Preview – Jeff Siegel Quartet at Jazz on Jay, Thursday, June 26, 2025

Making music with modern masters, plus conservatory training, taught tradition to the all-star members of the straight-ahead style Jeff Siegel Quartet. With big-name credits as players, they all also boast ambitions and achievements as composers.

“Likely ninety percent of the songs (they’ll play Thursday) will be originals, versus standards,” says Siegel, the well-traveled drummer, composer and teacher. His quartet features pianist Francesca Tanksley, trumpeter Chris Pasin and bassist Rich Syracuse, his longtime bandmate in Lee Shaw’s trio.

Jeff Siegel. Photo, and fan-dog, supplied

Siegel has toured Europe 30 times as leader or co-leader, plus shows and festivals in Africa and South America; the latest with the Levin Brothers right after their Caffe Lena show. He has also worked with Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Jack DeJohnette, Benny Golson, Sheila Jordan, Helen Merrill, Mose Allison, John Medeski, Arthur Rhames, Dave Douglas, Stefon Harris, Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie, Kurt Elling, Ravi Coltrane, Ryan Kisor, Hal Galper, Dena DeRose and other straight-ahead players, plus avant garde explorers Wadada Leo Smith and Baikida Carroll. 

With a Masters in jazz from Queens College, Siegel teaches at SUNY New Paltz, Western Connecticut State University, Vassar and the New School. His albums showcase original compositions including “King of Xhosa” (2017) with South African trumpeter Feya Faku (sadly, recently deceased), “London Live” (2018), “When You Were There” (2019) and “Brazilian Conversations” with the Levin Brothers and Emilio Martins (2025).

Pianist Francesca Tanksley was born in Italy, grew up in Germany and trained at Berklee. In New York she played with Melba Liston, then in Billy Harper’s quintet; and has also worked with Clifford Jordan, Cecil Payne, Bill Hardman and Erica Lindsay. She leads her own quintet, co-leads the Erica Lindsay/Howard Johnson Quintet and teaches at Berklee and Bard College. Her debut album “Journey” hit in 2002.

After training at the New England Conservatory, trumpeter and flugelhorn player Chris Pasin played in Buddy Rich’s big band, accompanying singers Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan and others. His albums “Detour Ahead” (2009) and “Random Acts of Kindness” (2015) showcase originals while “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (2017) reinvents Christmas music and “Ornettiquette” (2018) celebrates Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, and Don Cherry. 

Siegel’s longtime bandmate with Lee Shaw, bassist Rich Syracuse played Jazz on Jay last Thursday with Steve Horowitz and has played for ballet and opera companies in addition to jazz giants Nick Brignola, Mose Allison, Kurt Elling, the Brubeck Brothers, both Brecker brothers, Jimmy Cobb, Bernard Purdy, Eddie Henderson, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Warren Bernhardt, John Medeski and many more. He teaches at Skidmore, Bard, SUNY New Paltz and the Hotchkiss School.

They all also value spontaneity and freshness. “Each time we perform a piece, whether a standard or original, should involve solos and interplay and even melodic interpretation that is different,” says Siegel. “All of our concepts of studying music come into focus no matter what music we are playing.”

Jazz on Jay free concerts are noon to 1:30 p.m. at Jay Square, the new park space opposite Schenectady City Hall. The rain site is Robb Alley at Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady. Seating is provided indoors at Robb Alley, but patrons are invited to bring their own seating and refreshments to Jay Square.

Jazz on Jay is presented by the ElectriCity Arts and Entertainment District and sponsored by the New York State Council on the Arts, a Schenectady County Legislature Arts & Culture Grant, Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation, The Schenectady Foundation, Price Chopper/Market 32, MVP Health Care, Schenectady County, Schenectady City Hall, and Proctors Collaborative. This blog is a series media sponsor.

Jazz always gangs up on the calendar around SPAC’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29.

Stay tuned for festival info with a Gary Bartz interview.

We’ve talked about Mark Kleinhaut’s new In This Moment trio debuting at Spring Street Gallery on Wednesday. Lots more follows.

Thursday is a coin-toss: the Royal Bopsters sing at Caffe Lena (47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs), while Joe Barna adds four-time Grammy winning saxophonist Ralph LaLama to his band at the Van Dyck (237 Union St. Schenectady).

