Ted Rosenthal Trio with Noriko Ueda and David Alvarez III

May 1, 2026 By Craig OConnell

Ted Rosenthal Trio with Noriko Ueda and David Alvarez III

Friday, May 1 • 8 PM – 10:30 PM

One of jazz’s most celebrated pianists, Ted Rosenthal brings his trio to The Side Door for a night of exceptional music.

Ted Rosenthal · Piano

Noriko Ueda · Bass

David Alvarez III · Drums

Ted Rosenthal is one of the leading jazz pianists of his generation — described by The New Yorker as “a musician’s musician who balances technique and taste” and by the Los Angeles Times as “a pianist of rarest skill.” A winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, he has performed with Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, and James Moody, and has been the pianist of choice for vocalists including Kurt Elling, Ann Hampton Callaway, and Helen Merrill.

Rosenthal has released 19 albums as a leader, ranging from straight-ahead jazz to inventive reimaginings of the Great American Songbook and classical repertoire. His Rhapsody in Gershwin reached #1 on both iTunes and Amazon jazz charts. He is on faculty at both The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, where he has taught and mentored some of the most prominent jazz pianists of the younger generation.

The Side Door Jazz Club is one of Connecticut’s premier jazz listening rooms, located inside the historic Old Lyme Inn at 85 Lyme Street. Doors open at 7:15 PM, show begins at 8:00 PM. Ticket holders receive 10% off dinner at the Old Lyme Inn — reservations recommended by 6:00 PM.

Location

The Side Door

85 Lyme St

Old Lyme, CT 06371

The Makanda Project

April 3, 2026 By Craig OConnell

The Makanda Project

Friday, Apr 3 from 8 pm to 10:30 pm at The Side Door, 85 Lyme St, Old Lyme, CT 0637

The Side Door Old Lyme, CT

Join us for a special night of jazz with The Makanda Project!

The Makanda Project was started in 2005 as an effort to explore the previously unrecorded compositions of Makanda Ken McIntyre (1931-2001). Twenty years and over 250 performances later, the 13 musicians in the group are still moved by the challenges and opportunites this music presents. Leader and pianist John Kordalewski, a former McIntyre student, has arranged over 60 McIntyre compositions for the group’s 10-member horn section. Especially given that there is no record of Dr. McIntyre having performed these pieces, the Makanda Project differs from those repertory groups whose function is largely to re-create sounds or styles from the past. Rather, the McIntyre compositions have been a vehicle for the group to develop its own sound and identity.

The Makanda Project has established a presence on the Boston jazz scene through their ongoing series of self-produced free concerts in low-income neighborhoods. These concerts are unique in the Boston area both as a platform for creative music and as community events. They tale place throughout the year and have attracted a large and still-growing following.

The band has also collaborated with renowned guest musicians such as Oliver Lake, Chreles Tolliver, Chico Freeman, Ricky Ford, Feya Faku, Michael Gregory Jackson, and Craig Harris, as well as with poet Askia Toure and dancer/choreographer Mickey Davidson. These collaborations often involve the guests’ compositions. The Makanda Project has also performed at East Coast locations from Washington DC to Maine, in the Midwest, and in Europe. This will be their second appearance at the Side Door.

The individual members are Kurtis Rivers, Seth Meicht, Sean Berry, Temidayo Balogun, and Charlie Kohlhase (saxophones), Jerry Sabatini and Haneef Nelson (trumpets), Alfred Patterson, Richard Harper, and Bill Lowe (trombones), John Kordalewski (piano), Avery Sharpe (bass), and Yoron Israel (drums).

Vanisha Gould Quartet

March 20, 2026 By Craig OConnell

Vanisha Gould Quartet

ByThe Side Door Jazz Club

The Side Door Old Lyme, CT

Friday, Mar 20 from 8 pm to 10:30 pm EDT

Join us for a special night of jazz with Vocalist Vanisha Gould and her Quartet!

Vanisha Gould is a vocalist, composer, and bandleader whose music bridges vulnerability and strength. After earning her degree from Berklee College of Music, she moved from California to New York City in 2015 and quickly became a vital voice in the city’s jazz community, performing at Smalls Jazz Club, Ornithology, Mezzrow, The Jazz Gallery, Minton’s Playhouse, and Dizzy’s Club.

