Encore! Encore!

Preview: The Nicholas Dwarika Quartet at Jazz on Jay Thursday, July 31, 2025

Some members of the Nicholas Dwarika Quartet played Jazz on Jay in 2021 as the Center Square Jazz Collective when most were still in high school.

Thursday marks an encore of sorts for Dwarika, bass; Bohdan Kinal, saxophone; Dan Jantson, drums and Luke Coyne Connolly, piano. Since then, all have since gone on to play in Michael Benedict’s Jazz Vibes, Keith Pray’s Big Soul Ensemble, the WBC Big Band, the Tim Olsen Quartet, the Platters, the Bohdan Kinal Quartet, the Dan Jantson Quartet and others.

The Nicholas Dwarika Quartet. At top, Dwarika, left, and Jantson. At bottom, Kinal, left, and Connolly. Photo provided

They’ve also continued formal studies and now often play music of modernist young composers.

Inspired by Stevie Wonder and Johnny Hodges, Dwarika attended the College of St. Rose and the Crane School of Music and has studied with Mike Lawrence, John Geggie, Keith Pray, David Gleason, Dr. Michael Dudley Jr, and Dr. Jimmy Greene. After attending All Ears Jazz and the Skidmore Jazz Institute, he’s on the staff of each. “The SJI has been very impactful for me,” says Dwarika, citing lessons with Jimmy Greene, Todd Coolman, David Wong and Bill Cunliffe and noting he’ll soon begin a masters program at Western Connecticut State University.

Connolly started playing classical piano at five; John Nazarenko started him playing jazz at 16, and he studied with Michael Dudley, Jim Petercsak, and Judy Lewis at Crane. His musical inspirations include pianists Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal, plus non-pianists Art Blakey, Roy Hargrove and Freddie Hubbard. 

Son and brother of music teachers, Dan Jantson has studied with Chad Ploss, Jason Tiemann, Charles Goold and Johnathon Barber and now studies music production and technology at the Hartt School of the University of Hartford. Inspired by Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, he became a hard-bop fan, with Art Blakey and Roy Haynes as major influences.

Bohdan Kinal’s first musical hero was Sonny Rollins, and he has learned both through peers Josh Klamka and Aidan Doyle and teachers including Brian Patneaude, Jim Corgliano and Gary Bartz, a current teacher at Oberlin Conservatory. 

In an essential lesson, Kinal says Bartz told him, “If I listen to the notes closely enough, they will tell me where they want to go and want to be.” Bartz performed with his quartet at the Saratoga Jazz Festival presented by GE Vernova in late June, playing alto saxophone and singing. The Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty Combo also played the same festival.

Gary Bartz at Saratoga Jazz Festival presented by GE Vernova. Michael Hochanadel photo

In Thursday’s encore/return engagement, the Nicholas Dwarika Quartet will play music by contemporary composers including Braxton Cook’s “Ooooo,” Brandee Younger’s “Reclamation” and pieces by Corto.alto (Liam Shortfall); plus works by more familiar artists: Kenny Wheeler’s “Kind Folk” and Bill Evans’s “Interplay.” They’ll also play original compositions by Kinal.

While Thursday marks the debut of this quartet line-up, Connolly says, “I’ve been playing with Nick for about three years starting in college, and I’ve played a few gigs with Dan and Bohdan.” He also plays in the indie folk band New American Cuisine.

“We generally approach standards straight on like most musicians, and add our twists and personal experiences throughout the music,” Dwarika says. “We try our best to learn the tunes from the recordings we like by ear. We practice the standards harmonically while having our improvisation be more melodic.”

“There’s is quite a lot of room for improvising in the band,” Dwarika explains. “We say as long as you do it confidently, having fun, and keep the tradition true, you have free rein.”

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. 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 on Jay continues Thursday, Aug. 7 with Heard.