SMOKE Jazz Club, New York City, Programme for April 2026.

Wednesday, March 04, 2026

SMOKE Jazz Club has announced its schedule for April 2026. Performers include Wayne Escoffery, Kendrick Scott, Vijay Iyer, Joel Ross, Steve Wilson

We have received the following press release;

Smoke Jazz Club Announces April 2026 Line-up including Steve Wilson, Vijay Iyer, Joel Ross, and More

Announcing SMOKE Jazz Club’s April 2026 Line-up Including Vijay Iyer, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott and Powerhouse Saxophonists Wayne Escoffery and Steve Wilson

Wayne Escoffery with the ELEW Trio (Apr 1-5)
Kendrick Scott Quintet (Apr 8-12)
Vijay Iyer Quartet (Apr 15-19)
Joel Ross’s Good Vibes (Apr 22-26)
Steve Wilson Quintet Enduring Sonance Album Release (Apr 29-May 3)

Hailed as the “#1 Jazz Club in New York City (SecretNYC),” SMOKE Jazz Club presents today’s leading artists in April 2026 aka Jazz Appreciation Month. The month is bookended by two premier saxophonists: tenor Wayne Escoffery returns with explosive pianist ELEW and his Trio (Apr 1-5); and alto/soprano Steve Wilson (pictured above) and his Quintet celebrate their highly anticipated new album Enduring Sonance released on the club’s eponymous GRAMMY-nominated label, in a five-night run (Apr 29-May 3). Additional highlights include exceptional young talents: acclaimed drummer Kendrick Scott leading his Quintet (Apr 8-12) and rising star vibraphonist Joel Ross and his band Good Vibes (Apr 22-26). SMOKE is thrilled to welcome back the trailblazing pianist/composer Vijay Iyer to its stage, but this time with his visionary Quartet (Apr 15-19). For the most updated April schedule, please visit SMOKEjazz.com. As always, all Friday night concerts are livestreamed!

About SMOKE
Located 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.

APRIL 2026 @ SMOKE Jazz Club
(schedule subject to change)
When: Wednesday-Sunday @ 6:00 p.m. + 8:00 p.m. and additional 10:00 p.m. (Fri & Sat only). Doors open at 4:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted).
Where: SMOKE Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway (between 105/106th Streets),
New York, NY, Train: 1 to 103rd Street.
Tickets: General $25+. Livestream $15 (Fri only). For more information and to make reservations, please visit http://www.smokejazz.com.

Wed-Sun Apr 1-5 WAYNE ESCOFFERY with the ELEW TRIO
Wayne Escoffery – tenor saxophone
ELEW – piano
Bar Filipowicz – bass
David Hawkins – drums
“Every time he plays, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery brings a sense memory that includes early days in the church choir in New Haven, Connecticut; the wisdom and watchful eye of the legendary Jackie McLean; time spent with The Mingus Big Band, Ron Carter and Tom Harrell.” – WBGO
Acclaimed tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery joins forces with pianist ELEW and the dynamic ELEW Trio for a highly anticipated, high-voltage collaboration. A two-time Grammy Award winner and longtime member of The Mingus Big Band, Escoffery is widely regarded as one of the premier tenor saxophonists of his generation. His sound is commanding yet lyrical, rooted in the hard-bop tradition while exploring modern harmonic territory. One of the most prominent protégés of the great Jackie McLean, Escoffery authentically channels the energy and passion of his formative mentor. All About Jazz says, “Not since the works of bassist Charles Mingus and saxophonist John Coltrane has there been music so charged with emotion and so engulfed in spirituality.” Stereogum adds, “the leader’s playing has thoughtfulness and muscle in equal measure.”
ELEW (formerly Eric Lewis) is widely acclaimed for redefining the piano trio format. He is renowned for explosive live performances and daring reinterpretations of contemporary repertoire, infusing them with the raw energy of rock and pop. His percussive attack, sweeping dynamics, and rhythm ingenuity create a sound that is both original and immediately familiar. The Wall Street Journal declares, “ELEW plays with fire, style, and relentless energy.”

Wed-Sun Apr 8-12 KENDRICK SCOTT QUINTET
Dayna Stephens – tenor saxophone
Simon Moullier – vibraphone
Kevin Hays – piano
Vicente Archer – bass
Kendrick Scott – drums
“Kendrick is a true artist of the highest order. He is exactly what we need: someone with the vision and courage to press forward and expand the world of music.” – Jazz Times
Acclaimed drummer and composer Kendrick Scott makes his debut as a bandleader at SMOKE, leading an exceptional quintet featuring saxophonist Dayna Stephens, vibraphonist Simon Moullier, pianist Kevin Hays, and bassist Vicente Archer. A five-time Grammy nominee and one of the most distinctive rhythmic voices in contemporary jazz, Scott has toured and recorded with artists including Herbie Hancock, Charles Lloyd, Terence Blanchard, Kurt Elling, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. He appears on several of Blanchard’s celebrated Blue Note releases and has also recorded his own acclaimed albums for Blue Note Records, affirming his place among the label’s leading contemporary voices. His drumming balances power with restraint, propulsion with space. As The New York Times observes, he plays with “an ultramodern sense of propulsion… lightweight yet heavy-gauge.”
As a bandleader, Scott brings a vision that is both expansive and intimate. Downbeat praises him as “a sophisticated composer whose hooky melodies lean toward the poetic and spiritual.” With this remarkable quintet lineup, his compositions promise richly layered textures and a dynamic conversation among five master improvisers.