Gould’s artistry has also reached audiences around the world. She has toured internationally throughout Europe and Russia, performing in Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and across the Nordic regions, bringing her intimate, story-driven sound to festivals, clubs, and house-concert stages overseas.

Her albums In Her Words (2021), Life’s a Gig (2024), and She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth (2024) illuminate the interior world of women in jazz, exploring resilience, humor, and truth through story and sound.

In 2023, Gould received The Jazz Gallery Composition Residency Commission, expanding her vision toward multi-movement works that integrate text, voice, and visual storytelling. Her music honors jazz tradition while pushing it forward with intimacy, imagination, and depth.

Location

The Side Door

85 Lyme St

Old Lyme, CT 06371

Sean Nelson Jazz Orchestra “Swing into Spring”

March 11, 2026 By Craig OConnell

Sean Nelson Jazz Orchestra “Swing into Spring”

ByThe Side Door Jazz Club

The Side Door Old Lyme, CT

Wednesday, Mar 11 from 7:30 pm to 10 pm EDT

Overview

The Sean Nelson Jazz Orchestra returns to the Side Door as part of their monthly residency.
The Sean Nelson Jazz Orchestra is a “full bodied and polished brassy big band” (Jazz Weekly) made up of 17 of the finest musicians in New England. Formed in 2016 as the New London Big Band, for the past nine years they have played monthly for sold out crowds at the Social Bar + Kitchen in New London CT. The band has performed all over the country, including the Kennedy Center (Washington DC), the Birdland Jazz Club (NYC), Monks Jazz Club (Austin TX), and Hallowed Halls (Portland OR). The band has released three albums, the most recent of which, “Don’t Stop Now: the lost music of Thad Jones for Harry James,” reached #29 on the jazz radio charts.

The band’s sound is rooted in the Kansas City swing of Count Basie, “swinging high, hard, and hot” (All About Jazz.) “Nelson…has assembled a youthful, sharp, hip 17-piece ensemble as dedicated as he is to the belief that big band sounds can provide a fine musical experience — one best served up live, where the groove and excitement of the arrangements and instrumental interplay can energize and pack a dance floor across generations.” (The Day of New London)

Sean Nelson is the leader and founder of the band. By day, he is enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he plays trombone with the Coast Guard Band’s concert band and jazz ensembles, serves as staff arranger, and is music director for the Guardians Big Band.

Nelson was music director and arranger for the 2024 National Christmas Tree Lighting with the Coast Guard’s Guardians Big Band, creating over 500 pages of arrangements. This was performed in front of the White House and seen nationally on CBS. Sean was one of two composers that co-created the official song of the Space Force, Semper Supra, which is now part of every Armed Forces Medley. He also composed the official song for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officer corps (one of the eight federal uniformed services). He has won the National Band Association Young Composers Jazz Composition Contest and is a two time winner of Downbeat Magazine’s jazz arranging award. He currently works as the arranger for Sam Houston State University Bearkat Marching Band. Sean’s big band arrangements are published at iJazzmusic.com.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Sean received a Bachelor of Music degree from Sam Houston State University and a Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas. While at North Texas, he was trombonist and composer for the One O’Clock Lab Band and sang with the Jazz Singers I. Sean’s trombone quartet won the International Trombone Association Quartet Contest. He spent his summers and winter breaks playing in house bands on cruise ships for Princess Cruises and Cunard Cruises.

Sean lives in Quaker Hill, Connecticut, with his wife Megan and children Lucinda, Giles, McCoy, and Cab.

Sean is a performing artist for S.E. Shires trombones and Denis Wick mouthpieces and mutes.

Location

The Side Door

85 Lyme St

Old Lyme, CT 06371

Edu Ribeiro Trio w/Special Guest Seamus Blake

March 7, 2026 By Craig OConnell

Edu Ribeiro Trio w/Special Guest Seamus Blake

ByThe Side Door Jazz Club

The Side Door Old Lyme, CT

Saturday, Mar 7 from 8 pm to 10:30 pm EST

Overview

Join us for a special night of jazz with Drummer Edu Ribeiro and his Trio with Special Guest Seamus Blake!

