Saturday, October 3rd, renowned jazz bassist Jeff Fuller will be with Trio Brasileiro at Milford Arts Jazz’n Downtown from 12:30-2 pm at Stonebridge Restaurant. Great group with Richard Boukas (gtr/voc) and Rogério Boccato (drs)!
Jazz in Downtown Milford
Milford Arts Council (MAC)
40 Railroad Avenue South, Milford, CT 06460
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
🎷 The City has spoken… and Jazz is taking over Downtown Milford on October 3rd!🎶✨
We’re excited to announce that Early Bird Tickets are ON SALE NOW for Jazz’n Downtown 2026!
🔥 EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: 25% OFF select tickets during the month of JUNE! 🔥
Trust us — this is one event you do not want to miss. Live jazz, incredible vibes, unforgettable experiences, and the energy of Downtown Milford all in one place. 🎺🎵
🎟️ Limited availability — don’t wait!
Grab your tickets now before prices go up.
Jazz’n Downtown is an immersive live music and artisan
experience, bringing people together for the purpose of
connection; meant to be explored and enjoyed, your way.
About the Milford Arts Council
The Milford Arts Council (MAC) is the creative heart of Milford,
Connecticut – a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring,
enriching, and connecting our community through the arts.
Established in 1972, the MAC has grown into one of the region’s
most dynamic cultural anchors, offering more than 200 events
each year that bring people together through music, theater, visual
arts, dance, film, and creative expression.
Located in the historic and beautifully restored east-bound Milford
train station, the MAC’s main venue blends history and creativity,
offering an intimate and welcoming space where the arts thrive.
The Council also operates the Firehouse Gallery at Walnut Beach,
showcasing the works of local and regional artists in a setting that
captures Milford’s coastal charm.
For more information contact the Milford Arts Council at 203-878-6647 or visit: http://milfordarts.org
Contact: Paige Miglio
203-878-6647– Phone
203-876-9013 – Fax
Jazz Record Mingle
Jazz Record Mingle
Jazz enthusiasts are invited to convene at the Milford Arts Council (The MAC) on Tuesday, July 28th from 6:30 to 9:00 pm with their favorite Jazz album. Record vendors will be in-house for perusing, sharing, and buying *this activity is a “possible”, as our contact cannot do this event. A Wine and Tequila tasting with a grazing table will be provided by Stonebridge Restaurant.
The Speakeasy will be open for beverage service.
Donations will be welcomed in support of the MAC’s Jazz’n Downtown festival
Sponsored By: WPKN, WMNR and Stonebridge Restaurant
For more information contact the Milford Arts Council at 203-878-6647 or visit: http://milfordarts.org
Tickets: https://milfordarts.org/event/jazz-record-mingle/
Milford Arts Council (MAC), 40 Railroad Avenue South, Milford, CT 06460
Contact: Paige Miglio
203-878-6647– Phone
203-876-9013 – Fax
MAC Downtown
Donations will be welcomed in support of the MAC’s Jazz’n Downtown festival
Sponsored By: WPKN, WMNR and Stonebridge Restaurant
For more information contact the Milford Arts Council at 203-878-6647 or visit: http://milfordarts.org
Eight Men Swinging
Wednesday, July 1st at 7 pm, renowned bassist Jeff Fuller will be joining trumpeter Mark Dennis,and seven other prominent CT jazz musicians in “Eight Men Swinging” at the Milford Art Council, 40 Railroad Avenue So., Milford. They will be performing the legendary, oh-so-cool arrangements of the Dave Pell Octet, with charts by Marty Paich, Bill Holman, Shorty Rogers and others. This is a new band, worth checking out! Tickets available here.
Helen Sung – Piano Jazz Concert
Helen Sung – Piano Jazz Concert
Friday, May 15th, 2026 7:30pm, Milford Arts Council
Helen Sung is an acclaimed jazz pianist and composer, and a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow. She diverged from her classical roots after an unexpected encounter with jazz during undergraduate studies in piano performance at the University of Texas at Austin. Helen went on to become part of the inaugural class of the Thelonious Monk Institute (now the Herbie Hancock Institute) at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Now with nine leader albums to her credit, she has also worked with such luminaries as Clark Terry, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Regina Carter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and the Mingus Big Band.
