Clements Place Jazz

10/14/2026

Las Guaracheras, explosive all‑women salsa band igniting NJ with fierce Hispanic Heritage Month at Clements PlacA

SET 1 Rutgers IJS & Gregory Burrus Presents: Dynamic Las Guaracheras
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the explosive energy of Las Guaracheras, the all‑women salsa ensemble direct from Cali, Colombia — the world’s Salsa Capital. Known for their fierce musicianship, driving percussion, and unmistakable Cali swing, Las Guaracheras ignite every stage they touch with rhythm, power, and cultural pride.

This special performance brings together the authority of the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies and the production excellence of Gregory Burrus Productions to showcase one of the most dynamic Latin groups touring today. Their music blends classic salsa traditions with modern fire, delivering a high‑impact experience that moves dancers, jazz lovers, and culture seekers alike.

Join us for a night of unstoppable energy as Las Guaracheras celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a performance filled with movement, joy, and international flair. This is salsa at its highest level — bold, vibrant, and led by women who are reshaping the sound of Latin music.

Come ready to feel the rhythm, embrace the culture, and be part of a celebration that lights up New Jersey.

10/14/2026

Friday Join Us

Trombonist Clifton Anderson leads his quintet in a night of soulful, expressive, and deeply swinging modern jazz.

10/09/2026

Catch the David Weiss Quintet live at Clements for some smooth modern jazz vibes!

Welcome to Clements Place Jazz, where every seat feels close to the music and every night brings something extraordinary. Tonight we proudly welcome the David Weiss Quintet, a powerhouse ensemble led by one of the most influential trumpeters and composers in modern jazz. Settle in and get ready for bold improvisation, deep swing, and the kind of musical storytelling that only David Weiss and his world‑class band can deliver. This is the moment — live jazz, real community, and a room built for unforgettable nights.

David Weiss
David Weiss is a celebrated trumpeter, composer, and bandleader known for shaping the sound of modern post‑bop jazz. As founder of The New Jazz Composers Octet, he helped launch a new generation of jazz innovators while preserving the lineage of Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, and the great hard‑bop masters. Weiss has performed and recorded with legends including Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Heath, and Charles Tolliver, earning a reputation for precision, fire, and fearless creativity.

His ensembles — from his acclaimed quintet to larger compositional projects — showcase sharp improvisation, bold harmonic movement, and deeply swinging rhythm. Weiss’s recordings have been praised for their sophistication, clarity, and commitment to pushing jazz forward while honoring its roots. A respected educator, arranger, and musical director, he continues to mentor rising artists and contribute to major jazz institutions worldwide. The David Weiss Quintet represents contemporary jazz at its highest level.

Join Us
Thank you for joining us tonight at Clements Place Jazz. Stay, connect, and keep the vibe going — the night doesn’t end when the last note fades. We invite you to return for future performances, support these incredible artists, and help keep live jazz thriving in our community. Bring friends, spread the word, and let’s continue building unforgettable nights together.

Check out the livestream on the Clement's Place Jazz and IJS pages and on our YouTube channel -

https://www.facebook.com/events/407513298157352/?ref=newsfeed

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf8W7q1qlz0yt5Ebcn4tkSQ

https://www.facebook.com/InstituteJazzStudies

Thank you for Joining us.

10/05/2026

SHOUT! - Clem's resident big band led by master saxist and composer Lance Bryant return for their monthly roof raising performance

SHOUT! features some of the finest musicians in the NY/NJ area in a modern big band setting performing hip arrangements of new jazz classics and originals by master arranger and tenor saxophonist Lance Bryant. This full sixteen piece big band performs compositions and arrangements by Lance and occasionally arrangements of his colleagues. Lance has been arranging for other artists and bands for over twenty five years, starting with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. “Lionel Hampton always encouraged me to keep writing,” Lance says of the iconic Jazz legend. “I found that when commissioned to write for artists or band leaders there was often some level of restrictions or parameters to adhere to.” That was until Lance was commissioned to write a program of arrangements to be performed live by vocalist Carla Cook and the NDR Big Band in Hamburg, Germany in 2002. Given ample freedom to create by Carla, Lance wrote nine arrangements for the program. “I was so pleased with the results, I never forgot that feeling.” In the Spring of 2022 Lance finally decided to start his own band. “For me there’s nothing like that range of power and expression we can achieve with sixteen great musicians. Not to mention the sense of community and family that we enjoy working as a big band.”

Regular Members:

Lance Bryant - conductor, arranger, composer and saxophone

Saxophones: Matt Hong, Zoe Obadia, Craig Rivers, Mike Lee, David Schumacher

Trombones: Juanga Lakunza, Peter Lin, Clarence Banks, James Borowski

Trumpets: Nathan Eklund, Eddie Allen, Ted Chub, Bill Mobley

Rhythm: Oscar Perez, Caylen Bryant, Jerome Jennings

09/30/2026

09/28/2026

Come join us aT Clements Place Jazz
Sep 29 @ 6:30PM
Clement’s Place
15 Washington Street
Newark, NJ
Free event

Artist and landscape architect Haemee Han — one of 13 artists and artist collectives creating site-specific pieces to be displayed across the new NJPAC campus — seeks community involvement in the design of her more-than-100-foot mural, which will be featured in the second-floor corridor of the Cooperman Family Arts Education and Community Center, scheduled to open in 2027.

Light bites and refreshments will be served. For more about the public art initiative at NJPAC, please visit njpac.org/publicart.

rsvp
https://www.njpac.org/event/city-in-notes-a-community-mural-making-event/.

