Simona Premazzi Quartet
The Django2 6th Avenue, New York 10013
Simona Premazzi brings her quartet to The Django for a modern-jazz set with Kyle Nasser on saxophones, Noah Garabedian on bass and Jay Sawyer on drums. Premazzi and Nasser write for the band, a collaborative group formed in late 2021. Their music can move from hard-swinging, Coltrane Quartet-inspired passages and spiky Monk-ish piano figures to richly harmonized ballads.
A New York-based pianist originally from Italy, Premazzi has worked with Greg Osby and Jeremy Pelt. Her earlier quartet record, Outspoken, featured Dayna Stephens, Joe Martin and Nasheet Waits; it earned four stars in DownBeat and was named among that magazine's best albums of 2017. The New York Times described her writing as “modern without ever being airless and swing-deficient,” calling her soloing “special.” DownBeat heard a “fearless modernist composer and improviser” with “deep lyricism,” while All About Jazz praised the Premazzi-Nasser Quartet's “lively, quirky and cerebral” dynamic “in the most approachable way.”
The Django offers a subterranean jazz experience inspired by Parisian boîtes, with vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls that frame a stage equipped with a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system. The venue combines two cocktail bars and an open dining area where you can enjoy an elevated menu alongside live performances every night. The evening unfolds with a focus on attentive listening, enhanced by award-winning cocktails crafted by Natasha David and a selection of small plates and dinner options. Shows require a cover charge and reservations are recommended to secure your spot. The setting invites you to settle in for a night of rich jazz sounds, fine food, and carefully mixed drinks, all within the cellar level of the Roxy Hotel, creating a distinct mood that feels both exclusive and welcoming.