She currently teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Columbia University, where she was the first jazz artist-in-residence at its Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute exploring intersections of jazz & neuroscience.
Helen’s take on jazz. “As a classical-turned-jazz artist, one of the things I have come to love the most about this American art form is its generous, communal heart: this is music made together, played together, and enjoyed together.”
Reviews
“… this was piano playing at a quite unbelievably jaw-dropping level.”
– Sebastian Scotney, London Jazz News
“There is a hierarchy of great piano versions of “Never Let Me Go,” with Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett at the top. Sung is now on the list”
– Thomas Conrad, JazzTimes Editor’s Pick
“Sung plays with crisp swing and elegant invention, her rhythms drawing from the music’s blues roots – and setting listeners’ heads bobbing – while she explores her own fresh ideas, often inspired from her classical training.”
— (New York Times)
For more information contact the Milford Arts Council at 203-878-6647 or visit: http://milfordarts.org
Hartford Sound-Jazz Concert
Hartford Sound-Jazz Concert
Milford Arts Council (MAC), 40 Railroad Avenue South, Milford, CT 06460
The Hartford Sound is a group of accomplished musicians with a repertoire filled with classic jazz, Latin jazz and original material that has been pleasing audiences for 10 years.
April 17th, 7:30 pm at the MAC
Doors Open 7pm
Speakeasy open for beverages and snacks
The band formed in 2015 and debuted at Pittsburgh’s James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy. This group of accomplished musicians from Connecticut has a repertoire that is filled with classic jazz, Latin jazz and original material that is sure to please jazz fans.
Band Members
Emmett C Goods
Dr. Emmett Goods is a trombonist and Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Rhode Island. He has been performing around the East Coast for over 25 years.
Damian Curtis
The oldest of three musical brothers, Damian (a.k.a. King Solomon) came through the Hartt School of Music in Hartford. He has been a mainstay on the Connecticut scene for over twenty-three years.
Nelson Bello
Hartford, Connecticut native Nelson Bello is one of the premier percussionists to emerge from the Capital Region over the past twenty years. He came through The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and The Hartford Conservatory. The music of the “Latin Diaspora” has been in Nelson’s blood since the very beginning.
For more information contact the Milford Arts Council at 203-878-6647 or visit: http://milfordarts.org
Tickets: https://milfordarts.org/event/hartford-sound-jazz-concert/
Table Seats or Row Seats Advance Purchase Ticket: $40*
*Addl $3 processing fee per ticket applies to Advance Purchase ticket sales.
Advance Purchase Tickets are available online until 2 hours before start of event.
Child (under 17) with Paying Adult Ticket: $5 (contact MAC Office)
At The Door Ticket: $45
No discounts are available at the door.
For your convenience, accessible seating is designated in the seating chart with a wheelchair icon. Companions may also purchase accessible seating.
Please contact the MAC Box Office Tues – Fri 12-4pm at 40 Railroad Ave. 203-878-6647 with questions or for check/cash purchases.
Noah Preminger Quartet – Jazz Concert
Noah Preminger Quartet – Jazz Concert – Friday, March 20th, 2026, 7:30pm
at the Milford Arts Council (MAC), 40 Railroad Avenue South, Milford, CT 06460
Tickets:
Table Seats or Row Seats Advance Purchase Ticket: $40. Addl $3 processing fee per ticket applies to Advance Purchase ticket sales. Advance Purchase Tickets are available online until 2 hours before start of event. Child (under 17) with Paying Adult Ticket: $5 (contact MAC Office)
At The Door Ticket: $45. No discounts are available at the door.
For your convenience, accessible seating is designated in the seating chart with a wheelchair icon. Companions may also purchase accessible seating.
Please contact the MAC Box Office Tues – Fri 12-4pm at 40 Railroad Ave. 203-878-6647 with questions or for check/cash purchases.
https://milfordarts.org/event/noah-preminger-quartet-jazz-concert/
Born in 1986, Noah Preminger grew up in Canton, Connecticut, before going to Hall High School in West Hartford – the institution that produced several well-known jazz musicians. From the first day he picked up the saxophone, Preminger “knew I’d become a musician,” he recalls. “I would practice eight hours a day as a young teenager. I was possessed.”
