SMOKE Jazz Club, New York City - Programme for December 2025.

Thursday, October 30, 2025

SMOKE Jazz Club has announced its schedule for December 2025 & early January 2026. Shows include Chief Adjuah, the 13th annual Coltrane Festival, New Year's Eve with Jazzmeia Horn.

We have received the following press release;

Just Announced - Smoke Jazz Club December Shows include 13th annual Coltrane Festival, New Year’s Eve with Jazzmeia Horn, and More

SMOKE Jazz Club Announces December 2025 Lineup Including the 13th Annual Coltrane Festival, New Year’s Eve Celebration with Jazzmeia Horn, and More

Chief Adjuah (Dec 5-7)

Coltrane Festival: Melissa Aldana, Walter Smith III & George Garzone Sextet
(Dec 10-14)

Coltrane Festival: Ravi Coltrane Quartet (Dec 17-21)

Coltrane Festival: Eddie Henderson with Vincent Herring Quintet featuring George Cables (Dec 24-25)

Coltrane Festival: Steve Turre with Vincent Herring Quintet featuring George Cables (Dec 26-27)

Coltrane Festival: Steve Davis with Vincent Herring Quintet featuring Eric Scott Reed (Dec 28)

Coltrane Festival: Sarah Hanahan with Vincent Herring Quintet featuring Eric Scott Reed (Dec 29-30)

New Year’s Eve: Jazzmeia Horn & SMOKE Jazz Club All-Stars (Dec 31)

Coltrane Festival: Eric Alexander and Vincent Herring Quintet featuring special guest Eric Scott Reed (Jan 1-4)

NEW YORK, NY — Hailed as the “#1 Jazz Club in New York City (SecretNYC),” SMOKE Jazz Club today announced its exciting December 2025 line-up featuring the annual Coltrane Festival – one of the musical highlights of the holiday season. Over the course of four weeks (Dec 10 – Jan 4), 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 13th annual Coltrane Festival “Countdown 2026” features Ravi Coltrane making an encore appearance at the festival dedicated to his father. Other Festival artists include Vincent Herring, Melissa Aldana, Eric Alexander, Eric Scott Reed, George Cables, Eddie Henderson, and more. NAACP Image Award-winning vocalist Jazzmeia Horn rings in 2026 with a special New Year’s Eve Celebration (Dec 31). For the complete and most updated December schedule, please visit http://www.smokejazz.com. As always, all Friday night concerts are livestreamed!

December 2025 Concert Schedule (subject to change):

Fri-Sun Dec 5-7 CHIEF ADJUAH (formerly Christian Scott) SMOKE debut
Chief Adjuah – trumpet, flugelhorn & Adjuah Bow
Morgan Guerrin – piano, keyboard, saxophone, EWI & percussion
Ryoma Takenaga – bass
Brian Richburg – drums
“jazz’s young style God” – JazzTimes
Trumpeter Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) makes his highly anticipated SMOKE debut. A sonic architect, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, designer of innovative technologies and musical instruments, Adjuah is “ushering in a new era of jazz,” says NPR. He is also the heir to a rich heritage and a member of an extended family central to New Orleans music and culture. He is the grandson of Louisiana luminary and legend, the late Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., founder of the Guardians Institute and Grand Griot, Herreast Harrison. And is the nephew of jazz innovator and NEA Jazz Master saxophonist, Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. Adjuah (and his twin brother Kiel) joined his grandfather’s Guardians of the Flame banner in 1989 at the age of five.
Since 2002, Adjuah has released 12 critically acclaimed studio recordings, three live albums, and one greatest hits collection. Around the globe, fans and critics alike herald Adjuah’s live performance prowess. Notable highlights include a sold-out Carnegie Hall concert and NPR’s Jazz Night in America global broadcast. He has received numerous Grammy nominations and has collaborated with artists such as Prince, Thom Yorke, McCoy Tyner, Marcus Miller, Eddie Palmieri, and Mos Def, among many others. A progenitor of Stretch music, a jazz-rooted, genre blind musical form that attempts to “stretch” jazz’s rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic conventions to encompass multiple musical forms, languages, and cultures, Adjuah is one of the artists leading jazz in the 21st century.