Seamus Blake – Saxophone

Vinicius Gomes – Guitar

Noah Garabedian – Bass

Edu Ribeiro – Drums

Edu Ribeiro

Brazilian drummer, composer and educator. Two times Grammy Awards winner.

As a leader, Edu Ribeiro has released the albums “Já Tô Te Esperando”, “Na Calada do Dia” and “Folia de tReis” (Latin Grammy nominated for the Best Instrumental Album category).

As a member of Trio Corrente and Vento Em Madeira, Edu has released more than ten albums, including the two times Grammy Award Winner “Song for Maura” album, recorded with Trio Corrente & Paquito D’Rivera.

As a co-leader, Edu has recorded the albums “Varanda” with the Reunion Project and “At Play” with Romero Lubambo, Helio Alves and Reuben Rogers.

Edu has also recorded albums with numerous artists such as Chico Pinheiro, Eliane Elias, Randy Brecker, Hamilton de Holanda, Amilton Godoy, and many others.

As an educator, Edu teaches drums at Faculdade Santa Marcelina since 2006 and is the Popular Music Coordinator at Escola de Música do Estado de São Paulo (EMESP) since 2014. Edu has recorded a series of online lessons that can be found at Edu Ribeiro Music Workshop.

Seamus Blake

New York based saxophonist/composer SEAMUS BLAKE is recognized as one of the finest exponents of contemporary jazz. His music is known for its sophistication, bold improvisations and “sheer swagger”. John Scofield, who hired Seamus for his “Quiet Band,” called him “extraordinary, a total saxophonist.” Throughout his 24 year career, Seamus has garnered critical praise for his masterful playing, his fine compositional skills and for his facility as a leader.

Since moving to Paris in February 2018 Seamus has been invited to perform the music of his recent CD, “Superconductor” with a number of European Jazz Bands. Beginning with the Latvian Radio Jazz Band early in 2018, Seamus has performed with the Trondheim Big Band and The Sibis Alumni Big Band (Sibelius Institute , Helsinki),in September. He is scheduled to perform his music with The Tuesday Big Band (Amsterdam) on November 6/7, and The Subway Jazz Orchestra on November 14.

In 2017 Seamus assembled a new quartet, The French Connection. The band ( Seamus, Tony Tixier piano, Florent Nisse, bass, and Gautier Garrigue, drums) recorded their first CD in Paris in November, 2017 and have toured in France and Spain. The CD will be released on the Whirlwind label. Three promo videos will be available on Youtube in January. Seamus has a busy schedule in Europe in 2018. Check the Performance page for details.

Superconductor is Seamus’ most ambitious project to date and was released in December 2015. The talent includes Nate Smith, Matt Garrison, Scott Kinsey, a 7 piece orchestral ensemble as well as special guest appearances by John Scofield and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The album marks the debut of Seamus on EWI (electronic wind instrument). Seamus plays on the 2015 Grammy nominated Camino by pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

Seamus Blake was born December 1970 in England and raised in Vancouver, Canada. At age 21, while still a student at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College, he was asked to record with legendary drummer Victor Lewis. After graduation, he moved to New York, where he rapidly established himself on the New York jazz scene. In February 2002, Seamus took first place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in Washington D. C. As the winner, he performed with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock.

As a leader/co-leader , Seamus has released 16 albums. He is featured as a sideman on over 70 CDs.

Seamus has played on six of of the Grammy nominated Mingus bands’ albums He continues to play and record with Bill Stewart, Kevin Hays, David Kikoski and Alex Sipiagin. Seamus is frequently featured as a guest artist. In 2010 he was guest of honor at the International Saxophone Symposium in Washington hosted by the US Navy Band. Seamus was a member of John Scofield’s Quiet Band and toured and recorded with Dave Douglas. Some of the many other artists he has worked with include Eric Reed, Ethan Iverson, Chris Cheek, and Matt Penman.

