Sunset Jazz in May

Wednesday, May 2nd
Jon Davis Duo
Pianist and composer Jon Davis has been performing and touring with many of the finest jazz musicians around the world for more than 25 years and has appeared on over 50 recordings. He has performed with such artists as the John Handy Quartet, Johnny Coles, Buddy Montgomery, as well as jazz legends Joe Henderson, Milt Jackson, and Stan Getz. 

Friday, May 4th
Endea Owens
A Detroit native, Endea Owens is a vibrant up-and-coming bassist. She has been mentored by the likes of Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Marion Hayden and has worked with hip-hop group The Blat Pack. As a recent graduate of Michigan State University, Endea has had the opportunity to do music exchange programs with Cuba's Colegio San Geronimo and Trinidad's University of Trinidad and Tobago.

Saturday, May 5th
Nanny Assis Brazilian Trio
Anybody who sees Nanny Assis performing immediately feels that music for him is more than just a career. He can snatch audiences away by translating rhythms and notes into pure essence, while other times energizing them enough so they can stand up and dance. His ability to make any kind of music sound smooth makes Nanny a notable and gifted artist. 

Tuesday, May 8th
The Smoke Rings
The Smoke Rings evoke the elegance and charm of the Swing Era. Anchored by the unique vocals of Sarah King, the group specializes in songs from The Great American Song Book. Since its inception in 2010, The Smoke Rings have played to huge crowds at festivals as well as more intimate settings in New York City and across the country. For the past six years, the band has been performing weekly at Top of The Standard. 

Thursday, May 10th
Takuya Nakamura Group
Takuya Nakamura was born in Japan and moved to New York in the '90s. A multi-instrumentist, composer, and producer, he is considered a pioneer of the sci-fi du noir genre, which is a mix of lo-fi, jazz analog, and space techno. He has collaborated with musicians like Coco Rosie, The Brooklyn Gypsies GZA of Wu-Tang Clan, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, Quincy Jones, and many more.

Friday, May 11th
Zem Audu Quartet
Nigerian-born, London-raised, and Brooklyn-based Zem Audu is an award-winning saxophonist, composer, and producer with a fresh sound that blends contemporary jazz with the multicultural grooves of his touring and life experiences. His work is garnering attention from the international press, with reviews and interviews in the New York Times, All About Jazz, and more. Zem Audu’s latest studio album, Spirits, features fusion guitar legend Mike Stern alongside Benito Gonzalez, Ben Williams, and John Davis.

Sunday, May 13th
The Smoke Rings
The Smoke Rings evoke the elegance and charm of the Swing Era. Anchored by the unique vocals of Sarah King, the group specializes in songs from The Great American Song Book. Since its inception in 2010, The Smoke Rings have played to huge crowds at festivals as well as more intimate settings in New York City and across the country. For the past six years, the band has been performing weekly at Top of The Standard. 

Tuesday, May 15th
Sweet Megg & The Wayfarers
Sweet Megg & The Wayfarers seamlessly incorporate elements of Dixieland, Harlem swing, Parisian cabaret, and gut bucket blues into one charming musical performance. Saxophonist Ryan Weisheit reimagines a world where Sidney Bechet, Lester Young, and Charlie Parker blow side-by-side. Together Sweet Megg, Ryan, and all the Wayfarers create a world where jazz is alive and living in New York.

Wednesday, May 16th
The Smoke Rings
The Smoke Rings evoke the elegance and charm of the Swing Era. Anchored by the unique vocals of Sarah King, the group specializes in songs from The Great American Song Book. Since its inception in 2010, The Smoke Rings have played to huge crowds at festivals as well as more intimate settings in New York City and across the country. For the past six years, the band has been performing weekly at Top of The Standard. 

Thursday, May 17th
Dario Boente
Immersed in the culture of tango and jazz, Argentine pianist and composer Dario Boente is a musician who is equally at home performing romantic Argentine and jazz compositions on a grand piano as he is programming world-beat electronica. Since moving to NYC in 1999, Dario has released ten albums and compilations and worked with world-class jazz musicians such as Antonio Sanchez, Ronny Jordan, and Fernando Otero, and DJs such as Louie Vega and Kerri Chandler. 

Saturday, May 19th
Yacine Boulares Quartet
Yacine Boulares is a French-Tunisian saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer based in New York. After studying at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, he soon understood the necessity to get to the roots of jazz, and in 2009 he was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. In New York, Yacine got to learn from Chris Cheek, Donny McCaslin, Reggie Workman, and with countless other musicians. But New York also exposed him to a myriad of music. Soon he was part of ex Fela Kuti drummer Jojo Kuo's Afrobeat Collective, late Cameroonian singer Martino Atangana's African Blue Note, and Tabou Combo. Through his music, he connects to his North African roots.

Monday, May 21st
Lapis Luna
Lapis Luna brings you the captivating music of 1930s, '40s, and '50s jazz with a classic, glittering sound. This elite group plays standards, enchanting ballads, obscure swing era gems, and vintage melodies the way they were meant to be heard: vibrant, fun, romantic, and cool.

Tuesday, May 22nd
The Smoke Rings
The Smoke Rings evoke the elegance and charm of the Swing Era. Anchored by the unique vocals of Sarah King, the group specializes in songs from The Great American Song Book. Since its inception in 2010, The Smoke Rings have played to huge crowds at festivals as well as more intimate settings in New York City and across the country. For the past six years, the band has been performing weekly at Top of The Standard. 

Thursday, May 24th
Jon Davis Trio
Pianist and composer Jon Davis has been performing and touring with many of the finest jazz musicians around the world for more than 25 years and has appeared on over 50 recordings. He has performed with such artists as the John Handy Quartet, Johnny Coles, Buddy Montgomery, as well as jazz legends Joe Henderson, Milt Jackson, and Stan Getz. 

Friday, May 25th
Michael Louis-Smith 
Guitarist Michael-Louis Smith is a top-tier bandleader and recording artist, who has toured nationally at major venues such as LA’s Troubadour Club, NYC’s legendary Apollo Theater, and Vermont’s Discover Jazz Festival. He will be performing alongside NYC saxophonist Stacy Dillard and their quartet.

Saturday, May 26th
James Weidman's Aperturistic Trio
James Weidman is one of the most versatile pianists in the world of music. He has performed with the likes of Abbey Lincoln and Joe Lovano, and plays classical and atonal music. With a player as talented as Weidman, it's no wonder the press used terms such as "unfailingly lyrical," "convivially assertive," and "exquisite" to describe him.

Tuesday, May 29th
Ryan Weisheit Trio
Saxophonist Ryan Weisheit reimagines a world where Sidney Bechet, Lester Young, and Charlie Parker blow side-by-side, a world where jazz is alive and well and living in New York. 

Wednesday, May 30th
The Smoke Rings
The Smoke Rings evoke the elegance and charm of the Swing Era. Anchored by the unique vocals of Sarah King, the group specializes in songs from The Great American Song Book. Since its inception in 2010, The Smoke Rings have played to huge crowds at festivals as well as more intimate settings in New York City and across the country. For the past six years, the band has been performing weekly at Top of The Standard. 

Sunset Jazz at Top of The Standard
Monday through Saturday, 4-9pm 
First performance at 6:30pm

The Standard, High Line