One of jazz’s most inventive and rhythmically daring drummers brings his trio to The Side Door

Ari Hoenig is a jazz drummer, composer, and educator known for his unusual and intense approach to drumming, emphasizing complex rhythms in direct harmony with other group members. Born in Philadelphia to a conductor and classical singer father and a violinist and pianist mother, Hoenig began studying violin and piano at age four before turning to drums at twelve, honing his skills at Philadelphia jazz clubs like Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus by age fourteen. He attended the University of North Texas, where he studied with Ed Soph and played in the celebrated One O’Clock Lab Band, before transferring to William Paterson College to be closer to New York City.

Rather than playing the traditional role of timekeeper, Hoenig elevates drumming to a central and visible part of the performance, drawing comparisons to the approaches of Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, and Jack DeJohnette before him. He has performed and recorded with the Jean Michel Pilc Trio, the Kenny Werner Trio, Chris Potter Underground, the Kurt Rosenwinkel Group, and the Joshua Redman Elastic Band, among many others. He formed the Ari Hoenig Quartet in 2002 and has released fourteen albums as a leader, with his quartet winning the prestigious BMW Welt Award in Munich in 2013 for best band led by a drummer. He currently performs regularly at the legendary Smalls Jazz Club in New York City and is on faculty at NYU Steinhardt and The New School.

This is a rare opportunity to experience one of jazz’s most singular percussive voices in an intimate setting.

The Side Door Jazz Club is a dedicated jazz listening room located inside the historic Old Lyme Inn, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT. Tickets are reserved seating. Guests dining at the Old Lyme Inn prior to the show receive 10% off their dinner bill.