Joe McCarthy – Leader/Drums

Alex Norris – Trumpet

Alejandro Aviles – Tenor Saxophone

Juanga Lakunza – Trombone

Zaccai Curtis – Piano

Luques Curtis – Bass

The Afro Bop Alliance is the intimate counterpart to the Latin Grammy Award-winning New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band — bringing the same world-class musicianship and genre-defying sound to a small group setting. Inspired by the trailblazing bebop innovation of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the ensemble draws from the New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band’s acclaimed catalog while embracing the spontaneity, interplay, and immediacy that define the small group tradition.

Founded and led by drummer Joe McCarthy, the Afro Bop Alliance delivers a musical experience rooted in bebop and enriched by African, Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian, and global musical cultures. The result is something at once deeply personal and universally resonant — music that connects with audiences of all backgrounds and makes every performance an invitation into the living, breathing world of Afro-Latin jazz.

McCarthy’s connection to the Latin Grammy world is no accident. The New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band — the ensemble from which this group springs — has earned international recognition as one of the most exciting and culturally significant large jazz ensembles working today. In the intimate setting of The Side Door, that same spirit takes on a new dimension: closer, more conversational, and utterly alive.

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.

Mark Zaleski is one of the most distinctive and versatile voices on the New England jazz scene — a Boston-based saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader whose music refuses to be neatly categorized. Growing up in Boylston, Massachusetts, he was shaped equally by the jazz of Dave Brubeck, Cannonball Adderley, and Oscar Peterson, and the rock and soul of Led Zeppelin, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder — and those influences have never left him.

Zaleski became the first alto saxophonist selected to the prestigious Dave Brubeck Institute Fellowship Program in 2003, where he shared the stage with Brubeck himself at the Library of Congress and the Monterey Jazz Festival. Brubeck consistently encouraged him to “find his own voice” — and he has done exactly that. He went on to study with legendary educators Charlie Banacos and Jerry Bergonzi at the New England Conservatory of Music, and has since performed with Dave Brubeck, Christian McBride, Ian Anderson, Lake Street Dive, Louis Cole, the Grammy-winning 8-Bit Big Band, and Rakalam Bob Moses, among many others. He has been a featured soloist with the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra and the Chrysalis Rock Orchestra, and is currently on faculty at both Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory.

His most recent album, Our Time: Reimagining Dave Brubeck (Origin Records), presents strikingly fresh arrangements of Brubeck’s classic compositions with an edgy, modern flair — earning widespread critical praise and cementing Zaleski’s reputation as a bandleader of real imagination and depth. His brother, acclaimed pianist Glenn Zaleski, is a frequent collaborator and a familiar face to Side Door audiences.

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.

Dave Stryker – Guitar

Troy Roberts – Tenor Saxophone

Jared Gold – Organ

Steve Johns – Drums

Whether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Stryker moved to New York City in 1980 and went on to spend a decade playing and recording with tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine — a period that defined his voice and established him as one of the most in-demand guitarists in jazz. He has since performed with Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jimmy Heath, and Joe Lovano, among many others.

Stryker has released 37 CDs as a leader, with his last six all reaching #1 on the JazzWeek Radio chart. His most recent release, Stryker with Strings Goes to the Movies (2025), features him in front of a 30-piece studio orchestra and received four stars and an Editor’s Pick in DownBeat Magazine. He has been voted one of the top jazz guitarists in the DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls for the 15th time. Pat Metheny has said of him: “I have followed Dave Stryker’s playing since his early days in Omaha through his long stay with Stanley Turrentine… and he just gets better and better with one of the most joyous feels around.”

Joining him is tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts — one of the most compelling voices on the instrument working today — alongside organist Jared Gold and drummer Steve Johns, making for a hard-swinging, soulful evening of organ quartet jazz at its finest.

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.

Loston Harris is a singular force in the world of jazz — a pianist whose playing has been described as “percussive” and “incredibly fluid,” and a vocalist whose delivery is unmistakably “suave.” His musical journey began with a chance encounter with Harry Connick Jr. at the First Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition in Washington, D.C., who led Harris to study with his own mentor, Ellis Marsalis — who promptly encouraged the young percussionist to switch to piano. The rest, as they say, is history.