Preminger released his debut album, Dry Bridge Road, just after his 21st birthday and was named Debut of the Year in the Village Voice Critics Poll. Since then, he has been a two-time winner of Downbeat Magazine’s Rising Star Best Tenor Saxophonist and has recorded over 20 critically acclaimed albums as a band-leader. He has performed jazz concerts on key stages around the globe, playing with a pantheon of contemporary jazz talents.
Two new recordings were released by Preminger in 2025: Ballads (Chill Tone) featuring pianist Julian Shore, bassist Kim Cass, and drummer Allan Mednard, as well as Dark Days (Criss Cross), which features guitarist Ely Perlman, bassist Kim Cass, and drummer Terreon Gully.
Accomplishments.
- Preminger is currently on faculty at Longy School of Music of Bard College.
- Noah serves as a board member for JazzBoston,
- Managed a radio program for 7 years on an NPR-affiliate, 90.5 WICN.
The Boston Globe hails Preminger as “A master with standards and ballads, as well as an adventurous composer.”
The New York Times declares: “Mr. Preminger designs a different kind of sound for each note, an individual destiny and story.”
Jazz Times notes that “… he has forged an individual style and easily recognizable sound…one of the more adventurous musicians on the mainstream jazz scene today.”
For more information contact the Milford Arts Council at 203-878-6647 or visit: http://milfordarts.org
Chris DePino, Chris Morrison and Morris Trent with Dan Klug Live
Chris DePino Just Jazz Quartet
Friday January 16th, 7:30 pm. Doors open at 7:00 pm. Speakeasy open & serving beverages and snacks.
A vibrant figure in the jazz harmonica world, New Haven native Chris DePino blends technical mastery with a soulful narrative that resonates with audiences across genres and continents.
Milford Arts Council (MAC), 40 Railroad Avenue South, Milford, CT 06460
Get ready for an unforgettable musical journey with Chris and the Just Jazz Quartet! Dive into the vibrant heart of the Connecticut jazz scene, where Chris, a master of the chromatic harmonica, crafts electrifying performances with the finest local talent. This isn’t just jazz—it’s a one-of-a-kind experience, blending soulful improvisation and dazzling artistry that will leave you spellbound. No two events are alike, and neither are the quartets! Chris handpicks from a roster of Connecticut’s most exceptional musicians to create a custom ensemble tailored to the performance.
Chris was born in New Haven. He is a distinguished blues and jazz harmonica player, music educator, and session musician whose versatile career spans jazz, blues, and classical music. DePino has been a regular session player at Cafe Nine in New Haven. He has also made guest appearances with the George Baker Experience, and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, where he was a featured soloist for two “Concerts in the Park”.
“Chris DePino remains a vibrant figure in the jazz harmonica world, blending technical mastery with a soulful narrative that resonates with audiences across genres and continents.”-from Chris DePino’s website
*Tickets/packages are non-refundable. Changes may be made via your ticketing profile or by contacting the MAC box office.
🎟️🎟️🎟️ https://milfordarts.org/event/chris-depino-just-jazz-quartet/ Table Seats or Row Seats Advance Purchase Ticket: $40**Addl $3 processing fee per ticket applies to Advance Purchase ticket sales.Advance Purchase Tickets are available online until 2 hours before start of event.Child (under 17) with Paying Adult Ticket: $5 (contact MAC Office)
For more information contact the Milford Arts Council at 203-878-6647 or visit: http://milfordarts.org
The Milford Arts Council is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
Jonathan Barber and Vision Ahead
Jonathan Barber and Vision Ahead
Friday, May 16, 2025, 2025 7:30pm GET TICKETS
Internationally recorded artist, composer, educator and bandleader Jonathan Barber was voted the #1 Up-and-Coming Drummer of 2018 in Modern Drummer. Barber has already recorded and toured worldwide with such artists as Pat Metheny, Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride, Erykah Badu, Nicholas Payton, Buster Williams, Jimmy Greene, Jeremy Pelt, Wallace Roney, Terrace Martin, Gretchen Parlato, Jennifer Holiday, Steve Davis, J.D. Allen, Walter Smith III, The Brooklyn Philharmonic and many more.