Wed-Sun Apr 15-19 VIJAY IYER QUARTET
Adam O’Farrill – trumpet
Vijay Iyer – piano & Fender Rhodes
Devon Gates – bass
Jeremy Dutton – drums
“Trailblazing… one of his generation’s brightest jazz luminaries.”– Time Out New York
Pianist Vijay Iyer leads a visionary quartet featuring trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, bassist Devon Gates, and drummer Jeremy Dutton. Iyer was described by The New York Times as a “social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker, and multicultural gateway.” Iyer has carved out a unique path as an influential, prolific, shape-shifting presence in 21st Century music. A composer and pianist active and revered across multiple musical communities, Iyer has created a consistently innovative, emotionally resonant body of work over the last three decades, earning him a place as one of the leading music-makers of his generation.
He is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, among many accolades, and was named Downbeat’s Jazz Artist of the Year four times in the last decade. He was called “an American treasure” by Minnesota Public Radio and has been praised by Pitchfork as “one of the best in the world at what he does.”

Wed-Sun Apr 22-26 JOEL ROSS’S GOOD VIBES
Joel Ross – vibraphone
Devin Daniels – alto saxophone
Tyler Bullock – piano
Kanoa Mendenhall – bass
Jeremy Dutton – drums
“It’s easy to hear poetry in Ross’ performances, in the strike of his mallets and the prosody of his phrasing.” – Downbeat
Celebrated vibraphonist Joel Ross makes his bandleader debut at Smoke, with his band of exceptional young talent, Good Vibes, with saxophonist Devin Daniels, pianist Tyler Bullock, bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, and drummer Jeremy Dutton. A rising star on the modern jazz scene, Ross has released five albums as a leader on Blue Note Records, including his latest, Gospel Music, which explores storytelling and the spiritual dimensions of music. His work has drawn praise for its clarity, lyrical depth, and balance of technical sophistication with emotional resonance.
Ross has performed and recorded with some of the leading voices in contemporary jazz, including Christian McBride, Kenny Barron, Jon Batiste, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Ari Hoenig. He was also recently featured on drummer Joe Farnsworth’s acclaimed release, The Big Room (SMOKE Sessions Records). Ross’s playing is praised for its precision, expressive nuance, and capacity to shape the ensemble’s sound while remaining fully in dialogue with other musicians. The New Yorker writes that he “takes advantage of the inclusive options of millennial jazz.”
His compositions often combine rhythmic intricacy, melodic invention, and harmonic subtlety, reflecting both rigorous study and the vibrant, communal energy of Chicago gospel, which shaped his early musical life. The New York Times says he “is an upstart reasserting how scholarly group improvisation, rooted in spiritual intent, might feel fresh — even provocative.”

Wed-Sun Apr 29-May 3 STEVE WILSON QUINTET ENDURING SONANCE album release
Steve Wilson – alto & soprano saxophone, flute
Joe Locke – vibraphone
Renee Rosnes – piano
Jay Anderson – bass
Kendrick Scott – drums
“Wilson has the rare ability to say more with less and to let the space between each note breathe and resonate.” – The San Diego Tribune
Beloved saxophonist Steve Wilson makes his debut at SMOKE as a bandleader with a quintet of extraordinary musicians celebrating the release of his new album, Enduring Sonance (tbr May 1, SMOKE Sessions Records). Vibraphonist Joe Locke, pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Kendrick Scott join Wilson for a deeply personal and illuminating program.
One of jazz’s most versatile and lyrical voices, Wilson has performed and recorded with luminaries including Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Maria Schneider, Billy Childs, and Dianne Reeves. His career has been celebrated in Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls, as well as by the Jazz Journalists Association on several occasions. His versatility as a player—from alto and soprano saxophone to flute—has made him a highly respected presence in the studio and on bandstands. It led the Wall Street Journal to conclude, “Mr. Wilson is essential to this city’s jazz landscape.”
He brings that same clarity, artistry, and depth to Enduring Sonance, a collection of compositions that have resonated across his life—from standards to contemporary compositions, all interpreted with his distinctive voice. From Billy Childs, George Cables, and Eliane Elias, to Quincy Jones, Gino Vannelli, and Milton Nascimento, this quintet and the selections from Enduring Sonance are full of surprises.