The Buffalo Jazz Octet has performed since 2011, combining the power and compositional intricacy of a large ensemble with the flexibility and dynamism of a small improvising combo. The octet collaborated with saxophone legend Joe Ford (of various McCoy Tyner bands) in 2015, and the band's members have worked individually with internationally noted musicians ranging from Buddy Morrow and Don Menza to Wadada Leo Smith and William Parker. The group's debut album, recorded live at Pausa Art House in May 2016, was released April 20, 2017 on Cadence Jazz Records. The octet has appeared at the 2014 and 2015 Queen City Jazz Festivals, Villa Maria College, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, and Pausa Art House, and will kick off the 2017 Northwest Jazz Festival in Lewiston, NY.

The Buffalo Jazz Octet celebrates the release of its debut recording, PausaLive (Cadence Jazz Records), with a regional tour stopping in Buffalo, Cleveland, and Rochester, before kicking off the 2017 Northwest Jazz Festival in Lewiston, NY. The band will perform music from PausaLive and some brand new music, ranging from swinging hard-bop passages, to gospel-tinged vamps, to avant-garde explorations. From former Village Voice writer Tom Hull, the octet is “a remarkable large free jazz ensemble, with standout solos on sax, trumpet, and drums, and brisk and energetic group improv that never breaks down.

Featuring:

• Kelly Bucheger (alto & tenor saxophones),
• Nelson Rivera (tenor & soprano saxophones),
• Steve Baczkowski (baritone saxophone),
• Tim Clarke (trumpet),
• Phil Sims (trombone),
• Michael McNeill (piano),
• Brian DeJesus (bass),
• John Bacon (drums),
• Brendan Fitzgerald (conductor)

www.buffalojazzoctet.com
https://soundcloud.com/user-565185038-66125707/sets/buffalo-jazz-octet-1

Buffalo Jazz Octet is “a remarkable large free jazz ensemble, with brisk and energetic group improv that never breaks down.” (Tom Hull)

“a veritable who’s who list of killer regional jazz players” Jeff Miers, the Buffalo News