 212-252-5091. www.smallsjazzclub.com . Dec 12 & 13 Eddie Allen Quintet

Dezron Douglas Quintet — Smalls Jazz Club: 183 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014. 212-252-5091. www.smallsjazzclub.com . Dec 12 & 13: Dezron Douglas Quintet

Miki Yamanaka Trio — Close Up: 154 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002. . www.closeupnyc.com . Dec 12 8:00pm Miki Yamanaka Trio

Solomon Gottfried — Close Up: 154 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002. . www.closeupnyc.com . Dec 13: 8:00pm Solomon Gottfried

Tyshawn Sorey Trio — Firehouse 12: 47 Crown St, New Haven, CT 06510. 203-785-0468. www.firehouse12.com . Dec 12: 8:30pm Jazz Series Fridays: Tyshawn Sorey Trio

The Joys of Jazz feat. Jon Faddis — Jazz Arts Project: Red Bank, New Jersey, 07701. . JazzArtsProject.org . Dec 14: 5:00pm The Joys of Jazz feat. Jon Faddis

A Swingin’ Christmas with New York Voices — Sharp Theater - Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts: 505 Ramapo Valley Rd, Mahwah, NJ 07430, United States. 201-684-7500. hwww.ramapo.edu . Dec 13: 8:00pm A Swingin’ Christmas with New York Voices

Nicole Zuraitis with the Dan Pugach Big Band — Deer Head Inn: 5 Main St, Delaware Water Gap, PA 18327. 570-424-2000. hwww.deerheadinn.com . Dec 14: 7:00pm Nicole Zuraitis with the Dan Pugach Big Band

Cyrus Chestnut Trio – Christmas jazz — Dumbarton United Methodist Church: 3133 Dumbarton St NW, Washington, DC 20007. 202-333-7212. www.dumbartonumc.org . Dec 12: 7:30pm Cyrus Chestnut Trio – Christmas jazz

🎷 Keepers of the Flame 

Masters and modern torchbearers carrying the jazz tradition forward

Keepers of the Flame this week highlights artists and rooms dedicated to continuity—music grounded in lineage, craft, and the steady transmission of style. From the Birdland Big Band and vocalists Jane Monheit and Gabrielle Stravelli to Chris Botti’s extended Blue Note run, these dates reflect musicianship rooted in form and tone. The category also includes elegant standards work at the Pierre (Mariella Price; The Modern Martinis), swing-forward evenings at Swing 46 with George Gee, and sacred space traditions at Saint Peter’s and First Presbyterian Church. Beyond the city, John Pizzarelli’s holiday program at Jazz Forum, Melissa Errico with Billy Stritch at the Tilles Center, Jane Monheit in Norfolk, and Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite at the Eubie Blake Center reinforce the role of jazz as a living inheritance—kept vibrant through performance, repetition, and respect for the source.

Christian McBride & Inside Straight | Dec 12–14 | Village Vanguard: McBride’s band carries the hard-bop and modern mainstream tradition with authority—tight arrangements, deep groove, and solos built on storytelling rather than flash. The Vanguard setting makes it feel like a living chapter in the lineage. MORE INFO

Mimi Jones | Dec 14 | First Presbyterian Church - Mount Vernon: A grounded, musician-first set from bassist Mimi Jones—deep time, clear direction, and bandleading that favors substance over flash. A strong “keepers” pick for listeners who want tone, feel, and craft to lead the room. MORE INFO

Jazz Vespers ft. Tyler Bassett Sings Mel Tormé | Dec 14 | Saint Peter's Church: Tyler Bassett brings Mel Tormé’s songbook into a reverent setting where the phrasing and lyric intelligence can breathe. This is flame-keeping in its purest form: standards treated with respect, clarity, and vocal discipline. MORE INFO

George Gee Swing All-Stars | Dec 14 | Swing 46: Pure dance-floor swing with a strong New York bandstand tradition—tight horn lines, bright tempos, and that essential big-band feel in a supper-club setting. A reminder that keeping the flame includes keeping the joy. MORE INFO

Birdland Big Band — Birdland: 315 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036. 212-851-3080. www.birdlandjazz.com . Dec 12:

Jane Monheit — Birdland: 315 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036. 212-851-3080.www.birdlandjazz.com . Dec 12

Gabrielle Stravelli — Birdland: 315 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036. 212-851-3080. www.birdlandjazz.com . Dec 13

Mariella Price — Pierre (The): 2 E 61st St, New York, NY 10065. 212-838-8000. thepierreny.com . Dec 12

The Modern Martinis — Pierre (The): 2 E 61st St, New York, NY 10065. 212-838-8000. www.thepierreny.com . Dec 13

Jazz Vespers ft. Tyler Bassett Sings Mel Tormé — Saint Peter's Church: 619 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022. 212-935-2200. www.saintpeters.org . Dec 14: 5:00pm Jazz Vespers ft. Tyler Bassett Sings Mel Tormé

George Gee Swing All-Stars — Swing 46: 349 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036. 212-262-9554. swing46.nyc . Dec 12 & 14: 5:30pm George Gee Swing All-Stars

Chris Botti Quartet — Blue Note Jazz Club: 131 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012. 212-475-8592. www.bluenotejazz.com . Dec 12 - 18

Mimi Jones — First Presbyterian Church: 199 N Columbus Ave, Mount Vernon, NY 10553. 914-636-4977. www.pjsjazz.org . Dec 14: 6:00pm

John Pizzarelli — Swinging Into the Holidays and More — Jazz Forum: 1 Dixon Ln, Tarrytown, NY 10591. 914-631-1000. www.jazzforumarts.org . Dec 12 &1 3

Melissa Errico with Billy Stritch: The Secret Diary of Mrs. Santa — Tilles Center: 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, NY 11548. 516-29-3100. tillescenter.org . Dec 13: 8:00pm Melissa Errico with Billy Stritch: The Secret Diary of Mrs. Santa;

Jane Monheit — Infinity Hall Norfolk: 20 Greenwoods Rd, Norfolk, CT 06058. 860-542-5531. www.infinityhall.com Dec 17

Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite — Live with Charles Funn & The Funn Band! — Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center: 847 North Howard Street Baltimore, MD 21201 United States. 410.225-3130. www.eubieblake.org . Dec 12

✊ Voices of Resistance 

Artists channeling jazz’s spirit of resilience, protest, and community

Voices of Resistance foregrounds music as testimony—art shaped by history, identity, and the refusal to be silenced. This week’s selections draw on legacy and intent, from Du’Bois A’Keen at the Apollo Theater to Ellington’s Such Sweet Thunder, a work rooted in narrative, character, and cultural assertion. At the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute, Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite is revisited not as seasonal fare but as a statement of authorship and Black creative authority. Across these performances, resistance is expressed through composition, context, and presence: music that speaks back to history while insisting on visibility, dignity, and continuation.

Du’Bois A’Keen | Dec 12 | Apollo Theater: 253 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027. 212-531-5300. apollotheater.org Du’Bois A’Keen brings voice, narrative, and intent to a room historically defined by cultural assertion. This is resistance expressed through presence—music that speaks directly to history while claiming contemporary space. MORE INFO

An Ode to Mary Lou Williams | Dec 16 | Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: 515 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10037. 212-491-2200. nypl.org/locations/schomburg A tribute rooted in scholarship and sound, honoring Mary Lou Williams not only as a composer and pianist, but as a cultural architect. The Schomburg setting reinforces the work’s larger purpose: restoration, recognition, and continuity. MORE INFO

Rare Jazz on Film Series – A Jazz Potpourri | Dec 16 | National Jazz Museum in Harlem: 58 W 129th St, New York, NY 10035. 212-348-8300. jmih.org Archival footage becomes an act of resistance when it preserves stories otherwise lost or misframed. This screening centers jazz as lived history—documented, protected, and re-presented on its own terms. MORE INFO

Jazz Harlem in Conversation – Ron Carter and Christian McBride | Dec 17 | National Jazz Museum in Harlem: 58 W 129th St, New York, NY 10035. 212-348-8300. jmih.org A rare intergenerational exchange between two master bassists whose careers define artistic self-determination. The resistance here is intellectual and lived—knowledge shared openly, lineage spoken aloud, and authority claimed without mediation. MORE INFO