Harris completed a remarkable 22-year residency at The Carlyle Hotel’s legendary Bemelmans Bar in New York City — a room that has hosted Bobby Short, Eartha Kitt, Elaine Stritch, and John Pizzarelli — cementing his place among the great keepers of the jazz and cabaret tradition. He has performed and toured with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, appeared on the PBS special “Portraits in Blue” with Marcus Roberts, and has been featured at celebrity events alongside John Mayer, Diana Krall, and Bette Midler. He was featured as himself in the 2005 film Little Manhattan, whose lead character calls him “the best singer in New York.” Most memorably, Sir Paul McCartney once sat in with him and sang “The Very Thought of You.”

Deeply rooted in the Great American Songbook, Harris blends traditional jazz, gospel, and blues with his own distinctive voice — bringing warmth, joy, and effortless swing to every room he plays. This is a rare opportunity to experience one of New York’s finest 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.

Joe Farnsworth – Drums

Eric Alexander – Tenor Saxophone

Medjé Owusu – Trumpet

Isaac Byrd – Piano

Peter Washington – Bass

Joe Farnsworth is one of the most highly regarded jazz drummers on the scene today — known for his blazing speed, precision, and deeply melodic playing. Born in South Hadley, Massachusetts into a musical family, Farnsworth studied with legendary educators Alan Dawson and Arthur Taylor before graduating from William Paterson College in New Jersey, where he first began playing alongside saxophonist Eric Alexander. Upon moving to New York City, he quickly became one of the most in-demand drummers on the scene, recording over 100 albums as a leader and sideman and performing with Pharaoh Sanders, Horace Silver, Harold Mabern, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, Diana Krall, Benny Golson, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin, Lou Donaldson, Barry Harris, and Curtis Fuller, among many others. He is a founding member of the celebrated One for All Quintet and leads his own Prime Time Band at Dizzy’s, Smalls, and Smoke Jazz & Supper Club in New York City.

Joining him as featured soloist is tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander — one of the most celebrated and distinctive voices on the instrument working today. Born in Galesburg, Illinois, Alexander also studied at William Paterson College under Harold Mabern, Joe Lovano, and Rufus Reid, and placed second in the 1991 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition behind Joshua Redman. Boasting a warm, finely burnished tone and a robust melodic and harmonic imagination deeply rooted in the bebop tradition, Alexander has released over 36 albums as a leader and is a core member of the One for All Quintet.

Together, Farnsworth and Alexander bring a lifetime of musical partnership to The Side Door — joined by an exceptional supporting cast for what promises to be an extraordinary night of straight-ahead jazz.

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.

Joe Farnsworth – Drums

Eric Alexander – Tenor Saxophone

Medjé Owusu – Trumpet

Isaac Byrd – Piano

Peter Washington – Bass

Joe Farnsworth is one of the most highly regarded jazz drummers on the scene today — known for his blazing speed, precision, and deeply melodic playing. Born in South Hadley, Massachusetts into a musical family, Farnsworth studied with legendary educators Alan Dawson and Arthur Taylor before graduating from William Paterson College in New Jersey, where he first began playing alongside saxophonist Eric Alexander. Upon moving to New York City, he quickly became one of the most in-demand drummers on the scene, recording over 100 albums as a leader and sideman and performing with Pharaoh Sanders, Horace Silver, Harold Mabern, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, Diana Krall, Benny Golson, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin, Lou Donaldson, Barry Harris, and Curtis Fuller, among many others. He is a founding member of the celebrated One for All Quintet and leads his own Prime Time Band at Dizzy’s, Smalls, and Smoke Jazz & Supper Club in New York City.

