Axel Tosca’s Cuban Jam
Zinc Bar82 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
Axel Tosca’s Cuban Jam brings the Axel Tosca Trio to Zinc Bar, joined by Tosca’s mother, singer Xiomara Laugart. This recurring Thursday session combines Cuban sounds from the 1950s to the present with Tosca’s approach to modern jazz, swing, and bebop. The billed trio’s other members are not specified, but the evening is presented as a Cuban jam built around Tosca and Laugart’s musical exchange.
Cuban pianist Axel Tosca is a three-time Grammy nominee whose work draws together jazz, classical music, hip-hop, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. Born into a musical family, he was performing by age seven and studied with jazz musician Miriam Valdez. Tosca has performed with Roy Hargrove, The Roots, and George Clinton, and his weekly jam is described as a place for collaborations with jazz icons. Laugart’s own repertoire has ranged across Cuban nueva trova, jazz standards, and Broadway numbers on stages in Cuba and internationally. Kaju Roberto of Village View called the Thursday engagement a “Must-See Event in NYC.”
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.