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

Thursday, October 08, 2026

SMOKE Jazz Club has announced its schedule for November 2026. Performers include Charles McPherson, Terrell Stafford, Wayne Escoffery, Jimmy Greene, Billy Hart, Peter Bernstein, Sullivan Fortner.

We have received the following press release;

Just Announced: November Line-up at Smoke Jazz Club includes Charles McPherson, Billy Hart, Tenor Titans, and More

Announcing the November Line-up at SMOKE Jazz Club Featuring Charles McPherson, Billy Hart, Peter Bernstein with Sullivan Fortner, and the Tenor Titans! Wayne Escoffery and Jimmy Greene

Charles McPherson Quintet featuring Terell Stafford (Nov 4-8)

Tenor Titans! The Wayne Escoffery & Jimmy Greene Quintet featuring Buster Williams & Lenny White (Nov 11-15)

Billy Hart Quartet (Nov 18-22)

Peter Bernstein Quartet Featuring Sullivan Fortner (Nov 27-29)

NEW YORK, NY ) — Hailed as the “#1 Jazz Club in New York City (SecretNYC),” SMOKE Jazz Club today announced an exciting line-up for November 2026. The month begins with two legends leading their respective quintets: bebop saxophonist Charles McPherson (pictured above) and NEA Jazz Master Billy Hart. TENOR TITANS! the Wayne Escoffery and Jimmy Greene Quintet features jazz legends Buster Williams and Lenny White. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend welcome back acclaimed guitarist Peter Bernstein featuring a guest appearance by 3x Grammy Award-winning pianist Sullivan Fortner. For the most up-to-date November schedule, please visit http://www.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.

NOVEMBER 2026 @ SMOKE Jazz Club
When: Wednesday-Sunday at 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 SMOKEjazz.com.

Wed-Sun Nov 4-8 CHARLES MCPHERSON QUINTET featuring TERELL STAFFORD
Charles McPherson – alto saxophone
Terell Stafford – trumpet
Jeb Patton – piano
David Wong – bass
Billy Drummond – drums
“No jazz musician of the past 60 years has more palpably channelled the sound of Charlie Parker than alto saxophonist Charles McPherson.” – Jazziz
Alto saxophonist and bebop legend Charles McPherson leads his hard-swinging quintet featuring trumpeter Terell Stafford with pianist Jeb Patton, bassist David Wong, and drummer Billy Drummond.
One of the most acclaimed and beloved voices in jazz, McPherson’s rich musical style is rooted in the blues and bebop and has influenced and inspired generations of musicians and listeners for over six decades. He has performed at concerts and festivals around the world with jazz greats like Barry Harris, Billy Eckstine, Nat Adderley, Jay McShann, Phil Woods, Wynton Marsalis, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, and others.
In a recent review, Downbeat states, “As a still-vibrant jazz veteran with ties to innovators like Charles Mingus and Lionel Hampton, McPherson’s writing carries on the traditional weight of bebop and swing, buoyed with an inventive, contemporary spark.” Paris Move writes of his recent acclaimed album, Reverence: “If you love jazz, this album is already a legend.”

Wed-Sun Nov 11-15 TENOR TITANS! THE WAYNE ESCOFFERY & JIMMY GREENE QUINTET featuring BUSTER WILLIAMS & LENNY WHITE
Wayne Escoffery – tenor saxophone
Jimmy Greene – tenor saxophone
David Kikoski – piano
Buster Williams – bass
Lenny White – drums
“[Escoffery’s] sound is arguably a contemporary mix of Coltrane, Shorter, and Henderson influences, but is already personal. His technique is superb.” – Jazzwise
“Jimmy is phenomenal. He has a really creative imagination and beautiful feeling. His tone is big and warm and beautiful.” – Tom Harrell
Tenor saxophonists Wayne Escoffery and Jimmy Greene lead an extraordinary quintet featuring pianist David Kikoski, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White.
Two powerful and distinctive voices in modern jazz, Escoffery and Greene share a deep musical connection dating back to their studies with the great Jackie McLean. Both have developed singular voices of their own while carrying forward the tradition of passionate, hard-swinging tenor playing. Escoffery has performed and recorded with artists including Tom Harrell, Mingus Big Band, Eric Reed, and Herbie Hancock, while Greene has worked with Ron Carter, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Tom Harrell, Kenny Barron, and many others.

Wed-Sun Nov 18-22 BILLY HART QUARTET
Mark Turner – tenor saxophone
Ethan Iverson – piano
Ben Street – bass
Billy Hart – drums
“His quartet has often been hailed as one of the leading bands in jazz.” – The New York Times
Drummer and NEA Jazz Master Billy Hart leads his incredible quartet featuring tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Ben Street.
One of the most influential and revered drummers in jazz, Hart has been at the center of the music’s evolution for more than six decades. His extraordinary career includes performances and recordings with some of the greatest artists in jazz and beyond, including Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Shirley Horn, Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, Otis Redding, and Sam & Dave. Through his singular blend of rhythmic imagination, sensitivity, and fearless creativity, Hart continues to inspire generations of musicians and listeners.
The New York Times has hailed his quartet as “one of the leading bands in jazz.” The Detroit Free Presswrites, “Freedom, discipline, daring, passion, swing, broken rhythm, orchestral textures, interactive sparring, shocking dynamics, astounding creativity and authority. Want to know what jazz is really about? Listen to Billy Hart.”

Thu Nov 26 CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

Fri-Sun Nov 27-29 PETER BERNSTEIN QUARTET featuring SULLIVAN FORTNER
Peter Bernstein – guitar
Sullivan Fortner – piano
Peter Washington – bass
Joe Farnsworth – drums
“[Bernstein’s] technique is amazing… his harmonic ingenuity is endless.” – The Guardian
Guitarist Peter Bernstein leads his acclaimed quartet featuring pianist Sullivan Fortner with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth.
One of the most influential and distinctive voices in jazz guitar, Bernstein’s masterful playing is rooted in the tradition of straight-ahead swing while embracing a deep harmonic sophistication and lyrical sensibility. For over three decades, he has performed and recorded with many of the leading figures in jazz, including Sonny Rollins, Lou Donaldson, Diana Krall, Joshua Redman, Larry Goldings, and others.
“His technique is amazing, using a seamless combination of single-line and chordal playing, and his harmonic ingenuity is endless,” writes The Guardian. All About Jazz reports that Bernstein “stands head and shoulders above the crowd,” while The Times (UK) observes, “Bernstein is a master of straight-ahead swing with submerged complexities, which is a way of saying that, while his music is advanced, the listener never feels shut out.”
Grammy Award-winning pianist Sullivan Fortner has emerged as one the defining pianistic voices of his generation, equally distinctive as a solo artist, ensemble leader and collaborator. Described by Fred Hersch as “one of the best pianists in the world today,” Fortner was presented with The Gilmore’s 2026 lucrative prize, The Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award, and the 2015 winner of the Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz award.