Axel Tosca’s Cuban Jam
Zinc Bar82 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
Axel Tosca’s Cuban Jam brings the Axel Tosca Trio together with singer Xiomara Laugart, Tosca’s mother, for the weekly Thursday session at Zinc Bar. The program joins Cuban sounds from the 1950s through today with Tosca’s modern-jazz, swing and bebop approach. The venue describes it as a collaborative jam that also features jazz guests, with Laugart moving among Cuban nueva trova, jazz standards and Broadway material. A Village View notice calls the pairing of the trio and Laugart “The Cuban Jam.”
Tosca is a three-time Grammy-nominated Cuban pianist, raised in a musical family and onstage from age seven. He studied with jazz figures including Miriam Valdez and has performed with Roy Hargrove, The Roots and George Clinton. His work brings jazz, classical music, hip-hop and Afro-Cuban rhythms into the same musical language. Laugart has appeared locally and internationally in Cuban nueva trova, jazz standards and Broadway repertoire, bringing a long view of Cuban song to her work with Tosca.
Zinc Bar offers a richly textured experience where the past and present of jazz converge in a single, dimly lit room adorned with Art Deco details like velvet upholstery, polished brass, and a Parisian zinc bar. The venue’s layout centers around a close-up stage and a vintage bar, creating a setting where the music is both the focus and a shared journey. Patrons can expect expertly crafted cocktails alongside performances that range from world-class jazz to vibrant Brazilian and African rhythms, often featuring multiple sets and occasional late-night jams. The seating is lounge-style, encouraging attentive listening rather than casual chatter, making it a place to immerse fully in the sound. This is a space where history lingers, once hosting legends like Billie Holiday and Thelonious Monk, now continuing their legacy with a sophisticated yet welcoming vibe.