Du’Bois A’Keen — Apollo Theater: 253 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027. 212-531-5300. www.apollotheater.org . Dec 12: 8:00pm Du’Bois A’Keen;

Harlem Jazz Series ft. Scott Robinson — Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church: 12 Mt Morris Park W, New York, NY 10027. 212-831-6800. harlemjazzboxx.com . Dec 12: 7:00pm Harlem Jazz Series ft. Scott Robinson, $25;;

The Stone at The New School ft. Ikue Mori — New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music (The): 55 W 13th St, 5th Fl, New York, NY 10011. 212-229-5488. www.newschool.edu/jazz . Dec 12, 13: 8:30pm The Stone at The New School ft. Ikue Mori;

Christian McBride & Inside Straight — Village Vanguard: 178 7th Ave S, New York, NY 10014. 212-255-4037. www.villagevanguard.com . Dec 12, 13, 14: 8:00pm Christian McBride & Inside Straight, Sun-Thurs $35 adm, Fri-Sat $40 adm; 1 drink min;

Sullivan Fortner — Baruch Performing Arts Center: 55 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10010. 212-352-3101. www.baruch.cuny.edu/bpac . Dec 12, 12: 7:30pm Sullivan Fortner;

Sounds of April & Randall (SOAR) — South Jazz Kitchen: 600 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19130. . Dec 12, 12: 7:00pm Sounds of April & Randall (SOAR);

🎵 More Shows/ Events

Andy Ezrin Holiday Solo Piano Concert — Soapbox Gallery: 636 Dean St, Brooklyn, NY 11238. . http://www.soapboxgallery.org . Dec 12: 8:00pm Andy Ezrin Holiday Solo Piano Concert;

Alexis Cole & Ohad Niceberg — Beanrunner Café: 201 South Division St, Peekskill, NY 10566. 914-737-1701. http://www.beanrunnercafe.com . Dec 12: 7:00pm Alexis Cole & Ohad Niceberg;

Other this week expands the frame to include community-building, education, and the next generation of musicians in active formation. At ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, youth-centered programming takes the spotlight with open workshops and rehearsals from The Fat Cats Youth Orchestra, their 15th Anniversary Afternoon Concert Series, and a performance by the New York Youth Symphony. These events emphasize process as much as presentation—spaces where young players learn repertoire, ensemble discipline, and creative confidence in public view. Alongside intimate concerts and regional performances elsewhere in the category, these listings remind us that the ecosystem depends not only on stages and stars, but on rehearsal rooms, mentorship, and the steady cultivation of what comes next.

The Fat Cats Youth Orchestra / New York Youth Symphony — ShapeShifter Lab: 837 Union Street, Ground Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11215, United States. 646-820-9452. shapeshifterplus.org . Dec 14: 7:00pm The Fat Cats Youth Orchestra Open Workshop and Rehearsals; The Fat Cats 15th Anniversary Afternoon Concert Series; Dec 15: 7:00pm New York Youth Symphony.

🔔 Must See Next Week (Dec 15-20)

Next week’s must-see list balances Harlem-facing legacy, Lincoln Center polish, and club-level heat across the city (and a couple of strong out-of-town anchors). Harlem leads with Craig Harris & the Harlem Nightsongs Big Band at Mount Morris Ascension, plus two vital daytime stops: the National Jazz Museum in Harlem for Rare Jazz on Film and a conversation pairing Ron Carter and Christian McBride, and the Schomburg’s Ode to Mary Lou Williams. Midtown and Columbus Circle bring the holiday arc in high definition—JLCO’s Big Band Holidays (with Shenel Johns and Kate Kortum), Christian Sands at Dizzy’s, and Stacey Kent at Birdland—while downtown keeps it grounded with Kenny Barron at the Vanguard and a Wednesday Jazz Hang circuit that ranges from Daryl Sherman (Mezzrow) to William Hill III (Zinc) and a full slate at Pangea, Gotham Jazz, and 333 Lounge. Add Ravi Coltrane at Smoke, Gerald Clayton at the Jazz Gallery, and the Baltimore coda with Tammy McCann, and you’ve got a week that moves between lineage, celebration, and straight-ahead substance.

