Roberta Piket/Billy Mintz Quintet
Smalls183 West 10th Street, New York 10014
Roberta Piket and Billy Mintz lead a quintet with Peter Brainin on tenor saxophone, Pete McCann on guitar and Mary Ann McSweeney on bass. Piket plays piano and Mintz drums in a program rooted in jazz and improvised music, moving between free improvisation and standard jazz structures.
Piket is from Queens, and Mintz was born there and now lives in New York. Mintz has played and recorded with the Lee Konitz Nonet, Eddie Daniels Quartet and Gloria Gaynor; JazzTimes' Tom Conrad wrote, “If you are a fan of modern jazz drumming but have not heard Billy Mintz, you have not heard it all.”
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.