Falmouth Jazz Artists 2026

Tim Ray Trio | February 22, 2026 | Highfield Hall and Gardens

Piano soloist, composer, arranger and accompanist Tim Ray served as music director and pianist for the legendary Tony Bennett from 2016 until 2020. Before that, he toured for over 15 years with singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett. Appearing on over 100 recordings, Ray has performed in concert with an extensive list of pop and jazz icons, from Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt to Gary Burton and Esperanza Spalding. He has released seven albums under his own name, including Fire & Rain in 2023 and 2020’s Excursions & Adventures featuring Terri Lyne Carrington and John Patitucci. