Full Lineup and Discounts
JCAL’s Thursday Night Jazz season begins next month with a highly anticipated concert from the Roy Hargrove Big Band in October! The season will continue with monthly concerts until May.
Also, our new JCAL Membership can grant you free access to our entire Jazz season. Become a member here for free concerts, workshops, festivals, and more.
Check out our Jazz lineup below!
Thursday Night Jazz Presents:
Roy Hargrove Big Band
October 8, 8pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
Join us for a fantastic show to kick off the Thursday Night Jazz season, headlined by The Roy Hargrove Big Band!
As with everything Roy, his broad musical range is evident in his big band. Mr. Bruce Williams, lead alto and big band member from 1997 until Mr. Hargrove’s death in 2018, leads the band on stage.
The repertoire currently consists of arrangements Roy himself played with the band, which include audience favorites like Roy Allan, Public eye and September in the rain, other staples of the show like Conservation (B. Watson) and Requiem (F. Lacy), as well as well known standards and some of his favorite compositions by his mentors John Hicks and Larry Willis.
Thursday Night Jazz Presents:
Idris Frederick
November 12, 8pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
Idris Frederick is a distinguished contemporary jazz pianist, renowned for his innovative approach and masterful technique that blends traditional jazz elements with modern influences.
With a career that has taken him on extensive tours, Idris has performed alongside multiple Grammy-nominated and award-winning artists, showcasing his exceptional talent in prestigious venues and festivals worldwide. His collaborations with renowned musicians have not only enriched his artistry but have also solidified his reputation as a sought-after performer in the contemporary jazz scene.
Thursday Night Jazz Presents:
Tyreek McDole
December 10, 8pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
Tyreek McDole is a multi-award-winning Haitian-American vocalist from Central Florida whose soulful baritone and deeply reflective artistry are making waves across the New York and international music scenes. Rooted in the belief that music is one of the highest forms of communication, McDole approaches performance as a space for healing, reflection, and collective dreaming — treating each concert as both offering and ritual.
He first gained national recognition at the 2018 Essentially Ellington Competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he received the Outstanding Vocalist Award presented by Wynton Marsalis. In 2023, he won first place at the prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, becoming only the second male winner in the competition’s history and joining the ranks of standout vocalists such as Samara Joy.
Thursday Night Jazz Presents:
Julieta Eugenio
January 14, 8pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
Argentinian saxophonist Julieta Eugenio, based in New York City, is one of the most compelling young voices in contemporary jazz. She began her career performing in Buenos Aires’ top jazz venues alongside master musicians before moving to New York in 2013 to pursue a Jazz Master’s degree at Queens College.
Julieta has shared the stage with jazz legends and acclaimed artists including Johnny O’Neal, Eric Reed, Leon Parker and more. She has appeared on WBGO, ABC7 News, and was highlighted in an interview on Radio France for her critically acclaimed album STAY (2024). The album received 4-star reviews from both Down Beat, praising its “expressive depth and technical brilliance,” and All About Jazz, highlighting her “commanding tone and inventive improvisations.” Her accolades include a nomination for Best New Artist at the Jazz Music Awards (2022), recognition by GRAMMY Magazine as one of the “10 Jazz Emerging Artists to Watch” (2023), and semi-finalist honors in the Next Jazz Legacy competition.
Thursday Night Jazz Presents:
Vanisha Gould
February 11, 8pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
Vanisha Gould is a vocalist, composer, and bandleader whose music bridges vulnerability and strength. After earning her degree from Berklee College of Music, she moved from California to New York City in 2015 and quickly became a vital voice in the city’s jazz community, performing at Smalls Jazz Club, Ornithology, Mezzrow, The Jazz Gallery, Minton’s Playhouse, and Dizzy’s Club.
Her albums In Her Words (2021), Life’s a Gig (2024), and She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth (2024) illuminate the interior world of women in jazz, exploring resilience, humor, and truth through story and sound. In 2023, Gould received The Jazz Gallery Composition Residency Commission, expanding her vision toward multi-movement works that integrate text, voice, and visual storytelling. Her music honors jazz tradition while pushing it forward with intimacy, imagination, and depth.
Thursday Night Jazz Presents:
Alana Amore Colvin
March 11, 8pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
Alana Amore Colvin (she/they) is a Brooklyn based avant-garde guitarist and composer. Their sound sits somewhere in the balance between soft intimate tones and raw distorted noise all in celebration of guitar and afro-folkloric traditions. She is compared to Hiroshi Yoshimura as often as she is compared to Jimi Hendrix.
Thursday Night Jazz Presents:
Gina Benalcazar Lopez
April 8, 8pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
Gina Benalcázar-López is an Ecuadorian-Honduran-American low brass specialist and composer. Specializing in straight-ahead jazz, Latin-jazz, popular Latin American music, and classical musical, Gina has performed with and arranged/composed for various size bands ranging in style from small Chambers groups to Jazz Big Band and Salsa Bands. She leads her band "La Orquesta Esa", a Latin-jazz ensemble that features her original compositions as well as her creative arrangements of classic Latin-American standards, as well as jazz-standards re-imagined for Latin-jazz ensemble.
Gina’s discography is expansive, credited her as both soloist and arranger/composer as a side-person. As a band leader Gina was selected as a recipient of Chamber Music America’s Performance Plus Grant which helped her record her debut album, “The BOUNCE” featuring her original compositions. Her ensemble is now affiliated with Lincoln Center, The Williamsburg Music Center, Savannah Jazz Festival, UOJ Productions, and The Yocum Institute for Arts Education, among many others.
Thursday Night Jazz Presents:
Brandee Younger
May 13, 8pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
The Thursday Night Jazz season closes with this exciting performance.
Brandee Younger, born in 1983, is an American Harpist. Influenced by classical, jazz, soul, and funk, Younger is an incredible musician and harpist. Younger was extremely influenced by harpists Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. She has worked with many jazz greats including Pharaoh Sanders, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Bill Lee, and Reggie Workman. She has also worked with many popular musicians including Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Common, Drake, The roots, and many more. Younger was nominated for a 2022 Grammy, was awarded Player of the Year by Jazz Journalists Association, and was the winner of DownBeat Critics Poll “rising star” category.
