Chris Beck Quartet
Zinc Bar82 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
Chris Beck brings his quartet to Zinc Bar for an evening of straight-ahead jazz shaped by his hard-swinging approach as a drummer and composer. The music follows the perspective heard on his debut album, The Journey: a reverence for classic jazz language, colored by elements drawn from his African roots and Gospel upbringing. The venue presents two performances, with seating available throughout the night.
A Philadelphia native raised in a musical family, Beck began on trombone before finding his place on drums. He studied at Temple University, recording with its ensembles and contributing the original “Room 323,” which an All About Jazz article compared to a Thelonious Monk tune. After becoming a first-call drummer in Philadelphia, he moved to New York in 2006, studied with Michael Carvin, and earned a master’s degree at Rutgers’ Mason Gross School of the Arts, where he studied with Victor Lewis. Beck performs with Cyrus Chestnut, Oliver Lake, and Rufus Reid, and has shared stages with artists including McCoy Tyner, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Mingus Big Band, David Murray, and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.
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.