Your weekly guide to Jazz in Buffalo.
Tony’s Thoughts
When People Want to Stay
One of the things I noticed Sunday during Voci d’Amore was how comfortable people seemed simply sitting and relaxing with family and friends.
They came early. They found friends. They enjoyed the music and a meal. And when the final notes were played, many weren’t particularly eager to leave.
I’ve come to believe that’s one of the signs of a meaningful experience.
Attendance certainly matters. But so does what people do once they arrive. Do they settle in? Do they talk with people around them? Do they stay? And, most importantly, do they want to come back?
We’re seeing more of that this summer.
And perhaps that’s how a sense of community really develops—not simply by bringing people together, but by creating places and experiences where they want to stay.
It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.
On a personal note, I was exceptionally grateful to Jay Dref for sharing his extraordinary talent with us and helping make Voci d’Amore possible. And I was filled with joy watching so many people experience Carolyn Lansom. I’ve long believed Carolyn possesses a truly gifted voice—one of the finest in Buffalo—and seeing the audience respond to her as they did was especially meaningful to me.
Thank you for continuing to make jazz and the Great American Songbook part of your lives—and for spending some of your summer with us.
With gratitude,
Tony Zambito
Executive Director, JazzBuffalo
What We’re Building
Something To Look Forward To
One of the things we’re beginning to see is what happens when people know there is always something else to look forward to.
Sunday’s Voci d’Amore was a beautiful afternoon. This Sunday, the same street will feel completely different as the Fredtown Stompers bring the spirit of New Orleans downtown.
Then comes the Lewiston Jazz Festival. A week later, we celebrate the 5th Annual Buffalo Jazz Festival.
Different music. Different experiences. Different places.
But there is a connection between all of them.
People begin looking ahead. They make plans with friends. They tell someone about an experience they enjoyed and invite them to the next one. And increasingly, we’re seeing familiar faces show up again and again.
That’s what we’re building.
Not simply individual events that come and go, but a continuing rhythm of experiences that people can become part of—and, hopefully, something they know they can count on.
Because when people begin asking “What’s next?”, I think you’re building something that matters.
This Week’s Featured Event
Taste of New Orleans Brings the Spirit of the Crescent City to Ellicott Street
One of the things we’ve enjoyed most about Summer of Jazz 2026 is how every Sunday can become a completely different experience.
Last Sunday, Voci d’Amore filled Ellicott Street with the beautiful and romantic music associated with Andrea Bocelli.
This Sunday, we’re changing the vibe again.
The Fredtown Stompers bring the joyful sounds and spirit of New Orleans to downtown Buffalo for our Taste of New Orleans celebration.
There’s something about New Orleans jazz that immediately makes an afternoon feel festive. The horns, the rhythms, the familiar melodies, and getting caught up in the music that is meant to be enjoyed together.
Come early. Enjoy some food and drinks. Bring family and friends. And settle in for another summer Sunday on Ellicott Street.
It’s one more opportunity to experience what Summer of Jazz 2026 has been all about—great music, different experiences, and people enjoying time being downtown.
Taste of New Orleans featuring the Fredtown Stompers
Sunday, August 23 | 4:00–7:00 pm
Ellicott Street at Tappo Restaurant
Free Admission
This Sunday, we’re bringing a little New Orleans to Buffalo!
Great American Songbook Spotlight
“Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?”
Few American cities are as closely connected to their music as New Orleans.
And few songs capture the affection people have for New Orleans quite like “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?”
Written by Eddie DeLange and Louis Alter for the 1947 film New Orleans, the song was introduced by two giants of American music—Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday.
It’s a song filled with longing for a place: the sights, the sounds, the people, and the feeling of being there.
Perhaps that’s why it has endured. Great songs can sometimes make us feel connected to a place even when we’re hundreds of miles away.
This Sunday, we won’t quite make it to New Orleans.
But with the Fredtown Stompers filling Ellicott Street with the sounds of New Orleans, perhaps we’ll get a little taste of it.
Here is the 1947 classic movie version with Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday!
Community Spotlight
Celebrating More Than 20 Years of Ladies First Jazz Big Band
One of the things that makes a jazz community special is the people who keep showing up, making music, and carrying the tradition forward year after year.
For more than two decades, Ladies First Jazz Big Band has been doing exactly that in Western New York.
The big band has become a familiar and important part of our jazz community, bringing together outstanding women musicians and introducing audiences to the energy, swing, and sheer joy of a great big band.