Location

The Side Door

85 Lyme St

Old Lyme, CT 06371

Miguel Zenon Quartet

March 6, 2026 By Craig OConnell

Miguel Zenon Quartet

By The Side Door Jazz Club

Mar 6 from 8pm to 10:30pm EST

Join us for a special night of jazz with Saxophonist Miguel Zenon and his Quartet!

This young musician and composer is at once reestablishing the artistic, cultural, and social tradition of jazz while creating an entirely new jazz language for the 21st century.”
— MacArthur Foundation, 2008.

Grammy Winner, Doris Duke Artist and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón represents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often-contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between jazz and his many musical influences.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released eighteen recordings as a leader, including his latest, Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard (2025), the Grammy-nominated Golden City (2024), and the Grammy-winning album El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (2023). He has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Joey Calderazzo, Steve Coleman, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band and Bobby Hutcherson.

In April 2008 he received a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Later that year he was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive the coveted MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant.” In 2011 he founded Caravana Cultural, a program which presents free-of-charge Jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. In 2022 he received an Honorary Doctorate from La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the highest honor bestowed by the institution. In 2024 he received a Doris Duke Artist Award from the Doris Duke Foundation.

Zenón has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and The Chicago Tribune. In addition, he topped both the Jazz Artist of the Year and Alto Saxophonist of the Year categories in the 2014 JazzTimes Critics Poll and was selected as Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of the Year). In 2023 he was recognized by the same organization as the Composer of the Year.

As a composer he has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, NYO Jazz, The New York State Council on the Arts, Chamber Music America, Logan Center for The Arts, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, MIT, Spektral Quartet, Miller Theater, The Hewlett Foundation, Peak Performances, PRISM Quartet, Kinetic Ensemble and many of his peers. Zenón has given hundreds of lectures and master classes at institutions all over the world and is an Associate Professor in the Music & Theater Arts Department at MIT.

Zenón lives in New York City with his wife Elga and their daughter.

Location

The Side Door

85 Lyme St

Old Lyme, CT 06371

Dan Pugach Big Band w/Special Guest Nicole Zuraitis

February 28, 2026 By Craig OConnell

Dan Pugach Big Band w/Special Guest Nicole Zuraitis

ByThe Side Door Jazz Club

The Side Door Old Lyme, CT

Saturday, Feb 28 from 8 pm to 10:30 pm EST

Join us for a special night of jazz the Dan Pugach Big Band and Nicole Zuraitis!

Dan Pugach is a GRAMMY® Award-winning drummer and composer, a 5X GRAMMY® nominee, 2X ASCAP Foundation Jazz Composer Award winner, a recipient of the BMI Charlie Parker Composition Prize/Manny Albam Commission for Big Band and a participant at the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency Program at the Kennedy Center. He is a 2025 Chamber Music America “New Jazz Works” Grantee.

His latest album, Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence (2024), featuring Nicole Zuraitis, won the 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Additionally, he was the featured drummer on the 2024 GRAMMY® Award-winning album How Love Begins, co-produced by Nicole Zuraitis and Christian McBride. His debut album, Dan Pugach Nonet – Plus One (2018), reached the top 20 in Jazz radio and earned a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocal for “Jolene” alongside Zuraitis.

The Dan Pugach nonet and big band perform regularly and have headlined at Dizzy’s, Deer Head Inn, Birdland, Blue Note, Smalls, the 55bar, and the Red Sea Jazz Festival.

Born in Israel, he served as the drummer for The Air Force Band in the IDF while attending the Rimon School of Jazz. After studying percussion in Rio de Janeiro, he moved to the U.S. in 2006 to pursue a career in Jazz performance. Pugach holds a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music (2008), where he studied with Terri Lynn Carrington and Joe Lovano, and a Master of Arts from the City College of New York (2011), where he studied with Mike Holober, Scott Reeves and John Patitucci.

Location

The Side Door

85 Lyme St

Old Lyme, CT 06371

Olli Soikkeli Trio

February 27, 2026 By Craig OConnell

Olli Soikkeli Trio

ByThe Side Door Jazz Club

The Side Door Old Lyme, CT

Friday, Feb 27 from 8 pm to 10:30 pm EST

Overview

Join us for a special night of jazz with Guitarist Olli Soikkeli and his Trio!

