Wayne Escoffery Quartet

Get ready for an unforgettable week with Wayne Escoffery, one of the most commanding saxophone voices in jazz today. A Grammy winner and two-time Downbeat Critics Poll winner, Escoffery’s sound is bold, deeply expressive, and utterly magnetic. Originally from London and raised in New Haven, Escoffery honed his craft under saxophone legend Jackie McLean before earning his stripes with the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute. From there, his career skyrocketed – from touring the world with trumpet master Tom Harrell for over a decade, to co-producing acclaimed albums with his own Quartet, and holding down the sax chair with The Mingus Big Band. His newest release, Alone, featuring an all-star lineup of Gerald Clayton, Ron Carter, and Carl Allen, has critics calling it “the best jazz album of 2024 so far.” Haunting, atmospheric, and masterful, it captures Escoffery at his most vulnerable and powerful. Beyond his fiery solos and lush ballads, Escoffery is also the founder of the Black Art Jazz Collective, dedicated to celebrating the origins of jazz and Black artistry through original compositions. He continues to shape the next generation as director of Jazz Ensembles at Yale. Band Lineup: Wayne Escoffery, Tenor Saxophone David Kikoski, Piano Ugonna Okegwo, Bass Clarence Penn, Drums