Joining him as featured soloist is tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander — one of the most celebrated and distinctive voices on the instrument working today. Born in Galesburg, Illinois, Alexander also studied at William Paterson College under Harold Mabern, Joe Lovano, and Rufus Reid, and placed second in the 1991 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition behind Joshua Redman. Boasting a warm, finely burnished tone and a robust melodic and harmonic imagination deeply rooted in the bebop tradition, Alexander has released over 36 albums as a leader and is a core member of the One for All Quintet.

Together, Farnsworth and Alexander bring a lifetime of musical partnership to The Side Door — joined by an exceptional supporting cast for what promises to be an extraordinary night of straight-ahead jazz.

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.

Javon Jackson – Tenor Saxophone

Rich Goldstein – Guitar

Jeremy Manasia – Piano

Corcoran Holt – Bass

McClenty Hunter – Drums

The Meet the Masters Summer Jazz Workshop is one of Connecticut’s most beloved jazz education programs — an intensive annual week-long program held at the Hartt School at the University of Hartford that connects jazz students between the ages of 13 and 18, as well as adult musicians, with internationally recognized jazz masters. Under Jackson’s direction, the mission of the camp is to offer participants advice, feedback, playing tips, and historical narrative on America’s greatest art form, culminating in a public performance by all participants at the end of the week. This performance at The Side Door brings that same spirit to the stage — the Meet the Masters All Stars are the faculty of the camp itself: Rich Goldstein, Jeremy Manasia, Corcoran Holt, and McClenty Hunter — a group of master musicians who work together each summer to pass the tradition forward.

One of the most storied saxophonists in jazz, Javon Jackson left his studies at Berklee College of Music in 1986 to join Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers — one of the most celebrated bands in the history of the music — where he played alongside pianist Benny Green, trumpeter Philip Harper, and trombonist Robin Eubanks. He remained a fixture in the Jazz Messengers until Blakey’s passing in 1990, and has since built one of the most distinguished careers in contemporary jazz. He joined Elvin Jones’ group in 1992, recorded his Blue Note debut in 1994 under the direction of Betty Carter, and has gone on to release over 22 recordings as a leader — touring and recording on over 150 albums with jazz greats including Freddie Hubbard, Charlie Haden, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, McCoy Tyner, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Stanley Turrentine, and Ben E. King. He was the recipient of the prestigious Benny Golson Award from Howard University in 2012 for recognition of excellence in jazz. Since 2013, Jackson has served as Director of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the Hartt School — one of the country’s most respected jazz programs — and in 2016 founded the Meet the Masters Summer Jazz Workshop. As Jackson has said of his educational mission, “Today’s students won’t get to know Art Blakey or Freddie Hubbard or Elvin Jones. But they can know them through me.”

This is a rare opportunity to hear this extraordinary ensemble in an intimate setting — a night that honors both the tradition and the future of jazz.

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.

Corcoran Holt – Bass

Stacy Dillard – Tenor & Soprano Saxophone

Josh Evans – Trumpet

Benito Gonzalez – Piano

Kweku Sumbry – Drums & Djembe

Corcoran Holt is a force of nature on the bass — a musician whose commanding presence, deep groove, and musical intelligence have made him one of the most sought-after players on the New York scene. A son of Washington, D.C., Holt began his musical journey at age four playing djembe and West African percussion before taking up the upright bass at ten with the renowned DC Youth Orchestra. He attended the prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and went on to earn his B.A. in Jazz Studies from Shenandoah Conservatory and his M.A. from Queens College under the tutelage of Buster Williams. His connection to the music runs deep — legend has it that his great-grandfather, a bassist who grew up in High Point, North Carolina, lived next door to a young John Coltrane and gave him his first music lessons.

Holt has performed and recorded with some of the most celebrated names in jazz, including Kenny Garrett, Roy Hargrove, Curtis Fuller, Jimmy Heath, Benny Golson, Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Delfeayo Marsalis, Carmen Lundy, and Jazzmeia Horn, among many others. He appears on three Grammy-nominated recordings — Kenny Garrett’s Pushing the World Away (2013), Jamison Ross’s Jamison (2014), and The Baylor Project’s The Journey (2017) — and on Kenny Garrett’s Sounds from the Ancestors, which won the NAACP Image Award for Best Jazz Instrumental in 2021. In 2009 he represented the United States as a Jazz Ambassador with the U.S. State Department, touring the Middle East as both performer and clinician. He has performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, and Dizzy’s Club, and has toured across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Jazz Bass at Arizona State University and is the DC Jazz Festival’s Artist-in-Residence.

