Tonight, pianist and longtime Caffe Lena jazz host Chuck Lamb teams up with young Brazilian jazz guitarist Diego Figueiredo in a stripped-down duo format. If the guitarist’s name feels unfamiliar, George Benson calls him “one of the greatest guitarists I’ve seen in my whole life.“
Photo provided
Lamb has toured and recorded for decades with the Brubeck brothers and also leads his own quartet or other groups with elegant vocalist wife Ria Curley. Jazz piano giant Dave Brubeck said this about Lamb: “Chuck is an extremely creative, harmonically interesting, rhythmically exciting pianist and one of the best improvisers I’ve heard in recent times!”
Like Lamb who hosts a parade of talent in his Caffe showcases, Figueiredo gets around, playing with fellow Brazilian Gilberto Gil, fellow guitarists Stanley Jordan and Larry Coryell, Caffe Lena regular Cyrille Aimée plus stars Jeff Hamilton, Terell Stafford and Wycliffe Gordon.
The Caffe’s late, great Oscar and Grammy winner, tech wizard and cultural spark plug Joel Moss helped launch Lamb’s regular jazz presentations.
7 p.m. TONIGHT. doors 6:30 $27.11 members, $30.37 general, $15.18 students and children. 518-583-0022. www.caffelena.org
Swan Song on Flute
Friday, flute-player Ali Ryerson wraps the five-concert 26th season of A Place for Jazz with her Quartet.
Trained and adept in both classical music and jazz, she accompanied Luciano Pavarotti with the Monterey Bay Symphony, for example. Her jazz credits include Billy Taylor, Kenny Barron, Stephane Grappelli, Frank Wess, Red Rodney, Laurindo Almeida, Art Farmer, Maxine Sullivan and Roy Haynes. She’s released 20 albums as a leader since 1991, several with longtime collaborator guitarist Joe Beck.
Ali Ryerson, with bass flute. Photo provided
She brings her regular quartet Friday to A Place for Jazz: pianist Larry Ham, a Hudson Valley resident who often plays here with Cliff Brucker; bassist Lou Pappas and drummer Tom Melito. Ryerson plays alto and C flutes, plus the larger bent-tube bass flute.
A Place for Jazz presents its concerts in the Carl B. Taylor Auditorium of the music school at SUNY Schenectady County Community College. This season’s shows are underwritten by Joel Blumenthal and John & Donna Maroney, and in memory of longtime AP4J president Tim Coakley, RIP. 7 p.m. $25. www.aplaceforjazz.org
The 2026 five-concert AP4J schedule lacked elements of prior seasons: No local act and no real big-band, though the Cookers (Oct. 16) comprised seven players.
However, it’s veteran-heavy lineup drew substantial crowds of both longtime and younger jazz fans including Schenectady music students; some of whom benefit from the non-profit, all-volunteer presenting program’s scholarship fund and artist workshops.
More at Caffe Lena
The Caffe stays busy this week with singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks and opener Henry Ferland Thursday, omni-instrumentalist and singer The Suitcase Junket Friday and Woodstock rockers Professor Louie and the Crowmatix Saturday.
Robbie Fulks at Caffe Lena in September 2024. My photo
Few troubadours match Fulks’s command of serious and humorous writing, solid and simple guitar under laid-back vocals with easy momentum even in the most serious messages. He’s as insightful as our own Michael Jerling in sharply observing his adopted southern home country, but taller.
When Fulks and violinist-singer Jenny Scheinman opened for Mary Gauthier in 2024, I reported here that “Fulks stirred up a melancholy zesty cocktail with goofball observations…pained or pointed, edgy/witty…Famed for sardonic writing, Fulks flat-picks a mean Martin six-string; not flashy but plenty fast and always clever-logical…Fulks’s aim is true and his lance is sharp.” And I admired his “Zappa-meets-Prine skewerings of cracker cliches…alongside affectionate snapshots of a south Fulks…(also) portrayed as very mixed.”
Both Fulks and Scheinman – who’s not on Thursday’s show – have strong new albums, by the way: Fulks with “Now Then” and Scheinman with “One Hundred Years Today.” But I digress. Fulks’s opener, Hudson Valley native Henry Ferland, plays tight and tidy finger style guitar.
Thursday, Nov. 12. 7 p.m.. doors 6:30. $29.28 members, $32.53 general, $16.27 students and children
The Suitcase Junket introduces his new album Friday at the Caffe, “To Go On,” mourning the passing of his singer-songwriter sister Kate Lorenz. Born Matt Lorenz, TSJ adopted a stage name that aptly describes his suitcase of makeshift instruments – like a curious tinkerer’s arsenal of found objects and adapted junk items that make a remarkable one-man-band’s variety of sounds.
The Suitcase Junket (Matt Lorenz) Photo provided
TSJ’s sonic ingenuity supports writing and vocal skills so strong he could come onstage without instruments or props and still engage and amaze. He says he made the new album to express grief, surely – but also “comfort, a little bit of surprise, a little bit of discomfort… and after all that, a sense of joy and hope.”
Friday 8 p.m. doors 7:30. $29.28 members, $32.53 general, $16.27 students and children
Saturday, Professor Louie and the Crowmatix bring their stalwart Woodstock rock to the Caffe stage. Like Matt Lorenz as The Suitcase Junket, Professor Louie is a stage name; of Aaron L. Hurwitz who produced three late albums by The Band including indelible covers of “Atlantic City” (Bruce Springsteen) and “Blind Willie McTell” (Bob Dylan).
Professor Louie and the Crowmatix. Photo provided
Since those projects, he and the Crowmatix have earned their own place in the Americana/roots-music pantheon. Professor Louie leads the crew from his keyboard array (including accordion): singer Miss Marie, bassist Frank Campbell, guitarist Todd Mihan and drummer Dan Hickey who replaces the late, great Gary Burke. Born in Troy, Burke played on Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour; at SPAC with Joe Jackson and everywhere with Shania Twain’s first touring band, recruited by guitarist, Twain bandleader and local hero David Malachowski, also RIP.
Saturday, Nov, 14. 8 p.m., doors 7:30. $27.11 members, $30.37 general, $15.18 students and children
More Schenectady Jazz
The same fans who go see Ali Ryerson close A Place for Jazz 2026 Friday can see more jazz in Schenectady Saturday at the Van Dyck Music Club.
Saturday, the Studio Blue Jazz Octet plays the longtime Stockade neighborhood venue. All area jazz scene regulars, Studio Blue is Chris Alsdorf, trumpet; Jim Corigliano, tenor saxophone; Tom Gerbino, baritone saxophone; Jay Mosier, trombone; Mike Novakowski, guitar; Steve Viglucci, keyboards; Ed Tourge, bass; and Gene Garrone, drums. 7:30 p.m. $23.18. 518-630-5173 http://www.stellapastabar.com/vdmc
