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Bassist and composer Sean Pentland, leader of Ensemble Caduceus, has been making his mark with premieres at the Seoul Arts Center Summer Festival (2023), the Naju Contemporary Music Festival (2021), and other venues across Korea. His works, along with pieces co-led with saxophone legend Jerry Bergonzi in the Pentland/Bergonzi Quartet, will appear on forthcoming 2025 albums. Shaped by years in Great Britain, Germany, and South Korea, Sean has toured internationally with Don Braden, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Luciana Souza, Bobby Wellins, Tina May, Damon Brown, Johannes Enders, and Bergonzi himself. He studied at New England Conservatory and Berklee’s Global Jazz Institute and has taught at Paekche Institute of the Arts, Edinburgh University, and Litchfield Jazz Camp. Tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi is celebrated worldwide for his innovative playing, prolific recordings, and influential teaching.

Mount Joy’s Matt Quinn gets honest about the grind, the growth, and what actually matters when you’re building a band for the long run. A must-watch for artists and music fans alike.

Paul Hughes hails from Manchester, England, and has been performing jazz and swing since the age of twelve. With an instrumental approach to the voice reminiscent of Sinatra, Hughes channels impeccable phrasing, rhythmic subtlety, and timeless style, making him a consummate storyteller (Bill Schnee, Producer/Engineer). His artistry reflects the poise and elegance of legends such as Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin, and Nat King Cole. Over the years, he has honed his performance skills traveling the world on leading cruise ships and delighting audiences worldwide, including a private performance for David and Victoria Beckham. Paul is currently recording a new album of original songs co-written by Nashville Hall of Fame recipients Byron Hill and Roger Brown. Produced by Sal Oliveri at legendary Capitol Records Studio in Los Angeles, the album features standout tracks such as “My Lucky Stars,” “Then Came You,” and “I Bet You Weren’t Expecting This,” showcasing Hughes’ vocal range.

Through an inimitable voice that The New York Times calls “a smooth, dark alto possessed of qualities you might associate with barrel-aged bourbon or butter-soft leather,” renowned vocalist and songwriter Lizz Wright offers a soaring reflection of the cultural fabric of America. Her music transcends social divides with an abiding sense of love, humanity, and belonging, embodying a tradition that invites listeners home. Wright’s 2024 studio album Shadow presents her in a gentle yet triumphant light. Anchored by acoustic guitars and layered with strings, gospel vocals, Carnatic influences, and raw emotion, the album explores intimacy, loss, community, and healing. Produced by Chris Bruce and engineered by Ryan Freeland, Shadow features guest artists Angelique Kidjo and Meshell Ndegeocello. This will be a duo show with Lizz and Kenny Banks Sr. on piano and organ.

Get ready to laissez les bons temps rouler as Julie Benko marches her band out at Birdland once again. Her critically acclaimed annual Mardi Gras blowout returns—and this time, it’s an album release party! The jubilant celebration of New Orleans jazz features Julie’s sizzling hot band EuphonicGumbo, including Jason Yeager (piano, arrangements), Linus Wyrsch (reeds), AndyWarren (trumpet), Ron Wilkins (trombone), Michael O’Brien (bass), Jay Sawyer(drums), and special guest John Manzari (tap dance). Join the parade—nobody, no, nobody’s going to rain on this one! Julie Benko joined the annals of theatrical lore for her sensational understudy-to-star trajectory as Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl. Between her tenure as the standby, alternate, and full-time Fanny, she played the role over 180 times and received numerous accolades for her interpretation, including Theatre World’s Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre. She was also named the 2022“Breakout Star for Theater” by The New York Times and one of“10 Broadway Stars to Watch for 2023” by Variety, honored as one of“40 Under 40” for Crain’s New York Business, hailed by CBS Mornings as “Broadway’s breakout star,” and profiled in numerous national media outlets such as The New York Times and Time.

Watch Say Anything, Motion City Soundtrack and Sincere Engineer live from Marathon Music Works in Nashville, exclusively on Veeps!

Acclaimed Vocalist and Songwriter Chrissi Poland brings FOREVER MUSCLE SHOALS to Jimmy’s Jazz! Forever Muscle Shoals celebrates the songs and sounds recorded in Muscle Shoals, AL in the late 60?s and early 70?s, where soul, blues, rock and country converged to create some of the most important recordings in American Music. Deeply inspired by sharing the stage with Muscle Shoals icons like Mavis Staples, Ronnie Wood and more, Chrissi Poland is bringing her vocal power, interpretation and stories to songs from Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Cher, Bob Dylan, and beyond. With the album due out in March 2026, don’t miss the chance to witness Chrissi Poland and this soul-stirring catalogue of music.

Alto and soprano saxophonist Jaleel Shaw is a longtime member of the Roy Haynes Quartet and the Mingus Big Band, and he recently joined Tom Harrell’s Color of a Dream band. A compelling bandleader in his own right, Shaw’s solo recordings have earned widespread acclaim from The New York Times, DownBeat, and JazzTimes. In JazzTimes Magazine’s 2011 Readers Poll, he was named Alto Saxophonist of the Year alongside Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Bunky Green, and Kenny Garrett. Widely regarded as one of the most influential alto saxophonists of his generation, Shaw has performed and recorded with Clark Terry, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Chick Corea, Jason Moran, Jeff Tain, Watts, Dave Holland, Jimmy Cobb, the Village Vanguard Orchestra, and the Count Basie Orchestra. Critics praise Shaw for his ‘seductive melodicism,’ ‘brawny, full-bodied sound,’ and ‘surefooted, exploratory improvisation.’

