This special Sunday series was curated by Denver jazz pianist Stu MacAskie to explore the great drummer-less trios throughout jazz history. Art Tatum, Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson, and Benny Green all recorded and performed in the piano/guitar/bass format. Allowing for a different sound, more freedom for the piano and guitar to work together, and a different focus on swinging, the Trios Trio plays music inspired by this great tradition along with original compositions and arrangements honoring this tradition. During…

Drummer Dru Heller presents a celebration of the music of Paul Motian. One of the most influential jazz drummers of all time, Motian first came to prominence in the late 1950s in the piano trio of Bill Evans, and was a member of Keith Jarrett's "American Quartet" from 1967-76. As a leader he is most known for his trio with saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frisell, as well as his Electric BebopBand which showcased many different young lions of…

THE DEMOCRACY is a modern jazz quintet that operates in a way that allows each musician to be an active a part of the creative direction of the ensemble. All five players contribute to the original works performed an all have a say of how each night will go... this band is proof that the spirit of Democracy is alive and well. adam bartczak - trombone, sam williams - saxophone , peter stoltzman - piano, gonzalo teppa - bass, dru…

Bobby Wiens is a Canadian-born jazz drummer now based out of Greeley, CO. He has worked as both a leader and a sideman with several world-class musicians throughout the U.S. and Canada. Wiens has had the privilege of studying with master drummers such as John Riley, Jim White, Dylan van der Schyff, Jon McCaslin, and Memo Acevedo among others. Since graduating from the University of Northern Colorado with his Masters degree in Jazz Studies, Wiens maintains a busy playing and…

For this streaming show Bassist Seth Lewis celebrates the release of his album “Go Your Own Way.” Seth is most often found supporting other artists as the bassist in their groups, but the recording and live performance presents music he has composed and arranged for a group of Colorado’s best musicians.  The group this evening includes Shawn Williams on trumpet, Austin Cebulski on saxophone, Tom Amend on Piano and Brian Claxton on drums. This dynamic ensemble brings mature creative chemistry…

The Spencer Zweifel Quintet is a dynamic ensemble that combines strong individual playing into a cohesive group sound. Inspired by the classic quintets led by Charles Mingus, Horace Silver, Chick Corea and Dave Holland, Zweifel’s quintet draws from all corners of the jazz world. Swing, hard bop, free music, and the Great American Songbook come together for an exciting and fresh musical experience. The majority of the repertoire is originals by the band supplemented with standards that have personal meaning to…

Nocturne's Saturday Supper & Stream features Clay-Gott Chordless Quartet. Taylor Clay was born in Brooklyn, NY and began his musical journeys at the age of 13 and went on to study at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY. After completing his degree in Music Performance in 2012, he moved to Colorado to attend the Univeristy of Northern Colorado as a graduate student and teaching assistant. Taylor currently lives in Denver, Colorado works as a busy freelance musician. Saxophonist and…

A Nocturne holiday season tradition in its sixth year, we present a night of seasonal cheer that riffs on classic versions of Frank, Perry and Ella holiday arrangements, as well as select songs from Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas and beyond. Curated by Drew Morell and Scott Mattson. This evening celebrates the magic of the season with a little a dash of nostalgia atop some hard swinging music. Tom Amend - piano, Drew Morell - bass, Louisa Amend - vocals,  - guitar, Scott Mattson- drums (Details…

Saxophonist Harry Drabkin is a Berklee College of Music graduate as well as a faculty alumni where he performed in the Recording Band, the Faculty Jazz Ensemble and the Faculty Saxophone Quartet. His influences come from Miles, Coltrane, Cannonball and Charlie Mariano. He recently retired as Chief of Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina to return to Denver. Harry Drabkin - sax, Derek Banach - trumpet, Jack Dunlevie - piano, Kent McLagen - bass, Todd Reid - drums With the…

Jeremy Wendelin returns to Nocturne for a residence focused on the trio of saxophone, bass, and drums. This instrumentation, pioneered by Sonny Rollins, affords artists great freedom in exploring their material. The sound is simple, but the music is full of complexities; the players have freedom, but also more responsibility to create the right sound for each moment. In the years since Rollins’ early recordings, many artists have taken on this format, including Branford Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, Kenny…

