($20-$30 tickets + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8pm sets) Inspired by the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the 17-piece Century Jazz Orchestra performs every Monday night at the Century Room starting at 6:30pm. Expect music from the Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Thad Jones/Mel Louis Jazz Orchestra, plus classics from Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and much more! An intergenerational ensemble, the CJO fosters community with students, teachers and professionals performing alongside each other and is supported by the Sonora Arts & Music Initiative 501(c)3. Come relive the magic of the big band era every Monday as the CJO keeps the music alive and thriving in the 21st Century!

Some of the musicians you can expect to see on Mondays:

Arthur Vint, Pete Swan, Kenji Lancaster, Fred Hayes (drums) Colin McIlrath, Scott Black (bass) Angelo Versace, Chris Peña, Peter Saxe (piano) Matt Mitchell (guitar) Tim Buechler (bari sax) Kevin Ravellette, Simeon Roth, Dave Long (tenor sax) Eric Nakanishi, Joseph Rader (alto sax) Jordan Robison, Joshua Schanie, Benjamin Constantinides, Aidan Schofield (trombone) Morani Sanders, Addit Smith, Anthony Gibes, Tony Belletti, Jibrael Alsooz, Jason Carder (trumpet).

($10-$15 | 6:30pm & 8pm Sets + taxes and fees) Nick Coventry, Matt Mitchell, Evan Dain & Marco Rosano form the swinging Hot Club of Tucson Trio! The group plays jazz manouche in the style of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappeli. The band starts at 6:30pm. Every 2nd Wednesday!

Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli were pivotal figures in the development of jazz in Europe, particularly through their groundbreaking work with the Quintette du Hot Club de France in the 1930s. Reinhardt, a Belgian-born Romani guitarist, overcame a debilitating hand injury to pioneer a unique style of jazz guitar that combined virtuosic speed, expressive phrasing, and gypsy musical traditions. Grappelli, a classically trained French violinist, brought elegance and melodic sophistication to jazz improvisation, helping elevate the violin as a serious jazz instrument. Together, their collaboration fused American swing with European sensibilities, laying the foundation for what became known as “Gypsy Jazz” and influencing generations of musicians worldwide.

***”Hot Jazz Wednesdays”** take you back to the roots of jazz with music from the 1920s and ’30s. Every 2nd Wednesday is reserved for the Hot Club of Tucson, which performs French Jazz Manouche in the style of Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli. Every 4th Wednesday features Marco & The Polos performing music from New Orleans & Chicago.*

($15-$25 tickets + DICE fees | 6:30pm Show) Drummer JC Chiriguayo, Bassist Colin McIlrath, Multi-Reedist Max Goldschmid and the powerhouse keys duo of Alassane and Chris Peña tackle the classic 1980 Herbie Hancock record Mr. Hands! Known as a landmark recording, Mr. Hands featured an all-star cast of musicians with the likes of Jaco Pastorius, Ron Carter, Sheila E and the members of the Headhunters.

($10-$15 Tickets + DICE fees | 8:30pm-10:30pm) Come to the Century Room every Thursday at 8:30pm for our Soul Jazz Lounge! Each lounge hosts a rotating cast of All-Star house bands and features our Viscount Legend Soul Organ designed by the late great Joey DeFrancesco, complete with the Leslie Speaker. The Viscount Soul organ is a modern recreation of vintage Hammond B3 instruments, which were made famous by jazz organists like Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Larry Young, Brother Jack McDuff & Dr. Lonnie Smith. The Century Room’s Viscount Legend Soul is provided courtesy of the Tucson Jazz Music Foundation.

This week features Tucson Jazz Hero and music legend Lamont Arthur with his band ORGANizmo featuring Tony Kusian on guitar and Ken Barry on sax.

House band will play an opening set at 8:30pm followed by a jam sesison. Musicians who sit in get in free!

($25-$35 Tickets + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8:30pm Shows) Welcome back fan favorite trumpeter, vocalist, arranger & bandleader Danny Jonkuchi as he swings the Great American Songbook! Danny returns for his 3rd Century Room residency with a program of classic jazz performed with timeless style.

Danny Jonokuchi (trumpet) Angelo Versace (piano) Scott Black (bass) Arthur Vint (drums)

Danny Jonokuchi is a multi-talented jazz artist based in New York City and Los Angeles. As a jazz trumpeter, vocalist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator, few artists are as diversely involved in their craft. Whether arranging for artists like Lady Gaga, composing original works for full orchestras, or performing in intimate jazz trios, his distinctive musical voice always shines through. Recognized for his performance on two GRAMMY© Award-winning projects, Jonokuchi has been praised for his “world-class arrangements” (Broadway World) and his work as both a performer and producer. He is also a recipient of several awards including the 2024 ISJAC Wayne Shorter Jazz Arranging Prize, the 2020 ASCAP Foundation Louis Armstrong Award, and he was unanimously named the winner of the 2020 Count Basie Great American Swing Contest.

Danny is originally from Los Angeles and holds a Master’s degree in composition from The Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College with the support of the Sir Roland Hanna Memorial Scholarship, and was the recipient of the Boyer Alumni Award as an undergraduate from Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance. His notable mentors include jazz luminaries Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts, Luis Bonilla, Bruce Barth, and John Swana. He has studied composition & arranging with Michael Philip Mossman, John Clayton, Darcy James Argue, Norman David, and David Berger. His early champions were Matt Finders, David Washburn, Ira Nepus, & John Mosley.

Danny performed on two GRAMMY award-winning projects with The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra and the 8-Bit Big Band, performed on Broadway stages, dozens of studio albums, subbed with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and can be heard trumpeting on the acclaimed game Red Dead Redemption 2. His playing has also been featured on PBS, NPR, HBO, Amazon Prime Video, and Good Morning America. Danny has performed on distinguished stages including Walt Disney Concert Hall, Broadway’s Lyceum Theater, Birdland Jazz Club, The Blue Note NYC, Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Bimhaus (Netherlands), and the North Sea Jazz Festival. A frequently traveling musician, Danny has performed in the U.K., South Korea, Israel, Germany, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Belgium.

($30-$40 Tickets + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8:30pm Shows) Join us for a special night of modern piano trio with Jon Cowherd, Tony Scherr and the incomparable Brian Blade!

Keyboardist **Jon Cowherd** might best be known as the cofounder and codirector of Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band, but he has also worked extensively as an arranger, producer, songwriter, and accompanist with a vast range of artists, including Cassandra Wilson, John Scofield, Lizz Wright, Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, k.d. lang, and Rosanne Cash. “By all rights and designs, pianist/composer Jon Cowherd should be a star in modern music circles.” —‍WBGO

**Brian Blade** established himself as a versatile, accomplished drummer early in his career, appearing on albums by the likes of Joshua Redman, Kenny Garrett, and Bob Dylan. Blade released his first album, Brian Blade Fellowship, at the age of 27 in 1998 and followed two years later with Perceptual, both on Blue Note. Always an in-demand sideman and collaborator, Blade continued to find work with a varied bevy of artists, including Joni Mitchell, Bill Frisell, and Wayne Shorter. “A peerless drummer with a gift for subtle shading and flowing undertow.” —NPR

**Tony Scherr** became a prolific session musician in the late ’80s, working with artists including Bill Frisell, John Scofield, and Norah Jones. He has been a member of several bands, including the Lounge Lizards and Sex Mob. Scherr owns a recording studio and has worked as record producer for many of the artists he performs with. “Singer-songwriter soul, the chops of a jazzman.” —New York Times