Next Friday, Ladies First will have the distinction of opening the Lewiston Jazz Festival, helping us begin a weekend filled with exceptional jazz throughout the village. There’s something especially meaningful about beginning the festival with an ensemble that has contributed to jazz in our region for more than 20 years. Longevity in music doesn’t happen by accident. It takes commitment, friendship, musicianship, and a shared desire to keep the music going. That’s worth celebrating.
So when Ladies First Jazz Big Band takes the stage next Friday, we’ll be celebrating more than the beginning of another Lewiston Jazz Festival.
ArtsBuffalo Spotlight
The Goal Isn’t Attendance. It’s Return.
ArtsBuffalo has been thinking a lot about what truly makes an arts and cultural experience successful.
Attendance matters. But perhaps an even more meaningful measure is whether people choose to come back.
Do they return to another performance? Bring a friend the next time? Try another restaurant or venue nearby? Begin to make downtown part of their lives?
That’s when an individual experience can begin to have a much larger impact.
This week’s ArtsBuffalo editorial explores why return may be one of the most important measures of success as we think about arts, culture, audience development, and the future of downtown Buffalo.
Read: “The Goal Isn’t Attendance. It’s Return.”
The Goal Isn’t Attendance. It’s Return.
Posted on by Tony Zambito
An ArtsBuffalo series exploring how arts and culture can help shape the future of downtown Buffalo. For those of us who produce arts and cultural experiences, attendance has always mattered. […]
Plan Ahead
A Few Dates Worth Putting on Your Calendar
With so much happening from week to week, it’s easy to focus only on what’s immediately ahead.
So we’re adding a new Plan Ahead section to our weekly guide—a place to highlight a few special JazzBuffalo experiences coming further down the road that may be worth putting on your calendar now.
Thursday, October 29 — The Jazz Lounge Returns to the Statler
One of downtown Buffalo’s most distinctive jazz and social experiences returns for another season. We’re kicking off with a special “Sinatra in the Lounge” presentation featuring vocalist Zach Carr!
Click and view the event description – reserve early!
The Jazz Lounge Presents: Sinatra in the Lounge
Thursday, October 29 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Rendezvous Room Statler Buffalo Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, United States
Zach Carr and My Cousin Toné Celebrate the Songs, Swing, and Style of Frank Sinatra Thursday, October 29, 2026 | The Jazz Lounge at The Statler Some voices become inseparable…
Or go here directly to reserve your spots now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-jazz-lounge-presents-sinatra-in-the-lounge-tickets-1998457047827?aff=oddtdtcreator
Sunday, November 8 — Nicole Zuraitis Opens Jazz at Kleinhans
Fresh from her recent NPR Jazz Night in America feature and international tour, two-time Grammy Award winner Nicole Zuraitis brings her latest “The Devil I Know” recordings and her extraordinary voice, songwriting, and Modern Songbook vision to Kleinhans for the opening of our 2026–2027 season.
Sunday, December 6 — Swinging in the Holidays at Kleinhans
Plan ahead for what has become a special JazzBuffalo and Kleinhans holiday tradition. Champian Fulton, legendary Count Basie vocalist Carmen Bradford, and Vanessa Perea come together for an afternoon of swinging jazz, timeless holiday music, and the Great American Songbook. Champian brings her annual New York City tradition, Christmas at Birdland, to Buffalo!
Go here to reserve for Jazz at Kleinhans: https://kleinhansbuffalo.org/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=31
Sometimes the experiences we look forward to most are worth planning for.
This Week on JazzBuffalo.org
This week, we look ahead to extraordinary performances this fall, look back at a special event, and shine a light on two Lewiston Jazz Festival Main Stage performances.
Two Extraordinary Jazz at Kleinhans Experiences Await This Fall
Posted on by Tony Zambito
Nicole Zuraitis on November 8 and Swinging in the Holidays on December 6 bring world-class jazz, song, and the Great American Songbook to one of Buffalo’s most treasured cultural institutions. […]
Voci d’Amore Created a Beautiful Sunday Afternoon on Ellicott Street
Posted on by Tony Zambito
The music of Andrea Bocelli filled downtown Buffalo, but the experience taking shape around the music may have told an even bigger story. There are afternoons when everything seems to […]
Why Laura Dubin Is a Pianist You Need to Experience
Posted on by Tony Zambito
One of the things I enjoy most about jazz is hearing a familiar song become something entirely new. Laura Dubin has a remarkable gift for doing exactly that. At first, […]
Why Gabrielle Stravelli Is a Jazz Singer You Need to Experience
Posted on by Tony Zambito
Every so often, someone asks me what makes a great jazz singer. It’s a fair question. After all, many wonderful vocalists perform jazz standards. But not every vocalist is truly […]
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.
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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.
