Axel Tosca’s Cuban Jam
Zinc Bar82 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
Axel Tosca’s Cuban Jam returns to Zinc Bar as the Axel Tosca Trio joins singer Xiomara Laugart, Tosca’s mother, for a Thursday-night set. The program brings together Cuban sounds from the 1950s through today with Tosca’s approach to modern jazz, swing, and bebop. Laugart’s repertoire spans Cuban Nueva trova, jazz standards, and Broadway numbers, making this a family collaboration with room for both songbook material and the jam’s broader musical exchange.
Cuban-born pianist Axel Tosca moved to the United States in 2005 and is now based in New York. A three-time Grammy nominee, he blends jazz, classical music, hip-hop, and Afro-Cuban rhythms, and has performed with Roy Hargrove, The Roots, George Clinton, Steve Turre, and the Afro-Cuban All-Stars. Village View called the trio “one of the best trios I’ve seen or heard,” praising playing that was technically formidable but whose technique “served the composition” and carried emotion. Reviewing a set featuring saxophonist Rico Jones, the paper called the jam “incendiary.”
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.