Olli Soikkeli – Guitar

Paul Sikivie – Bass

Ben Zweig – Drums

Born in Nurmes, Finland and based in NYC, Soikkeli was introduced to the music of great Django Reinhardt and Gypsy Jazz, which has been his primary focus since. Olli played in jazz clubs and festivals across Finland, and toured Europe with Sinti Guitarist Paulus Schäfer. While still young, he’s already played with notable artists such as Bucky Pizzarelli, Stochelo Rosenberg, Tommy Emmanuel, Andreas Öberg, Cyrille Aimee, Antti Sarpila and Marian Petrescu.

After move to New York City in 2014. Olli has played legendary venues such as Town Hall, Herbst Theatre, Birdland Jazz Club, Blue Note, Iridium and the Lincoln Center.

Olli recorded his first album “Trois Générations” (2011) with Hot Club de Finlande and Vitali Imereli and recorded his second album “Kouvola Junction” (2012) with Paulus Schäfer and Arnoud van den Berg.

Location

The Side Door

85 Lyme St

Old Lyme, CT 06371

Cyrus Chestnut Trio

February 20, 2026 By Craig OConnell

Cyrus Chestnut Trio

ByThe Side Door Jazz Club

The Side Door Old Lyme, CT

Friday, Feb 20 from 8 pm to 10:30 pm EST

Join us for a special night of jazz with Pianist Cyrus Chestnut and his Trio!

Cyrus Chestnut is one of the most gifted and innovative jazz pianists of his generation. With a musical style that effortlessly combines the influences of gospel, classical music, and straight-ahead jazz, Chestnut has garnered acclaim from critics and peers alike for his soulful, virtuosic playing. His career spans decades of performances and recordings, establishing him as a pivotal figure in contemporary jazz.

Raised in the heart of Baltimore in a musical family, Chestnut’s gospel roots have been a key influence on his musical development. His father, a pianist, and his mother, a singer, were both deeply involved in the church, where Chestnut first encountered the powerful, emotional connection between music and spirituality. This early exposure to gospel music provided him with a rich, emotive foundation that continues to permeate his jazz performances, infusing them with a soulful, dynamic energy that resonates deeply with audiences. Chestnut has often described how the gospel tradition taught him not only how to play the piano but also how to connect with listeners on a deeper, more emotional level. He has said, “I want to spread some feel good… I want to be able to spread the feel good”—a sentiment that echoes the uplifting, transformative nature of gospel music.

Chestnut’s talent is further showcased in his upcoming album, Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony, released on April 25, 2025, via HighNote Records. This piano quartet recording demonstrates his signature blend of rhythmic precision, emotive expression, and improvisational mastery. Joined by saxophonist Stacy Dillard, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Chris Beck, Chestnut continues to push boundaries with his original compositions, which form the core of this album. The album adds to his already impressive discography, which includes critically acclaimed works like Kaleidoscope and My Father’s Hands.

In addition to his recording career, Chestnut has performed with a diverse array of artists and ensembles, spanning the genres of jazz and classical music. He has recently graced the stage with classical groups such as the Cecilia Chorus of New York and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, further showcasing his versatility as an artist and his ability to bridge genres. Whether performing in intimate jazz settings or collaborating with large orchestras, Chestnut’s music continues to captivate audiences with its depth and complexity.

As a Steinway Artist, Chestnut joins an esteemed group of musicians known for their artistry and technical skill, further solidifying his reputation as a master of the piano.

A graduate of the renowned Baltimore School for the Arts, Chestnut’s early exposure to both jazz and classical music shaped his unique approach to the piano. His career as a sideman has included collaborations with jazz giants such as Wynton Marsalis, Betty Carter, and Donald Harrison, while his leadership of the Cyrus Chestnut Trio has solidified his place as one of the foremost jazz pianists today.

