Alexander Claffy Quintet

About

*PLEASE NOTE: All 6:00PM and 8:00PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows $25 | $30 | $40 | $45 Benny Bennack III – trumpet Jaleel Shaw – alto saxophone Tyler Henderson– piano Alexander Claffy – bass Bill Stewart – drums “Claffy grew up steeped in [Philadelphia’s] invigorating jazz tradition, soaking up a lithe, groove-oriented aesthetic” — Jazziz Bassist and bandleader Alexander Claffy brings an all-star quintet featuring trumpeter Benny Bennack, alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, pianist Tyler Henderson, and drummer Bill Stewart to Smoke for a special three-set pre-Thanksgiving evening of swinging music. A native of Philadelphia who has been a fixture on the New York jazz scene since 2011, Claffy has established himself as a versatile bassist and bandleader with a deep appreciation for jazz tradition and an expansive musical outlook. His recordings, including Standards: What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? , Good Spirits , and Music From Big Orange , showcase his talents as both a formidable instrumentalist and a composer, moving fluidly between straight-ahead swing, sophisticated harmonies, and contemporary jazz textures. He has worked with an impressive roster of jazz luminaries, including Randy Brecker, Orrin Evans, Joey DeFrancesco, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. All About Jazz has praised Claffy’s skills as a bassist and composer, while WRTI described his live quintet as creating “headlong momentum on the bandstand, and a joyous spirit in the room.”