In addition to his first-call status as a sideman, Barber has stepped forth as a composer and leader with his band Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead. Even with Barber’s history of high-profile gigs and recordings taken into consideration, DownBeat magazine gave his album “Legacy Holder” 4.5 stars. Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead is a powerful declaration of intent for a band that’s been making waves on the modern jazz scene.
Barber’s blend of classic, swinging jazz with elements of gospel, rock, soul, and fusion is a compelling showcase of Barber’s broad stylistic range as a drummer, performer and composer. Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead was featured and headline the Rainy Days Jazz Festival held in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia, Hartford Jazz Festival, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Pittsburgh Jazz Festival as well jazz venues around the world. Since 2020, Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead have been completed three National tours across the United States.
Jonathan Barber tours extensively in jazz clubs and theaters in cities throughout the US. The band recently completed a tour of several cities in Europe this summer winning praise from the local press there. And he recently has been appointed as Jazz Drum Professor at the University of Connecticut.
Group Website: https://jonathanbarbermusic.com/
Reviews
Vision Ahead is Barber’s product of six years spent cultivating a distinct and immaculately tailored sound with like minded musicians. — Bandcamp
Jonathan Barber’s star has been on the rise since his auspicious 2018 debut, Vision Ahead, and a 2019 tour in Pat Metheny’s trio. The Hartford native’s sophomore release, Legacy Holder, [4.5 stars from Downbeat Magazine] more than fulfills his promise, showcasing powerfully slick drumming within the context of adventurous writing that bears the unmistakable influence of Atlantis-era Wayne Shorter — Downbeat Magazine
One cannot help but enjoy the delicacy of this drummer who, effortlessly, provides a complex rhythm on which the musicians take real pleasure in playing… Indeed, this album [In Motion, the most recent] is a story of balanced musical architecture. Jonathan Barber excels by paying careful attention to the melodic aspect of his compositions, ensuring a wider audience. — Thierry De Clemensat, USA correspondent – Paris-Move
Please contact the MAC Box Office Tuesday – Friday 12-4pm at 40 Railroad Ave. or 203-878-6647 with any questions.
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“The Milford Arts Council is a non-profit 501c3 visual and performing arts organization located in Milford, CT with a mission to provide audiences, students, and artists with opportunities and experiences in the arts that enlighten, enrich, and entertain. The vision of the MAC is to see creativity happening everywhere, making Milford CT a thriving destination community of culture for all.”
Milford Arts Council (the MAC), 40 Railroad Avenue South, Milford, CT 06460, 203 878 6647
https://www.facebook.com/MilfordArtsCouncil/
https://www.instagram.com/milford.arts
Information: https://milfordarts.org/event/jonathan-barber-quartet-vision-ahead/
Benny Benack Quartet
Jazz Trumpeter / Vocalist Benny Benack
Benny Benack Quartet – Jazz Concert, Friday, April 18, 2025 7:30pm, At the MAC Downtown Milford
Tickets Here: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35630/production/1214268?performanceId=11527562
Dual Talents. Benny Benack is the rare talent who excels on trumpet and vocals. As a fiery trumpeter he ranges from Freddie Hubbard to Louis Armstrong. As a singer he delivers sly, mature, naturally expressive post-Sinatra vocal stylings.
Touring. Benny has been headlining clubs and festivals around the world with a never-ending intercontinental schedule that reflects his ardent love for the music. His smile and panache on full-display wherever his travels take him.
Website: https://www.bennybenackjazz.com/
“He may be young—only at the tail end of his twenties, believe it or not—but he seriously has his act together in every way, shape and form, as this album proves.” – allaboutjazz.com
Please contact the MAC Box Office Tuesday – Friday 12-4pm at 40 Railroad Ave. or 203-878-6647 with any questions.
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“The Milford Arts Council is a non-profit 501c3 visual and performing arts organization located in Milford, CT with a mission to provide audiences, students, and artists with opportunities and experiences in the arts that enlighten, enrich, and entertain. The vision of the MAC is to see creativity happening everywhere, making Milford CT a thriving destination community of culture for all.”
203.878.6647
Visit: www.milfordarts.org
FB: @MilfordArtsCouncil
Instagram: milford.arts