09/27/2026

John Coltrane was born 100 years ago today on September 23, 1926. Trane was still near the start of his remarkable creative journey when he went into Rudy Van Gelder’s living room studio in Hackensack, New Jersey on September 15, 1957 and recorded his first masterpiece: “Blue Train.” It would be his only album as a leader for Blue Note, and it came at a pivotal point early in his career right after an inspiring summer residency with Thelonious Monk at the Five Spot Café. “Blue Train” established John Coltrane as a force of nature and set him on a course towards becoming one of the most revered and influential jazz artists of all time: https://bluenote.lnk.to/JohnColtrane-BlueTrain

09/26/2026

Flamenkora Trio Event Postponement - In an abundance of caution — especially for our folks who would need to travel on what may become dangerous roads — we are postponing Sunday’s 9/27 event. New Jersey is currently experiencing a severe Nor’easter, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and significant flooding concerns across multiple counties.

With safety as our top priority, Rutgers IJS & Greg Burrus Present Flamenkora Trio will be rescheduled to a new date. We want everyone to arrive safely, avoid hazardous conditions, and enjoy the music without worry.

Thank you for your understanding, your flexibility, and your continued support. A new date will be announced shortly — please stay tuned and everyone stay safe.

09/25/2026

Join us in person for the Bradford Hayes Quartet’s birthday bash, live jazz vibes all night!

Rutgers IJS Presents Bradford Hayes Quartet Birthday Celebration
Join us in person for a fun and lively night with the Bradford Hayes Quartet as we celebrate a special birthday! Expect amazing tunes, great vibes, and an unforgettable evening. Don’t miss out on this awesome event brought to you by Rutgers IJS. Come hang, enjoy the music, and make some memories!

🎷 Biography of Bradford Hayes
Bradford Hayes September 25, 1959, Petersburg, Virginia) is a jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator known for his work across New York, New Jersey, and the broader Northeastern U.S.

Raised in Dinwiddie County, VA, he began saxophone lessons around age 11 and later earned a B.S. in Music Education from North Carolina A&T State University in 1983.

After college, he studied privately with major jazz saxophonists Charles Davis and George Coleman between 1983–1988, deepening his grounding in bebop and modern jazz traditions.

🎼 Career Highlights
🌟 Performer & Bandleader
Hayes has been a prominent performer for decades, appearing at major venues including:

Birdland (NYC)
Tavern on the Green (NYC)
Beacon Theater (NYC)
He leads his own ensembles — the Bradford Hayes Quartet, Organ Trio, and various trio configurations — performing across NJ/NY concert halls, libraries, festivals, and cultural institutions.

🤝 Collaborations
He has performed or recorded with an impressive roster of jazz legends, including:

Jimmy Heath, Al Grey, Cecil Payne, Rufus Reid, Ray Bryant, Ben Riley, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Cecil Brooks III, Jerry Butler, The Dells
He has also opened for:

Betty Carter, Joe Henderson, Max Roach, Marlena Shaw, Pieces of a Dream, Hilton Ruiz, Chico Freeman
🥁 Babatunde Olatunji’s Drums of Passion
Hayes spent 15 years performing with Babatunde Olatunji’s Drums of Passion Band, serving as Musical Director for the final three years until Olatunji’s passing — a major milestone in his career.

🎓 Educator
Hayes is also an educator based in Newark, New Jersey, teaching saxophone and music fundamentals. His teaching profile appears on platforms such as Lessonface and LinkedIn.

🏛️ Community & Cultural Work
He is deeply active in New Jersey’s cultural scene, performing regularly for:

Black History Month celebrations
Library concert series
Community jazz festivals
Church‑based sacred arts programs
His ensembles frequently appear in Union County, Essex County, and throughout the NJ arts circuit.

09/24/2026

Come experience the dynamic fusion of Nuyorican salsa and Afro-Cuban jazz with multi-talented musician Pete Rodríguez.

Trumpeter, vocalist and percussionist Pete Rodríguez carries the bloodline of Nuyorican salsa as he takes the tradition of Afro-Cuban jazz to new places. The son of renowned salsero Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez and godson of Fania Records bandleader Johnny Pacheco, the younger Rodríguez cut his teeth backing up some of the greatest names in Latin music. He became his father’s musical director at the age of 19.

Coached by pianist Oscar Hernandez, the former director for “El Conde” and Ruben Blades, Rodríguez was playing trumpet, singing coro, playing maracas and giving cues to the band. As a vocalist, he sang on Tito Puente’s Grammy-award winning Mambo Birdland. As an instrumentalist, he’s appeared with legends including Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, Chico O’Farrill and Bebo Valdez. Now, as a bandleader, Rodríguez is drawing on these experiences to take his brand of Afro-Cuban jazz in exciting new directions.

Rodríguez’s music comes from a deeply personal place, reflecting on his connections to his father and heritage, as well as other unexpected influences. Rodríguez lived through the birth of Hip Hop during his early childhood in Bronx, New York. As a sharp contrast, after moving to Puerto Rico, he focused on classical music, performing trumpet with the Symphony of Puerto Rico at the young age of 15. While in the United States Army, he discovered his love for jazz and made it the focus of his professional and educational pursuits after leaving the military. The diversity of these life experiences can be heard both in Rodríguez’s compositions and playing style.

While pursuing his musical career, Rodríguez has also always made time for prioritizing education. He holds his bachelor and master of music degrees in jazz from Rutgers University. He obtained his doctorate of musical arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007.