News — STONY BROOK, NY—April 8, 2025— in collaboration with , will present a spring-summer lineup of five concerts featuring world-class jazz musicians. The series will include acclaimed artists including recent Grammy recipients, Dan Pugach and Nicole Zuraitis. Curated by Professor Thomas Manuel - Jazz Loft founder and Stony Brook University Jazz Department Endowed Artist in Residence Fellow - the series aims to bring the rich traditions and innovative spirit of jazz to the Southampton community.
The theme of each performance looks at jazz both historically and contemporarily, incorporating extraordinary entertainment and education. The Jazz Loft's mission is one of jazz preservation, education, and performance and this partnership with Stony Brook Southampton will provide East End residents with the opportunity to experience and learn about great jazz first-hand.
Four of the five concerts will be hosted at the Avram Theater, which is located on the Stony Brook Southampton campus. The fourth concert will be held in a large tent with a dance floor on the athletics field. This is the first Jazz series to be presented at the Avram since Stony Brook University began management of the campus.
“The Jazz Loft @ Southampton is part of a vibrant spring and summer season that brings together our community, faculty, staff, and students around powerful themes—from jazz as a symbol of democracy to the legacy of Long Island’s juke joints and the soul of Latin jazz,” said Wendy Pearson, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Executive Director of Stony Brook Southampton. “We’re excited to once again showcase The Avram as a cultural venue and to partner with The Jazz Loft, whose mission aligns closely with ours in extending access to the arts, education, and engagement. Together, we’re bringing world-class performances to the East End and continuing the renewal of Stony Brook Southampton as a center for creativity, connection, and community.”
“I am thrilled for our new collaboration with Stony Brook Southampton and the opportunity to bring The Jazz Loft’s programming to the East End,” said Professor Manuel. “This is a collaboration that our artists and musical community at large are very excited about.”
Concerts will include:
“Jazz As Democracy” (Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. in The Avram)
Presenting a concert celebrating artists who pioneered the principles and characteristics of democracy. Jazz music is the perfect metaphor for democracy. This concert will highlight artists/composers such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Mary Lou Williams, Billy Strayhorn and others. Performers include The Jazz Loft All Stars featuring vocalist/composer/pianist Mala Waldron.
“The Art of New” (Thursday, May 29, 7 p.m. in The Avram)
This concert will showcase all original music by the freshest voices in Jazz on the scene today including Grammy winning artists Dan Pugach, composer/drummer/arranger, and vocalist/composer Nicole Zuraitis and an all-star ensemble presenting original compositions.
“Long Island Jazz Legends & Local Juke Joints” (Thursday, June 19 [Juneteenth], 7 p.m. in The Avram)
Presenting a concert celebrating the architects of Jazz who called Long Island home, especially the East End. To include, but not limited to: Teddy Charles, Teo Macero, Hal McKusick and The Heath Brothers. This concert will be in collaboration with the Southampton African American Museum and will feature a pre-concert lecture and exhibit on the juke joint culture prevalent on the south fork of Long Island. Focus will be on Herb McCarthy’s and a highlight will be an art exhibit featuring paintings by Greenport native Vincent Quattroche who founded the first art gallery in Greenport. The gallery exhibit will include paintings which were on display in the juke joint “coal bin” as well as memorabilia. Performing will be Project 450, the ensemble of Jazz legends whose collective age equals 450 years: Ellington alum, drummer Steve Little, Gerry Mulligan alum, bassist Bill Crow, Benny Goodman alum, cornetist Warren Vache, Etta Jones alum, tenor saxophonist Houston Person, pianist Larry Fuller, and cornetist Professor Manuel.
“The Spirit & Soul of Latin Jazz” (Thursday, July 24, 7 p.m. under the tent on the Athletics Fields)
This concert will focus on the rhythms and cultures of Spain, Cuba, the Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil and beyond and will emphasize the art of collaboration and explore how Latin rhythms have shaped American popular music through the decades. The concert will coincide with an Avram Gallery exhibit displaying the archives of pioneering Latin Jazz legend Xavier Cugat. Performers will include Carlos Jimenez and Mambo Dulcet.
“Abstract Angularity” (Thursday, August 28, 7 p.m. TBD)
Exploring the relationship between artists and musicians, this concert will join The Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center and Duck Creek Arts Center in a collaborative presentation to celebrate the vibrant east-end artistic scene heritage. A gallery presentation curated by the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center will also serve as a backdrop for a pre-concert reception and lecture. This concert will also bring into the fold painter/artist Kevin McEvoy who will be commissioned to create a new work in honor of the concert series first season. The Jazz Loft Jazz Orchestra (17-piece ensemble) will present a program celebrating creative voices in Jazz who pushed and challenged boundaries in American popular music.
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About Stony Brook Southampton
Stony Brook Southampton, on Long Island’s East End, is home to the Avram Theater and Avram Family Art Gallery, the Lichtenstein Center (MFA programs and Southampton Writers Conference), School of Health Professions (graduate programs), the FoodLab, and the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (Marine Sciences Center and the Semester by the Sea program).
About Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University is New York’s flagship university and No. 1 public university. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With more than 26,000 students, more than 3,000 faculty members, more than 220,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world’s biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #58 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. Â鶹´«Ã½ & World Report’s Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brook’s membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The university’s distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize, Fields Medal and the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy — one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $8.93 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook and X.
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