Smoke Jazz Club's Upcoming Shows

*PLEASE NOTE: All 6:30PM and 8:30PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows

$25.00 / $40.00 / $50.00 / $55.00 – Wed, Thur, Fri & Sun

$25.00 / $50.00 / $60.00 / $65.00 – Sat

Eddie Henderson – trumpet

David Weiss – trumpet

Donald Harrison – alto saxophone

Azar Lawrence – tenor saxophone

George Cables – piano

Cecil McBee – bass

Billy Hart – drums

“Player for player, there’s no better working band in jazz than The Cookers.” - The Boston Globe.

The Cookers are a powerhouse, collaborative septet uniting some of the most revered jazz masters of the past six decades. Legendary figures like Eddie Henderson, Azar Lawrence, Cecil McBee, George Cables, and Billy Hart channel the bold, exploratory spirit of the 1960s—a transformative era they helped shape through their groundbreaking work with some of jazz’s most influential ensembles. Since then, each has emerged as a leading

voice in their own right. David Weiss and Donald Harrison are the youngest members of the group, but they share many of the same formative experiences, having worked most notably with Art Blakey, Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, Charles Tolliver, Roy Haynes, and Herbie Hancock.

The band’s repertoire spans iconic jazz anthems and rare gems from their incredible catalogs. The Los Angeles Times notes, “This hard-hitting septet wears its name like a mission statement. Rich with a mix of classic elegance and exploration, the group might reference the past by name, but it never sounds less than current.” The New York Times calls them “a dream team of forward-leaning hard bop.”

*PLEASE NOTE: All 6:30PM and 8:30PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows

$25.00 / $40.00 / $50.00 / $55.00 – Wed, Thu & Fri

Michael Rodriguez – trumpet

Billy Childs – piano

Matt Penman – bass

Ari Hoenig – drums

“One of the most critically acclaimed pianists in modern jazz” – All About Jazz

Renowned pianist and composer Billy Childs and his trio with bassist Matt Penman and drummer Ari Hoenig feature special guest trumpeter Michael Rodriguez.

A native of Los Angeles, Childs grew up immersed in jazz, classical, and popular music influences, which he blends in a powerful and personal compositional and performing voice. A child prodigy who started performing at age six and studying at USC at 16, he was “discovered” by trumpet legend Freddie Hubbard, with whom he embarked on a successful performing and recording tour.

He also recorded and performed with a number of other influential jazz musicians, including J.J. Johnson, Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Jack DeJohnette, and Dave Holland, among many others, and with such varied artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, Renee Fleming, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Kronos Quartet.

Downbeat reports, “The same creative spirit that’s propelled him from the bands of bop giants as a twenty-something side-player to a composer renowned throughout concert halls and across jazz festival stages remains unhampered.” The Los Angeles Times adds, “As a pianist, he possesses the improvisatory skills and powerful sense of swing one associates with world-class artists… Childs is an inventive composer and arranger whose effort in those areas consistently expand the dimensions of the jazz genre - and beyond.”

*PLEASE NOTE: All 6:30PM and 8:30PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows

$25.00 / $40.00 / $50.00 / $55.00 – Wed, Thu & Fri

Michael Rodriguez – trumpet

Billy Childs – piano

Matt Penman – bass

Ari Hoenig – drums

“One of the most critically acclaimed pianists in modern jazz” – All About Jazz

Renowned pianist and composer Billy Childs and his trio with bassist Matt Penman and drummer Ari Hoenig feature special guest trumpeter Michael Rodriguez.

A native of Los Angeles, Childs grew up immersed in jazz, classical, and popular music influences, which he blends in a powerful and personal compositional and performing voice. A child prodigy who started performing at age six and studying at USC at 16, he was “discovered” by trumpet legend Freddie Hubbard, with whom he embarked on a successful performing and recording tour.

He also recorded and performed with a number of other influential jazz musicians, including J.J. Johnson, Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Jack DeJohnette, and Dave Holland, among many others, and with such varied artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, Renee Fleming, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Kronos Quartet.

Downbeat reports, “The same creative spirit that’s propelled him from the bands of bop giants as a twenty-something side-player to a composer renowned throughout concert halls and across jazz festival stages remains unhampered.” The Los Angeles Times adds, “As a pianist, he possesses the improvisatory skills and powerful sense of swing one associates with world-class artists… Childs is an inventive composer and arranger whose effort in those areas consistently expand the dimensions of the jazz genre - and beyond.”