Venezuelan bassist Gonzalo Teppa presents his quintet performing a collection of his compositions that draw from the wells of contemporary jazz, Latin American music (Venezuelan, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban), blues, free jazz and more. Gonzalo is a Nocturne Artist in Residency alumni and recently released his debut quintet recording (featuring this band) with much acclaim. GREG HARRIS - VIBRAPHONE/PIANO/PERCUSSION, ALEX HEFFRON - GUITAR, ANDREW WHEELOCK - DRUMS, IKE SPIVAK - SAX/FLUTE/CLARINET Nocturne presents Saturday Supper & Stream. Every Saturday night they…

Featuring the award-winning drummer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Brian Claxton, Nocturne is excited to reopen its doors for this special night after Denver's 7 week winter COVID closure. Brian will be featured in trio format on this evening featuring Annie Booth on piano and Seth Lewis on bass. Claxton is a two time Nocturne artist in residency alumni known for his electrifying groove and rhythmic mastery. His diverse background includes touring internationally with jazz piano legend Monty Alexander and performing alongside Donny McCaslin, Chris Potter, Christian…

Nocturne Jazz and Supper Club is delighted to welcome back to the stage the Denver based Gabriel Mervine Quartet featuring Tom Amend on piano, Patrick McDevitt on bass and Alejandro Castaño on drums. The Gabriel Mervine Quartet performs two sets on Thursdays through January. Important Notes: During this time of limited indoor capacity, floor seats are only available by reservation as we are limited to 50 socially distanced seats per show/seating. Music fees are included with all "Dinner and a…

Following an extraordinarily difficult and volatile year in our country, the optimistic words of "Hope" and "Abundance" will be the inspiration for this unique series that will be performed on Friday nights in January and February by pianist and composer Annie Booth. Annie Booth is an award-winning pianist, composer, and educator based in Denver, CO. She has established herself as an active force on the local and national scene both as the leader of her longstanding group, the Annie Booth…

Saturday nights in January, Nocturne features the Derek Banach Quintet as they explore material from Kenny Garrett, Mulgrew Miller, John Hicks, George Cables as well as inspired original works of modern straight ahead jazz. Colorado native Derek Banach has performed professionally for 26 years in a variety of settings from Jazz to Hip-Hop, Salsa, Classical, and Reggae. His roots are firmly set in the Hard-Bop stylings of 60's period icons such as Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. Derek's…

Curated by bassist/composer Seth Lewis,, Nocturne will present this month-long Sunday series featuring a truly virtuosic quartet exploring the music of pop/rock legend, Sting. Seth Lewis has travelled the world performing and teaching. Seth has played on Broadway and Las Vegas shows and during his time in New York he played Smalls, Smoke, Dizzy’s Club Coca­-Cola, Cleopatra’s Needle and The Iridium. He has shared the stage with Mulgrew Miller, Louis Hayes, Eric Alexander, David Hazeltine, Jerry Dodgion, Randy Brecker, Sheila…

Bob Bowman, a native Kansan, learned to play the piano and clarinet before beginning to play bass at age 12. He won a scholarship to the Stan Kenton Jazz Clinic as a high school freshman, followed by study at North Texas State University. In 1976, he joined the famous Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, touring and recording several albums. Bob continued his performing and recording career by joining the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabakin Big Band in Los Angeles in 1979. Over the…

Jeff Jenkins began his musical life in pastoral Nebraska City, Nebr. and came to the piano through the guidance of his musical family, and quickly found that "playing by ear" proved to be perfect escape from an all too predictable small town reality. As a jazz pianist, Jeff has worked with a number of jazz legends including: Phil Woods, Freddie Hubbard, David Fathead Newman, Marlena Shaw, Eddie Harris, Richie Cole, Dakota Staton, Bobby Hutcherson, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, John Abercrombie,…

In the second volume of this concept, Jean-Luc Davis takes us back to the 90s and beyond with a well curated selection of alternative rock classics reimagined through the jazz and improvisatory lens. Performer, Composer, Educator Jean-Luc Davis is an active performer in the Colorado music scene. In addition to leading his own ensemble, Jean-Luc plays with Gypsy Swing Revue, Tom Gershwin Quintet, Adam Bodine Trio, Andy Hackbarth Band, Jesse Manley Band, Jayme Stone and the Other side of the…

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers have profoundly shaped the ways in which jazz musicians listen to, perform, and arrange for the jazz combo. Alumni from the Jazz Messengers include Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Wynton Marsalis, Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, and many other icons of the art form. The Zach Rich Sextet would like to pay homage by presenting a set of music featuring transcriptions and arrangements of both popular and obscure selections from various Jazz Messengers albums including Caravan,…