Tenor Titans! The Wayne Escoffery & Jimmy Greeen Quintet featuring Buster Williams & Lenny White
Smoke Jazz Club2751 Broadway, New York 10025
Tenor saxophonists Wayne Escoffery and Jimmy Greene lead a quintet at Smoke Jazz Club with pianist David Kikoski, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White. The program brings together two distinct modern-jazz tenor voices whose musical connection goes back to studying with Jackie McLean. Expect the band to work from the tradition of passionate, hard-swinging tenor playing, with the two leaders sharing the front line and Kikoski, Williams and White supplying a deeply seasoned rhythm section. This is presented as a dinner show.
Escoffery and Greene have each built individual voices while drawing on that tenor tradition. Jazzwise called Escoffery’s sound “a contemporary mix of Coltrane, Shorter, and Henderson influences,” adding that it is “already personal” and that “his technique is superb.” His performance and recording credits include Tom Harrell, the Mingus Big Band, Eric Reed and Herbie Hancock. Greene has worked with Ron Carter, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Harrell and Kenny Barron, among others. Harrell describes Greene as “phenomenal,” praising his “really creative imagination and beautiful feeling” and saying that his tone is “big and warm and beautiful.”
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.