Caffe Vivace's Upcoming Shows

Joe Alterman - piano

Aaron Jacobs - bass

Jim Leslie - drums

Join us for a special night of remembrance as we celebrate the life of one our most devoted and beloved Caffè VIvace patrons – James Clark. Mr. Clark was a fixture and a true jazz fan. We think of him every night and miss him dearly. So it’s bittersweet for us to announce the First Annual James Clark Memorial Birthday Concert. A time for us to come together and celebrate as Mr. Clark would have, with jazz music and community. 

We’re happy to invite the Joe Alterman Trio to be the first band to kick off this new tradition! Joe Alterman is a jazz pianist devoted to joy, blending swing, soul, and blues-infused warmth into a deeply personal sound. Mentored by Les McCann and Ramsey Lewis, he has released eight acclaimed albums and performed at renowned venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Birdland, and the Blue Note. He serves as Executive Director of Neranenah and hosts The Upside of Jazz on Atlanta’s NPR affiliate, WABE 90.1.

A $20 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the total for beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum.

Important Notices:

If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resale your seats with no refund.

Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.

“For sheer vocal beauty, no contemporary singer matches Ms. Callaway.” – Stephen Holden, The New York Times

"Just as Ella Fitzgerald was the greatest jazz singer of her era, so too is the magnificent Ann Hampton Callaway of hers." - Musical Theatre Review

Don’t miss Here’s to Life, the new, uplifting show by Tony®-nominated singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway. Callaway dazzles us with a night of gorgeous songs that celebrate life’s richness, despite our challenges and because of them. She breathes wisdom and passion into Arlen, Porter, Rodgers, and the Bergmans, as well as contemporary writers and her own originals. Come and see why Christopher Loudon of Jazz Times calls her the “…superbly intelligent, singularly creative pop-jazz stylist who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Streisand, Ronstadt, Shirley Horn, and Dianne Reeves…”

Ann Hampton Callaway is one of America’s most gifted artists in pop and jazz. A leading champion of the great American Songbook, she’s made her mark as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host, and producer. Voted by Broadwayworld.com as “Celebrity of the Year” and two years in a row as “Best Jazz Vocalist,” Ann is a born entertainer. She is best known for her Tony-nominated performance in the hit Broadway musical “Swing!” and for writing and singing the theme song to the hit TV series “The Nanny.” She made her feature film debut opposite Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon in the Robert De Niro film “The Good Shepherd.” Callaway is a multi-platinum award selling songwriter whose songs are featured on seven of Barbra Streisand’s recent CD’s. She’s recorded 83 CDs as a soloist and guest, and her latest critically acclaimed CD, “Finding Beauty: Originals Volume 1,” debuted at #1 on iTunes Jazz. Ann’s honors include The Theater World Award, 17 MAC Awards, several Bistro Awards, The Mabel Mercer Award, The Johnny Mercer Award for Songwriting, The Blanton Peale Award for Positive Thinking, and her induction into The Women Songwriters Hall of Fame

If the total amount of beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum, a $20 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set.

Important Notices:

If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resale your seats with no refund.

Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.

On the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane's birth—September 23, 1926—Caffè Vivace welcomes acclaimed tenor saxophonist Gregory Tardy for a special evening honoring one of the most influential artists in the history of American music. Joined by pianist Dan Karlsberg, bassist Justin Dawson, and drummer Phillip Tipton, Tardy will explore selections from throughout Coltrane's remarkable career—from the hard-swinging intensity of Blue Train and Giant Steps to the spiritual depth and lyrical beauty that defined his later work.

A longtime presence on the international jazz scene, Gregory Tardy has performed and recorded with many of the music's most respected artists, including Elvin Jones, Andrew Hill, Tom Harrell, and Dave Douglas. His powerful sound, deep blues roots, and adventurous spirit make him uniquely suited to celebrate Coltrane's enduring legacy. Tardy brings both scholarship and soul to the music, honoring the tradition while speaking with a distinctive voice of his own.