As a bandleader, Holt channels that same depth of spirit and vision into his own music. His debut album The Mecca (2018) paid homage to his D.C. roots, and his acclaimed sophomore release Freedom of Art stands as his most personal statement yet — a testament to transformation, family, and the enduring principle at the heart of jazz: freedom itself. The compositions emerged during the 2020 pandemic, drawing from the loss of his father, the steadfast love of his family, and the deep musical brotherhood forged over years of touring with this very ensemble. Stacy Dillard delivers soulful, inventive saxophone work throughout, Josh Evans brings virtuosic trumpet firepower to the group, Benito Gonzalez anchors the harmony with brilliance and warmth, and Kweku Sumbry — a percussionist of extraordinary range — holds it all together on drums and djembe. This is a rare opportunity to experience this extraordinary project live 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.

Guillermo Klein – Piano/Vocals

Vinicius Gomes – Guitar

Sebastian De Urquiza – Bass

Rogerio Boccato – Percussion

Rodrigo Recabarren – Drums

Born in Buenos Aires and trained at Berklee College of Music, Argentine pianist and composer Guillermo Klein is one of the most quietly revered figures in contemporary jazz — a musician whose music has earned the devotion of peers and critics alike while defying easy categorization. NPR describes his writing as “an intuitive hybrid of big band jazz, Argentinean folk rhythms and the modern classical idiom,” while All About Jazz calls him “an erudite visionary.” Over the past three decades, some of New York’s most celebrated jazz musicians have sought out the chance to play his challenging and deeply original music.

Klein spent the 1990s in New York leading his acclaimed 17-piece big band at Smalls and the Jazz Standard, before scaling the group down to the celebrated ensemble Los Guachos — featuring the likes of Miguel Zenón, Chris Cheek, Ben Monder, and Jeff Ballard — which has maintained a yearly residency at the Village Vanguard since 2007. He has been commissioned by Carnegie Hall, MIT, and the Library of Congress, and his arrangements appear on Miguel Zenón’s Grammy-nominated Alma Adentro. As a composer and arranger he has been described as “the Gil Evans of Argentina” — and like Evans, his music rewards deep listening with seemingly endless discovery.

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.

Edmar Castañeda – Harp

Andrea Tierra – Vocals

Birsa Chatterjee – Tenor Saxophone

Julian Miltenberger – Drums

Colombian-born and New York-based, Edmar Castañeda has single-handedly redefined what the harp can do in jazz. Playing bass lines, harmony, and melody simultaneously on his instrument, his technique is unlike anything else in music. NPR’s Fresh Air raves that his playing is “the real astonishment — Castañeda juggles lead, rhythm and bass lines, using a variety of hard and soft string attacks to keep those voices distinct, all without giving up the groove.” The New York Times writes that he “engages modern jazz in ways that honor cultural origins, and has the capacity to astonish by virtue of his fingerstyle technique.” Moses Sumney put it simply: “My brain cracked open when I first saw this.”

A Latin Grammy nominee and member of BEATrio alongside Béla Fleck and Antonio Sánchez — whose album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album — Castañeda has collaborated with Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, Paquito D’Rivera, Hiromi, Dave Holland, Marcus Miller, Sting, and Paco de Lucia, among many others. He was commissioned by Carnegie Hall to write Bordones for string orchestra and EC Llanera Harp, and by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to compose Tres Cordilleras for harp and big band under the direction of Wynton Marsalis. He is the creator of the EC Llanera Harp in collaboration with Camac Harps, and has released eight acclaimed albums as a leader on his own label.

Joining him is his wife and longtime collaborator, vocalist Andrea Tierra, along with an extraordinary rhythm section. This is a once-in-a-lifetime performance in a 68-seat room — not to be missed.

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.