Eric Alexander Quartet featuring Cyrus Chestnut “Fifth Quadrant” Record Release
Smoke Jazz Club2751 Broadway, New York 10025
Eric Alexander brings his quartet to Smoke Jazz Club for the release of Fifth Quadrant, with Cyrus Chestnut featured on piano. The bill identifies the evening as a record-release set, pairing Alexander’s tenor saxophone with Chestnut in a quartet whose remaining personnel are not named in the available information. Alexander and Chestnut have recorded together before, including on A Love Story.
New York-based Alexander began his career in Chicago and works in the hard-bop, post-bop and bebop tradition. The Montclair Jazz Festival hears “a warm, finely burnished tone and a robust melodic and harmonic imagination” in his playing, while JazzWise called him “arguably the best modern straight-ahead tenor in jazz today.” He has worked with Pat Martino, McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Cobb, and belongs to the cooperative band One for All. Baltimore-raised Chestnut draws on gospel and swinging hard bop, with work alongside Betty Carter, Jon Hendricks and Wynton Marsalis. On their earlier collaboration, JazzTimes described Chestnut’s “Laura” as “pure romance and beauty” under his “magical spell.”
Smoke Jazz Club offers a refined evening where jazz takes center stage in a space defined by its candlelit tables, plush red velvet curtains, exposed brick walls, and antique chandeliers. The club spans two connected rooms: one designed for focused listening with impeccable acoustics and iconic jazz photography, and a second lounge featuring a historic full-length bar and café seating. Guests can enjoy classic American cuisine during the first set, which begins at 7pm, creating a supper club experience that blends dining with world-class performances. The venue showcases a mix of legendary artists, contemporary masters, and emerging talents, making each night a unique encounter with jazz artistry. The recent expansion has enhanced comfort without losing the close proximity to the stage that defines the club’s appeal.