Roberta Piket & Billy Mintz Quintet
Smalls183 West 10th Street, New York 10014
Billy Mintz’s quintet features Roberta Piket on piano with tenor saxophonist Peter Brainin, guitarist Pete McCann, bassist Mary Ann McSweeney and Mintz on drums. The performance will also be streamed live.
Mintz, a drummer, leader and composer, and native New Yorker Piket have worked together in settings that range from free improvisation to standard jazz structures. Time Out described Mintz’s music as “avant-garde, leaning postbop and romantic balladry”; a Jazz Weekly review heard his quartet move from “Coltranesque spirituals” to “free form,” with ballads and blues in the mix.
Smalls is a basement jazz club where the music feels immediate and unfiltered, with the stage just a few feet from the audience. The room is compact, with simple seating that encourages close listening, and a bar that serves drinks but no full kitchen, so the focus stays on the performances. Shows typically feature multiple sets, often extending late into the night with jam sessions that invite spontaneous creativity. The club’s walls are adorned with photos and memorabilia that reflect its deep roots in New York’s jazz scene. The audience is there to listen intently, creating a shared experience where every note can be savored. Expect an evening where the energy of live jazz is palpable and the musicians’ passion fills the intimate space.