“The Laid-Back Village Of Stony Brook Is Poised To Become Long Island's Jazz Mecca... Jazzophiles Will Be Treated To Everything From Museum-Quality Memorabilia To Pulse-Pounding Live Performances...”-Newsday
"Playing and teaching at the Jazz Loft is always a joy for me, as it allows me not only to meet new people, but it affords me the opportunity to be re-acquainted with many of my old friends. The exhibits always bring a warm feeling to my heart. " Warren Vache
“The Jazz Loft is miraculous! A gorgeous museum, performance and educational space right here in the community. I’m grateful, and proud, that this volunteer-run, non-profit organization is supported where I live. I travel a great deal around the world performing, but this is my favorite place to play.” Ray Anderson
“The Laid-Back Village Of Stony Brook Is Poised To Become Long Island's Jazz Mecca... Jazzophiles Will Be Treated To Everything From Museum-Quality Memorabilia To Pulse-Pounding Live Performances...”-Newsday
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The Jazz Loft in the News
The Jazz Loft @ Southampton Concert Series Kicks Off with ‘Jazz as Democracy’
The Avram Theater at Stony Brook Southampton reverberated with the sound of jazz music with the opening show of The Jazz Loft @ Southampton Concert Series, “Jazz As Democracy.”
The April 24 concert celebrated the pioneers who intertwined jazz with the principles of democracy, featuring the music of Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Nina Simone and John Coltrane, with original compositions from band members.
This was the first of five concerts to be held at Stony Brook Southampton over the spring and summer, featuring world-class jazz musicians.
‘Swing into Spring Festival’ returns to Stony Brook
The Stony Brook area will once again be filled with live jazz for the “Swing into Spring Festival,” March 18-22. That’s when The Jazz Loft will partner with five local restaurants, offering live jazz.
Participating restaurants include Bliss, Elaine’s and Madiran, all in East Setauket, and The Country House as well as Schnitzels in Stony Brook.
Restaurateurs say the festival is an opportunity to enjoy a meal out, and celebrate live jazz.
Tony Bennett Exhibit To Open On Long Island
An exhibit of hundreds of items of Tony Bennett memorabilia and archival materials is coming to The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook next month.
The exhibit will feature over 100 items, including several awards and Grammy nominations, letters from presidents, Louis Armstrong, and Fred Astaire, as well as the Gold Record from his signature hit, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."
Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel called Bennett "unquestionably an icon in American popular music."
Bad Little Big Band plans themed shows at The Jazz Loft for 2025
The Bad Little Big Band, a staple at The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, has announced that in 2025, the band will be performing on the third Thursday every other month with themed shows, featuring the 12-piece band, directed by composer, arranger and pianist Rich Iacona, and featuring vocalist Madeline Kole.
The band’s first performance of 2025 will be “Our Kind Of Broadway” on Thursday, February 20 at 7 p.m. The BLBB will perform the classic Broadway repertoire done in the BLBB swinging fashion, with all music arranged and conducted by Iacona. Other themes for the coming year’s schedule include: Movie Songs We Get to Hear”; “The Music of Harold Arlen”; “The Music of George Gershwin”; “Slightly Latin” ( Bossas, Rhumbas and Jobim); “Pop Goes the Jazz Tunes” (great pop favorites done in jazz style).
Kole a vocalist, bassist and bandleader, recently completed her latest recording, DON’CHA GO ‘WAY MAD… which is a collection of 14 of her favorite standards.
NYU Intern Nadia Othman
Created Audio Recordings at The Jazz Loft
Nadia Othman is a student at New York University currently working towards a Bachelor of Music in Music Technology. Over the summer of 2023, she interned at The Jazz Loft as a recording engineer, where she had the pleasure of recording and mixing several of the shows taking place in addition to controlling the live sound. When she isn’t recording music, Nadia is either working at Death By Audio building effects pedals or singing. With a background in classical voice, she has spent her time in college expanding her style to include more genres such as jazz, and she has been inspired by the outstanding performances she recorded this summer.
Harborfields Band Experiences The Jazz Loft In Stony Brook
Students were given a tour of the loft, got to see Duke Ellington-related items, and perform in front of family and friends.
STONY BROOK, NY — The Harborfields High School Jazz Band recently traveled to the Jazz Loft in Stony Brook for a multifaceted field trip experience, the school district announced.
An auspicious date for this music — Duke Ellington’s 125th birthday, sandwiched on a day between the Blossom Dearie Centennial and International Jazz Day — proved to be an occasion to remember.
The Jazz Loft acquires Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker
memorabilia collection
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, has recently acquired a collection of more than 50 memorabilia items from jazz saxophonist legend Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker, that includes master acetates from some of his most important recording sessions; a personalized instrument case; his union card; numerous notes, letters and correspondence; and his Birdland contracts.
An exhibit highlighting Parker and the newly acquired memorabilia will open in February, along with numerous events and concerts centered on Parker’s music. The concert series will culminate in several performances of “Charlie Parker with Strings,” one of his most well-known recordings.
All About Jazz Article
"Take Five With Thomas Manuel Of The Jazz Loft"
Meet Thomas Manuel
Jazz historian, music educator and cornet player Dr. Thomas Manuel holds the endowed Artist in Residence chair within the Jazz department at Stony Brook University. In addition to this he serves as a trustee to the Frank Melville Memorial Foundation, is a member of the Huntington Arts Council Decentralization Advisory Committee, and is the founder and President of The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, N.Y., an innovative and creative space which joins jazz performance, jazz preservation and jazz education in celebration of the past, present, and future.