Wed-Sun Dec 10-14 COLTRANE FESTIVAL: MELISSA ALDANA, WALTER SMITH III & GEORGE GARZONE SEXTET
Melissa Aldana – tenor saxophone
Walter Smith III – tenor saxophone
George Garzone – tenor saxophone
Glenn Zaleski – piano
Linda May Han Oh – bass
Bill Stewart – drums
“Few can play John Coltrane’s music with such verve. I don’t believe that anyone has dissected, analyzed, and understands Coltrane’s music with the broad scope and finite level of Garzone.” – All About Jazz
Smoke’s 13th Annual Coltrane Festival, Countdown 2026, opens with an incredible all-star sextet featuring three (!) great tenor saxophone masters: Melissa Aldana, Walter Smith III, and the legendary George Garzone. This tenor trio will be joined by the equally impressive rhythm section of pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Bill Stewart.
Aldana, who assembled this sextet, 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 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 II has become a cornerstone of the jazz scene, contributing to legendary groups such as Roy Haynes’s 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.
Both Aldana and Smith, as well as legions of saxophonists, count George Garzone as a primary influence, mentor, and teacher. A mainstay of the Boston scene for over half a century, Garzone has performed with his legendary trio, The Fringe, since 1972. Michael Brecker said, “I’m not the master of the saxophone, George Garzone is.” Coincidentally (cosmically?), Garzone and Coltrane also share a September 23rd birthday.

Wed-Sun Dec 17-21 COLTRANE FESTIVAL: RAVI COLTRANE QUARTET
“A worthy heir to his father, jazz legend John Coltrane.” – The Telegraph (UK)
Critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated saxophonist and composer Ravi Coltrane makes a highly anticipated encore appearance to elevate again the festival dedicated to his father. 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.”

Wed-Thu Dec 24-25 COLTRANE FESTIVAL: EDDIE HENDERSON with VINCENT HERRING QUINTET featuring GEORGE CABLES
Vincent Herring – alto saxophone
George Cables – piano
Eddie Henderson – trumpet (Dec 24-25)
John Webber – bass
Willie Jones III – drums
“Henderson’s 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.” – Chicago Reader
Trumpet legend Eddie Henderson joins the Vincent Herring Quintet for two nights only. The New York Times says Henderson’s “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.” The eternally youthful Henderson has proven again that he is still making some of the most important music of his career into his 80s.
Vincent Herring, one of the great alto saxophonists, is at the helm of his Quintet paying tribute to the great John Coltrane. NYC Jazz Record raves: “Vincent Herring has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters.”Joining them as special guest pianist all week long is the beloved George Cables. All About Jazz writes, “Anyone who is serious about jazz will tell you that George Cables belongs in the pantheon of the greatest jazz pianists.”

Fri-Sat Dec 26-27 COLTRANE FESTIVAL: STEVE TURRE with VINCENT HERRING QUINTET featuring GEORGE CABLES
Vincent Herring – alto saxophone
George Cables – piano
Steve Turre – trombone
John Webber – bass
Willie Jones III – drums
“Steve Turre…perhaps the leading trombonist of this generation.” – Rolling Stone
Master trombonist and seashell innovator Steve Turre joins the Vincent Herring Quintet for two nights only. His storied career includes work alongside music legends Ray Charles, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Woody Shaw. He has consistently won both the Readers’ and Critics’ polls in JazzTimes, Downbeat, and Jazziz for “Best Trombone” and “Best Miscellaneous Instrumentalist (shells).” He is a versatile master and a true jazz original. Downbeat says, “Few artists ‘own’ their instrument to the degree that trombonist Steve Turre does. 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.”
Vincent Herring, one of the great alto saxophonists, is at the helm of his Quintet paying tribute to the great John Coltrane. NYC Jazz Record raves: “Vincent Herring has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters.”Joining them as special guest pianist all week long is the beloved George Cables. All About Jazz writes, “Anyone who is serious about jazz will tell you that George Cables belongs in the pantheon of the greatest jazz pianists.”

Sun Dec 28 COLTRANE FESTIVAL: STEVE DAVIS with VINCENT HERRING QUINTET featuring ERIC SCOTT REED
Vincent Herring – alto saxophone
Eric Scott Reed – piano
Steve Davis – trombone
David Wong – bass
Carl Allen – drums
“Davis thoughtfully balances modernism, lyricism, and drive—as a writer and a player.” - DownBeat
Steve Davis joins the stellar group for one night only. A major jazz trombonist since he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1990,” according to The New York City Jazz Record, Davis has also been a SMOKE Jazz Club favorite for many years. “He has established himself as one of the most accomplished and lyrical improvisers on his instrument as well as a prolific composer,” says JazzTimes.
Vincent Herring, one of the great alto saxophonists, is at the helm of his Quintet paying tribute to the great John Coltrane. NYC Jazz Record raves: “Vincent Herring has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters.”Joining them as special guest pianist all week long is Eric Scott Reed. All About Jazz notes that Reed has “fully established himself at the forefront of jazz pianists.” A child prodigy who honed his craft in his father’s storefront Baptist Church, Reed has been a key figure in jazz for over three decades. “Eric Scott Reed…one of those tremendously gifted players.” (DownBeat)