The Royal Bopsters; Jeanne O’Connor second from left. Photo supplied

Area singer Jeanne O’Connor is the familiar face and voice in the New York-based Royal Bopsters, which she calls “a bebop vocal quartet.” The New Yorker hails them as “expert practitioners of vocalese,” the jazz art of adding lyrics to instrumentals, as practiced by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross and Manhattan Transfer.

O’Connor has previously played Caffe Lena with her New Standard band and a trio with Peg Delaney and Pete Toigo.

The Royal Bopsters – O’Connor, Amy London, Tomas Cruz and Dylan Pramuk – will sing with pianist Will Gorman, bassist Dean Johnson and local hero drummer Bob Halek. They’ll likely sing “But Not For Me,” Freddy Hubbard’s “Red Clay,” Tadd Dameron’s “Our Delight” and “On a Misty Night,” Tito Puente’s “Cuando Te Vea” and some originals. ”I will probably sing a new version of ‘The Sweetest Sounds,’ co-arranged by Peg Delaney and John DiMartino – part of a new solo CD I am working on,” says O’Connor. The Royal Bopsters followed their self-named debut album (2015) with “Party of Four” (2020).

The Royal Bopsters perform as part of the Caffe’s Peak Jazz series. 7 p.m. $34.72 general, $30.37 members, $17.35 children and students. 518-583-0022 www.caffelena.org

Joe Barna, performing last summer Jazz on Jay

Also Thursday, area drummer, composer, bandleader and jazz catalyst Joe Barna welcomes guest tenor saxophonist Ralph Lalama to the Van Dyck, joining Barna,  keyboardist John Esposito and bassist Jason Emmond. Since training at SUNY Schenectady and SUNY Purchase, Barna has become one of the busiest and most valued jazz heroes hereabouts, leading or contributing to several bands and presenting shows in new venues.

Ralph Lalama. Photo supplied

Lalama came up through the Woody Herman, Buddy Rich and Mel Lewis big bands but most often plays in smaller groups such as Barna’s. He’s led or guested on a dozen albums since 1985, earning four Grammys along the way. “Staycation” (2022), perfect title for a COVID-time album, is his latest. Small plates in the upstairs music room; full dinners downstairs. 7 p.m. show, doors 6:30. $20 advance, $25 door. 518-630-5173. www.stellapastabar.com

WAMC jazz DJ and A Place for Jazz maestro Bill McCann hosts this show, a presentation of the NPR station’s new WAMC On the Road series of remotes.

COZY JAZZ FESTIVAL ENCORES AT SKIDMORE

As part of its annual summer Jazz Institute, Skidmore presents two groups next week after each played SPAC’s Saratoga Jazz Festival. Both shows are free; both start at 7:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, July 1, the all-women Artemis quintet plays the Zankel, and on Thursday, July 3, the Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars returns to campus to play there. 

Artemis at A Place for Jazz last fall; Renee Rosnes at left

Next Tuesday’s show marks the third by Artemis since they played A Place for Jazz last fall. Pianist, composer and leader Renee Rosnes leads Ingrid Jensen, trumpet; Nicole Glover, saxophone; Noriko Ueda, bass; and Allison Miller, drums.

Skidmore Jazz institute Faculty All-Stars at Saratoga Jazz Festival 2024

On Thursday, the Zankel presents the Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars: bassist, leader and dry-as-the-Sahara host Todd Colman; Jimmy Greene, saxophone; Clay Jenkins, trumpet; Steve Davis, trombone; Dave Stryker, guitar; Bill Cunliffe, piano; and Dennis Mackrel, drums.

NEARBY…

Keyboardist/composer/everything man Jon Batiste plays Saturday at Tanglewood, coincidentally the first day of the Saratoga Jazz Festival. Always brilliant, Batiste is sometimes jazz, as when he played in Cassandra Wilson’s band at The Egg, his area debut. A graduate of Skidmore’s Jazz Institute, he bravely filled in for the irreplaceable Sharon Jones, fronting the Dap Kings to close SPAC’s 2018 Jazz Festival.