Few artists transformed jazz as profoundly as John Coltrane. From his groundbreaking harmonic innovations to his deeply spiritual approach to improvisation, Coltrane's music continues to inspire audiences and musicians around the world. This centennial celebration will revisit beloved classics, explore lesser-known gems, and pay tribute to a body of work that remains as vital today as ever.

Whether you're a lifelong admirer of John Coltrane or discovering his music for the first time, this special performance promises an evening of passion, creativity, and world-class jazz in the intimate listening-room setting of Caffè Vivace.

If the total amount of beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum, a $20 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set.

Important Notices:

If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resale your seats with no refund.

Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.

Nate Smith - drums

Hailey Niswanger - alto saxophone

Chris Morrisey - bass

James Francies - piano/keys/synth

Nate Smith is a GRAMMY AWARD-winning polymath musician — bandleader, composer, producer, and virtuosic drummer — whose groundbreaking work as a recording artist and performer in multiple genres has made him a unique figure in popular culture and one of the most in-demand players of our generation.

Born in Norfolk, Virginia and a devoted student of music since his teenage years, Smith was invited by Betty Carter to join her legendary Jazz Ahead program, performing on drums at New York’s Blue Note with Carter at the age of 20. Smith began his career as a professional songwriter and producer in 2001 with Michael Jackson’s “Heaven Can Wait.” In 2003, Smith joined Dave Holland’s jazz band and toured the world. And in 2008, Smith began his recording career, first as a solo artist and later with his band,KINFOLK. Smith received two GRAMMY nominations in 2017 for KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere, for his composition “Home Free (for Peter Joe)” — Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella and Best Instrumental Composition. As part of the Dave Holland Octet, Smith received another nomination in 2011 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

Over the years, Nate Smith has collaborated and toured with renowned artists like Brittany Howard, Pat Metheny, Ravi Coltrane, Van Hunt, Childish Gambino, Norah Jones, Jon Batiste, Vulfpeck, Lauren Daigle, The Fearless Flyers, Chris Potter, Kiefer, CARRTOONS, Charlie Hunter, and Kurt Elling. He’s graced the cover of Modern Drummer magazine, and provided the backbeat for Late Night with Seth Meyers’ house band.

In recent years, through a series of viral videos, Nate Smith has emerged as a new kind of influencer: a popular teacher who makes complex rhythmic principles simple. That role expanded with Smith’s Pocket Change project in 2018 — a combination breakbeat album and transcription book; and a follow up, Pocket Change 2: Mad Currency, in 2023.

Nate Smith conceived his latest album, LIVE ACTION, as a producer-led project in the manner of Quincy Jones. Smith explains: “It was a way to activate all of these relationships that I've been building over the last five or six years since the pandemic, many of them through social media.” The album features performances from horn players Josh Johnson and Marquis Hill; the rapper JSWISS; guitarists Charlie Hunter and Lionel Loueke; bassists Michael League, Ben Williams, and CARRTOONS; keyboardists DJ Harrison and Keifer; the group säje and vocalist Jermaine Holmes; and Lalah Hathaway, who sings an unsurprisingly daring cover of “Automatic,” the 1984 hit for The Pointer Sisters, reharmonizing and recontextualizing the track alongside Smith. Even though the album is collaborative, Nate Smith keeps the sound cohesive through discipline: “I wanted to make a record that sounded like it was recorded on a cassette in my bedroom,” he says. “I limited my options. I used analog gear. I used the same instruments throughout the album. I did two or three takes of each element, no copy and pastes or anything like that. All of the instruments on the album are played live, nothing is programmed or sequenced.” It is from this ethos that LIVE ACTION derives its name, and it is that spirit that makes Nate Smith himself a sought-after collaborator and one of music’s most creative minds.

A $20 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the total for beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum.

Important Notices:

If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resale your seats with no refund.

Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.