The Fabulous Thunderbirds are a cornerstone of contemporary blues and blues rock, known for classic albums like T-Bird Rhythm and the platinum-selling Tuff Enuff, which featured hits like the title track and ‘Wrap It Up.’ Led by founding member Kim Wilson, the band has earned seven Grammy nominations and more than twenty Blues Music Award nominations. Formed in 1974, the band marks its 50th anniversary with Struck Down, their first new studio album in eight years. The album features nine original songs co-written by Kim Wilson and Hamilton bluesman Steve Strongman, plus a powerful cover of Memphis Minnie’s ‘Nothing in Rambling.’ Produced by Wilson, Strongman, and Glen Parrish, and mixed by Shelly Yakus, Struck Down includes guest appearances from Billy Gibbons, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Mick Fleetwood, Terrance Simien, and Elvin Bishop. The Fabulous Thunderbirds continue to tour internationally with Kim Wilson, Johnny Moeller, Bob Welsh, Rudy Albin, and Steve Kirsty.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds are a cornerstone of contemporary blues and blues rock, known for classic albums like T-Bird Rhythm and the platinum-selling Tuff Enuff, which featured hits like the title track and ‘Wrap It Up.’ Led by founding member Kim Wilson, the band has earned seven Grammy nominations and more than twenty Blues Music Award nominations. Formed in 1974, the band marks its 50th anniversary with Struck Down, their first new studio album in eight years. The album features nine original songs co-written by Kim Wilson and Hamilton bluesman Steve Strongman, plus a powerful cover of Memphis Minnie’s ‘Nothing in Rambling.’ Produced by Wilson, Strongman, and Glen Parrish, and mixed by Shelly Yakus, Struck Down includes guest appearances from Billy Gibbons, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Mick Fleetwood, Terrance Simien, and Elvin Bishop. The Fabulous Thunderbirds continue to tour internationally with Kim Wilson, Johnny Moeller, Bob Welsh, Rudy Albin, and Steve Kirsty.

Sunny Jain’s career is a celebration of cultural diaspora’ deep-rooted tradition rippling outward, shaping and reshaping the cultures it touches. A composer, drummer, dhol player, and thought leader, Jain has been hailed by Songlines (UK) as one of the leading figures in North America’s burgeoning Asian music scene.’ His wide-ranging work includes being named a 2025 commissioned artist by Soho Repertory Theater, appearing as ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ in the Oscar-nominated A Complete Unknown, and serving as a 2023-24 Visiting Scholar and Artist-in-Residence at Wesleyan University. Best known as the founder of Red Baraat, Jain has reached new heights with Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East (Smithsonian Folkways), a project praised by The New Yorker for its maximalist vision and conceptual depth. Blending Bollywood, Punjabi folk, jazz improvisation, and psychedelia, the band has delivered standout NPR Tiny Desk and KEXP sessions and toured major festivals and cultural institutions worldwide.

Clayton Joseph Chenier is Creole music royalty. The son of Zydeco pioneer and Grammy winner Clifton Chenier, C.J. was raised in the heart of Louisiana’s indigenous Creole culture, steeped in its language, cuisine, and music. A master accordionist and multi-instrumentalist, C.J. delivers soulful vocals and high-energy blends of Zydeco, blues, rock, and jam-band grooves. He joined his father?s band at 21, debuting at the opening of Austin’s legendary Antone’s. After Clifton’s passing in 1987, C.J. assumed leadership of the Red Hot Louisiana Band and recorded his debut for Arhoolie Records. Hand-picked by Paul Simon for The Rhythm of the Saints and its world tour, Chenier has also performed with John Mayall, Jimmie Vaughan, Sonny Landreth, Buckwheat Zydeco, and more. A CJ Chenier performance is joyous and transformative “happy music” that leaves no one untouched.

Following up the international success of ‘Rhumba Country’, Pokey LaFarge is set to embark on a SOLO tour this January through March, playing an intimate set to theaters and jazz clubs throughout California and the Northeast. He’ll be reimagining songs from his nine-album catalog as well as new interpretations of Gospel, Rock & Roll, and Country classics.

Joel Ross is one of the most distinctive vibraphonists of his generation, known for music that blends rhythmic sophistication, lyrical clarity, and deep collective interplay. Since his Edison Award-winning Blue Note debut KingMaker (2019), Ross has earned widespread acclaim for a body of work that treats improvisation as conversation and composition as storytelling. His subsequent releases, including Who Are You? and The Parable of the Poet, cemented his reputation as a thoughtful bandleader and a central voice in contemporary jazz. Ross’ latest album, Gospel Music, draws from the spiritual and communal traditions of the Black church in Chicago, exploring ideas of service, renewal, and shared purpose through layered harmony and collaborative improvisation. Leading his ensemble Good Vibes, Ross creates music that is both technically expansive and emotionally direct. A sought-after collaborator and frequent headliner at major venues and festivals worldwide.