Your weekly guide to Jazz in Buffalo.
Tony’s Thoughts
The Rhythm Changes
I’ve come to appreciate the rhythm of jazz in Buffalo more with each passing year.
Summer invites us outside. We gather on rooftops and streets, in parks and at festivals. We bring chairs, run into people we know, discover new artists, dance, and spend long afternoons and evenings together. This summer gave us plenty of those moments, and I’m grateful for every one of them. Then September arrives, and the rhythm begins to change.
We start moving indoors again. The experiences become a little more intimate. A gallery becomes a listening room. A historic ballroom takes us back to another era. And eventually, we settle into one of Buffalo’s great concert halls for an evening built around the music itself.
I love both. What matters to me isn’t whether we’re getting together on a downtown street or sitting inside a beautiful room. It’s that we’re continuing to create reasons for people to come together around music—and experiences they look forward to having again.
That’s what I’m thinking about as we turn toward fall.
We’ve had an extraordinary summer of jazz. Now another kind of season begins, with Art Meets Jazz, The Jazz Lounge, and Jazz at Kleinhans each offering something distinctly different.
There is a lot of wonderful music ahead. And after a summer filled with so many memorable gatherings, I’m looking forward to seeing where the rhythm takes us next.
With gratitude,
Tony Zambito
Executive Director, JazzBuffalo
What We’re Building
Different Spaces. Different Experiences. One Jazz Community.
One of the things we’ve learned over the years is that there isn’t just one way people want to experience jazz.
Some love the energy of a festival. Others want to sit close to the musicians in an intimate room. Some enjoy jazz as part of a social evening with friends. Others want the experience of hearing an extraordinary artist on the stage of one of Buffalo’s great concert halls. That’s why the season ahead isn’t simply a series of concerts.
Art Meets Jazz brings music and visual art together in the intimate setting of Beebe’s on the Square at Hunt Art Gallery. The Jazz Lounge, in the historic Rendezvous Room, transforms the Statler into a social jazz experience inspired by another era. And Jazz at Kleinhans allows us to bring remarkable international artists to one of Buffalo’s most treasured cultural spaces.
Each is different by design.
What connects them is the belief that jazz can create experiences people want to make part of their lives. That’s something we’ve been building toward for a long time. Not simply more jazz on the calendar, but a variety of experiences that give people different reasons to listen, socialize, and discover.
Summer showed us what can happen when jazz fills our streets, rooftops, and festivals. This fall, we’ll continue building in a different way—one room, one experience, and one gathering at a time.
This Week’s Featured Event
The Return of New Orleans Trumpeter Kevin Clark
One of the special jazz visits this week is the return of trumpeter Kevin Clark, bringing the unmistakable spirit and sound of New Orleans jazz back to Western New York.
Clark has spent decades immersed in the New Orleans tradition, including serving as trumpeter and musical director for the renowned Dukes of Dixieland and performing with the New Orleans Nightcrawlers. His playing carries the joyful combination of swing, blues, tradition, and personality that has made New Orleans jazz one of America’s most enduring musical forms.
If you enjoy the joyous, swinging sound of traditional New Orleans jazz, this is a Queen City Jass Society event to put on your calendar.
New Orleans Trumpet Man Kevin Clark Returns!
Sunday, September 13 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm Sean Patrick’s 3480 Milersport Highway, Getzville, NY, United States
Traditional jazz trumpeter and former member of New Orleans-based bands The Dukes of Dixieland and the Grammy-winning New Orleans Night Crawlers will be returning to do a show at Sean…
Great American Songbook Spotlight
“September in the Rain” — Harry Warren & Al Dubin
September has arrived, so I’m choosing a song this week that has long been one of my personal favorites.
Written by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Al Dubin, “September in the Rain” was introduced in the 1937 film Melody for Two. Like so many songs that became part of the Great American Songbook, it soon traveled far beyond its original setting and found a lasting home in jazz.
Over the decades, artists including George Shearing, Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Hartman, Red Garland, and many others have found something of their own in it. The melody can be wistful and romantic, but it can also swing—one reason jazz musicians and vocalists have continued returning to it.
Perhaps that’s why I’ve always loved this song. It carries a little nostalgia without ever feeling weighed down by it. And there is something about its melody that seems perfectly suited to the arrival of September.
For this week’s spotlight, I’ve chosen a live performance that makes the selection even more special for us here in Western New York. On bass is Danny Ziemann, a WNY native who has gone on to build an impressive career as a bassist, educator, and author.
It’s always wonderful when the Great American Songbook gives us an opportunity to make a connection back home.
So, as summer begins giving way to fall, enjoy this live performance of one of my personal favorites:
Community Spotlight
The People Behind the Sound
When live music sounds exceptional, it’s easy to focus entirely on the musicians on stage. But behind every great performance is a team of people making sure we hear those musicians at their very best.
Throughout this summer, Mark Percy, Bill Ross, and Gerry Krayenvenger did exactly that.
From Summer of Jazz on Ellicott Street to the two-day Lewiston Jazz Festival and this past Sunday’s Buffalo Jazz Festival, they worked across different stages, settings, ensembles, and instrumentation—all while maintaining an exceptional level of sound quality. That’s not something that happens by accident.
Great live sound takes experience, careful listening, attention to detail, and an understanding that the job isn’t simply to make the music louder. It’s to make the music sound right—for the musicians on stage and for the audiences listening.
Much of that work happens before the first note is played and continues quietly behind the scenes throughout every performance. When everything is working as it should, most of us don’t think about microphones, monitors, speakers, cables, mixing boards, or the people operating them. We simply experience the music.
So this week’s Community Spotlight goes to Mark Percy, Bill Ross, and Gerry Krayenvenger, whose professionalism and commitment helped make an extraordinary summer of jazz sound as good as it did.
Thank you, Mark, Bill, and Gerry, for the long hours, the care you brought to every performance, and for making sure the music was always heard at its best.
ArtsBuffalo Spotlight
From Buena Vista to Tappo Vista
Here is another example of arts and business coming together downtown.
As Buena Vista Social Club arrives at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, Tappo is joining the celebration with Tappo Vista Club Week, bringing the flavors, music, and spirit of Cuba to Ellicott Street. It’s exactly the kind of connection ArtsBuffalo hopes to encourage—cultural experiences that extend beyond the theater and give people more reasons to spend time downtown.
Buena Vista at Shea’s. Tappo Vista nearby. One cultural experience spilling into the city.
Tappo Vista Social Club
Saturday, September 12 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Tappo Vista Social Club Tappo Restaurant 330 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY, United States
For one unforgettable week, Tappo is turning up the rhythm. Introducing Tappo Vista Social Club: a celebration of Latin music, dancing, and the unmistakable spirit of Havana, happening September 12–19…
Plan Ahead
Fall Is Taking Shape
Summer may be behind us, but there is plenty of jazz and celebrations of the Great American Songbook ahead. Here are four JazzBuffalo experiences to put on your calendar now:
September 23 — Art Meets Jazz: Celebrating Rick Strauss
The Rick Strauss Trio with Lisa Hasselback and Ed Croft brings Art Meets Jazz back to Beebe’s on the Square as we celebrate Rick ahead of his induction into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.
Reserve your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-meets-jazz-celebrating-rick-strauss-tickets-1998816070674?aff=oddtdtcreator
October 21 — Art Meets Jazz: Elena Izquierdo
One of Buffalo’s exciting next-generation jazz voices comes to Beebe’s for an intimate evening. Voted Jazz Rising Star in the 2026 JazzBuffalo Poll, Elena will be joined by guitarist Stu Weissman for a night of voice, guitar, art, and conversation.
Reserve your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-meets-jazz-elena-izquierdo-tickets-1998920104843?aff=oddtdtcreator
October 29 — Sinatra in the Lounge at the Statler
Step into The Jazz Lounge for an evening celebrating the songs, swing, romance, and timeless style associated with Frank Sinatra, featuring Zach Carr and the eight-piece My Cousin Toné ensemble.
Reserve your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-jazz-lounge-presents-sinatra-in-the-lounge-tickets-1998457047827?aff=oddtdtcreator
November 8 — Nicole Zuraitis Opens Jazz at Kleinhans
Two-time Grammy Award winner Nicole Zuraitis opens the 2026–2027 Jazz at Kleinhans season, beginning another extraordinary season in one of Buffalo’s great concert halls.
Reserve your spot: https://kleinhansbuffalo.org/event/zuraitis/
Four dates. Three distinctly different ways to experience jazz this fall. Plenty to plan ahead for.
This Week on JazzBuffalo.org
This week, we’ve put our “Why” series for the 5th Annual Buffalo Jazz Festival in the spotlight for you. Read and learn why the entire Sunday afternoon should be experienced!
Thank You, Buffalo: The 5th Annual Buffalo Jazz Festival Brings Our Summer of Jazz to a Joyful Close
Posted on by Tony Zambito
An extraordinary day of music and community marked another step in the evolution of the Buffalo Jazz Festival—and gave us much to be grateful for. What a way to finish […]
Check Upcoming Jazz at JazzBuffalo.org
As we enter the summer season, Buffalo comes alive with jazz performances, festivals, and concerts. Be sure to visit the Upcoming Events section on JazzBuffalo.org to stay current on all the live jazz and other music taking place throughout the city and region. With many unique events submitted weekly, we encourage you to visit the website regularly to discover where jazz is happening. Click here to view all the upcoming events!
https://jazzbuffalo.org/upcoming-event
Every week, thousands of readers, audience members, musicians, and supporters help strengthen the jazz community that makes Buffalo special. Thank you for being one of them.
Become a JazzBuffalo Patron
Many thanks to those who have explored and contributed via Patreon. Every patron helps JazzBuffalo continue creating experiences, supporting musicians, strengthening our jazz community, and bringing more people together through the joy of music. Will you consider becoming a JazzBuffalo Patron and help us continue building Buffalo’s future through jazz and live music? Click on the Become A Patron link below and become a supporting patron for as little as $1/month.