Mon-Tue Dec 29-30 COLTRANE FESTIVAL: SARAH HANAHAN with
VINCENT HERRING QUINTET featuring ERIC SCOTT REED
Vincent Herring – alto saxophone
Eric Scott Reed – piano
Sarah Hanahan – alto saxophone
David Wong – bass
Carl Allen – drums
“While she’s comfortable building phrases within the language of Charlie Parker, Hanahan is also confident exploring along the outer edges of the music.”- WBGO Radio
Alto saxophone phenom Sarah Hanahan is a special guest for two nights. Hanahan is a fiery soloist and one of the most exciting young players to arrive in New York City in years. Vincent Herring, one of the great alto saxophonists, is at the helm of his Quintet paying tribute to the great John Coltrane. NYC Jazz Record raves: “Vincent Herring has firmly established himself as one of his generation’s masters.”Joining them as special guest pianist all week long is Eric Scott Reed. All About Jazz notes that Reed has “fully established himself at the forefront of jazz pianists.” A child prodigy who honed his craft in his father’s storefront Baptist Church, Reed has been a key figure in jazz for over three decades. “Eric Scott Reed…one of those tremendously gifted players.” (DownBeat)

Wed Dec 31 NEW YEAR’S EVE: JAZZMEIA HORN & SMOKE JAZZ CLUB ALL-STARS
Jazzmeia Horn – vocals
Vincent Herring – alto saxophone
Cyrus Chestnut – piano
Johnathan Blake – drums
SMOKE’s New Year’s Eve Celebration is a perennial highlight of the year-end Coltrane Festival. This year features an encore performance by popular demand of the acclaimed vocalist Jazzmeia Horn with the SMOKE Jazz All-Stars, featuring alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, and drummer Johnathan Blake. It is a group guaranteed to deliver the best festive, swinging New Year’s Eve Celebration anywhere, accompanied by a special four-course, prix-fixe menu.
Billboard reports that Horn is “undoubtedly among the jazz world’s most exciting young vocalists.” Herring, Chestnut, and Blake are reunited from Herring’s celebrated 2021 album Preaching to the Choir, which NPR’s Fresh Air said: “is aimed at folks who like their jazz with a dollop of swing, rhythm, and blues feeling, music steeped in the African American vernacular and played by a soloist with swagger.”
Two Seatings:
7:00 p.m. includes a four-course holiday dinner and one show ($250 + tax & tip)
9:30 p.m. includes a four-course holiday dinner, two shows, midnight celebration with prosecco champagne toast, hats & noise makers ($350 plus tax & tip)

Wed-Sun Jan 1-4 COLTRANE FESTIVAL: ERIC ALEXANDER & VINCENT HERRING QUINTET featuring special guest ERIC SCOTT REED
Vincent Herring – alto saxophone
Eric Alexander – tenor saxophone
Eric Scott Reed – piano
Peter Washington – bass
Johnathan Blake– drums
“Herring fuses instrumental mastery with equal and unified parts of jazz’s holy trinity of heart, mind, and soul.” – WNPR Radio
“Eric Alexander can play the tenor saxophone—never doubt that. He has the chops, power, and passion that make him one of the most blazingly bad-assed saxophonists of his generation.” – DownBeat
Vincent Herring and Eric Alexander—two of the greatest saxophonists around—on alto and tenor respectively, close out SMOKE’s 13th annual Coltrane Festival, Countdown 2026, as only they could, with the help of special guest pianist Eric Scott Reed and two of the very best in bassist Peter Washington and drummer Johnathan Blake.
Alexander and Herring released a new album Split Decision (SMOKE Sessions Records) to rave reviews. Jazz Weeklycalled it “a knockout!” Paris Move, “a high-caliber classic,” and JazzWise, a “tour de force.” When these two virtuosos meet, the sparks fly, and the temperature rises. It’s been 20 years since they first went head-to-head on record for 2005’s The Battle: Live at Smoke. Both were already acclaimed among the powerhouse reedmen of their generation, and they have only garnered more acclaim in the two decades since. All About Jazz says, “For those who long for the time when hard bop reigned supreme… here’s a sure cure for any lament that those days are lost and gone forever.”

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. For everything else, visit http://www.smokejazz.com.

Ticketing + Information:
When: Wednesday-Sunday @ 7:00 p.m. + 9:00 p.m. and additional 10:30 p.m. (Fri & Sat only). Doors open at 5:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted).
Where: SMOKE Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway (between 105/106th Streets), New York, NY, Train: 1 to 103rd Street.
Tickets: In-Person $25+. Livestream $15 (Fri only). For more information and to make reservations, please visit http://www.smokejazz.com.