Chestnut’s contributions to the jazz world have earned him widespread praise, with JazzTimes describing his playing as “virtuosic” and Down Beat calling him “one of the finest jazz pianists of his generation.” His music remains a testament to the power of jazz as an expressive and transformative art form, deeply rooted in the spiritual and emotional traditions of gospel, while extending outward into new musical horizons

Location

The Side Door

85 Lyme St

Old Lyme, CT 06371

Jimmy Greene Quartet

February 14, 2026 By Craig OConnell

Jimmy Greene Quartet

ByThe Side Door Jazz Club

The Side Door Old Lyme, CT

Saturday, Feb 14 from 8 pm to 10:30 pm EST

Join us for a special night of jazz with Saxophonist Jimmy Greene and his Quartet!

A native of Connecticut, Jimmy Greene is one of the most respected saxophonists of his generation. His most recent recording, As We Are Now, was released on July 25, 2025. His 2014 release, Beautiful Life (Mack Avenue), garnered two Grammy® Award nominations: one for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and one for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for Greene’s song “When I Come Home.” Greene has performed selections from the album on CBS This Morning, NBC’s The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, and the nationally syndicated Meredith Vieira Show. His other releases as a leader, While Looking Up (Mack Avenue), Flowers: Beautiful Life, Vol. 2 (Mack Avenue), Live at Smalls (SmallsLive), Mission Statement (RazDaz/Sunnyside), The Overcomers Suite (NuJazz), Gifts and Givers (Criss Cross), True Life Stories (Criss Cross), Forever (Criss Cross), Brand New World (RCA Victor), Live at Birdland (RCA Victor) and Introducing Jimmy Greene (Criss Cross) were also met with much critical acclaim. In fact, Tony Hall of Jazzwise Magazine (UK) calls Greene “ . . .without doubt one of the most striking young tenors of recent years.”

The Jimmy Greene Quartet/Quintet performs in concert venues, festivals and clubs worldwide, including the Village Vanguard, Smoke and Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in New York, the Alexanderplatz Jazz Club (Rome, Italy), Sunside Jazz Club (Paris, France), Newport Jazz Festival (USA), Detroit International Jazz Festival (USA), Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival (USA), Red Sea Jazz Festival (Israel), Lapataia Jazz Festival (Uruguay) and Amazonas Jazz Festival (Brazil). In one such appearance, Jim Macnie of the Village Voice said, “[Greene] is good for a couple of body chills every time you see him. He’s got a big barrelhouse sound, and a way of negotiating changes that make academic moves seem natural.”

In addition to his recordings and appearances as a leader, Greene appears on over 100 albums as a sideman and is a member of legendary bassist Ron Carter’s Foursight Quartet. He has also toured and/or recorded in the bands of Horace Silver, Tom Harrell, Freddie Hubbard, Harry Connick, Jr., Avishai Cohen, Kenny Barron, Lewis Nash, Steve Turre, Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, among many others. As a member of Harrell’s quintet, Greene was featured on CBS’s benchmark news magazine, 60 Minutes. As a member of Harry Connick Jr.’s Big Band, Greene is a featured soloist on 2 DVD releases, Harry for the Holidays, and Only You. He was featured as a soloist on Connick’s 2003 holiday special aired on NBC, in addition to NBC’s Today Show, and BBC’s Parkinson Show.

As a composer, Greene was awarded the prestigious 2005 ASCAP / IAJE Commission in honor of Ornette Coleman. Greene is the 2013 recipient of the State of Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award in Music as well as the 2012 recipient of the City of Hartford’s Innovator Award in Music. Greene was twice named a winner of Chamber Music America’s New Works: Creation and Presentation grant for jazz composition – in 2004 and again in 2023, awarded a 2005 Artist Fellowship in Music Composition by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, and awarded a 2009 Individual Artist Grant by the Greater Hartford Arts Council. Seventy of Greene’s original compositions and arrangements have been recorded on the Mack Avenue, RCA Victor, SmallsLive, Criss Cross, NuJazz and RazDaz / Sunnyside labels. In addition, Greene’s performance of his composition “Mr. McLean” was aired throughout the US and Canada on ABC-TV during a NASCAR pre-race broadcast in September 2007.

Down Beat Magazine named Greene the Winner of the Rising Star – Soprano Saxophone category in its 66th Annual Critics’
Poll

Greene is Professor of Music at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT.

Location

The Side Door

85 Lyme St

Old Lyme, CT 06371

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