Charles McPherson Quintet featuring Terell Stafford
Smoke Jazz Club2751 Broadway, New York 10025
Charles McPherson leads a hard-swinging quintet with trumpeter Terell Stafford, pianist Jeb Patton, bassist David Wong, and drummer Billy Drummond. McPherson plays alto saxophone in this five-piece band, with Stafford featured alongside him. The evening is presented as a dinner show.
Born in Joplin, Missouri, raised in Detroit, and based in New York since 1959, McPherson is an alto saxophonist whose playing is rooted in blues, bebop, and swing. Over more than six decades, he has performed with Barry Harris, Billy Eckstine, Nat Adderley, Jay McShann, Phil Woods, Wynton Marsalis, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, and Lionel Hampton. Jazziz wrote that no musician of the past 60 years has “more palpably channeled the sound of Charlie Parker” than McPherson. DownBeat heard his writing as carrying bebop and swing’s traditional weight while remaining “buoyed with an inventive, contemporary spark.” The current quintet also made Reverence, recorded live at Smoke and dedicated to Harris; a Daily Vault review called the group “superb,” praising its “heart, elegance, and a fluid virtuosity.”
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.