Craig Harris & the Harlem Nightsongs Big Band – Harlem Jazz Series | Dec 18 | Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church: 12 Mt Morris Park W, New York, NY 10027. 212-831-6800. harlemjazzboxx.com

Rare Jazz on Film Series – A Jazz Potpourri | Dec 16 | National Jazz Museum in Harlem: 58 W 129th St, New York, NY 10035. 212-348-8300. jmih.org

Jazz Harlem in Conversation – Ron Carter and Christian McBride | Dec 17 | National Jazz Museum in Harlem: 58 W 129th St, New York, NY 10035. 212-348-8300. jmih.org

An Ode to Mary Lou Williams | Dec 16 | Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: 515 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10037. 212-491-2200. nypl.org/locations/schomburg

Countdown 2026 Coltrane Festival – Ravi Coltrane Quartet | Dec 17–18 | Smoke Jazz Club: 2751 B'way, New York, NY 10025. 212-864-6662. smokejazz.com

Bill Wurtzel & guests – Wednesday Jazz Hang | Dec 17 | American Folk Art Museum: 2 Lincoln Sq, New York, NY 10023. 212-595-9533. folkartmuseum.org

Stacey Kent | Dec 16–18 | Birdland: 315 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036. 212-851-3080. birdlandjazz.com

Christian Sands | Dec 17–18 | Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center: 10 Columbus Cir, 5th Fl, New York, NY 10019. 212-258-9595. jazz.org/dizzys

Big Band Holidays – JLCO w/ Chris Crenshaw ft. Shenel Johns & Kate Kortum | Dec 16–18 | Jazz at Lincoln Center: 10 Columbus Cir, 5th Fl, New York, NY 10019. 212-258-9800. jazz.org

Kelly Green | Dec 16 | Jazz Club at Aman New York: The Crown Building, 9 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019. 212-970-2626. thejazzclub.com

Benny Benack III Quintet | Dec 16 | Jazz Club at Aman New York: The Crown Building, 9 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019. 212-970-2626. thejazzclub.com

AC Lincoln | Dec 17 | Jazz Club at Aman New York: The Crown Building, 9 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019. 212-970-2626. thejazzclub.com

Stan Rubin Orchestra featuring Joe Politi & Lynn McCune – Wednesday Jazz Hang | Dec 18 | Swing 46: 349 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036. 212-262-9554. swing46.nyc

Daryl Sherman Trio – Wednesday Jazz Hang | Dec 17 | Mezzrow: 163 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014. 646-476-4346. smallslive.com

Kenny Barron Quintet | Dec 16–18 | Village Vanguard: 178 7th Ave S, New York, NY 10014. 212-255-4037. villagevanguard.com

William Hill III Trio – Wednesday Jazz Hang | Dec 17 | Zinc Bar: 82 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012. 212-477-8337. zincbar.com

Wednesday Night Jazz Series – A Whyte Christmas (Alex Leonard, Boots Maleson, Ben Cassara, Eric Comstock, Amy London, Stephanie Nakasian & Jane Scheckter) – Wednesday Jazz Hang | Dec 17 | Pangea: 178 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003. 212-995-0900. pangeanyc.com

Gotham Jazz Wednesday ft. Hot Toddies Jazz Band – Wednesday Jazz Hang | Dec 17 | Somewhere Nowhere NYC at Renaissance Chelsea Hotel: 112 W 25th St, New York, NY 10001. 212-404-7969. prohibitionproductions.com/gothamjazz

Lezlie Harrison feat. Wine & Jazz Trio – Wednesday Jazz Hang | Dec 17 | 333 Lounge: 333 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217. 718-399-8008. 333lounge.com

TLG 30th Anniversary ft. Gerald Clayton – Wednesday Jazz Hang | Dec 17–18 | The Jazz Gallery: 1160 B'way, 5th Fl, New York, NY 10001. jazzgallery.org

Library Jazz Band | Dec 16 | Yonkers Public Library – Grinton I. Will Public Library: 1500 Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY 10710. +1 914-771-9616. ypl.org/grinton-i-will-library

Tammy McCann: Merry Christmas, Baby! | Dec 18 | Keystone Korner Baltimore: 1350 Lancaster St, Baltimore, MD 21231. 410-946-6726. keystonekornerbaltimore.com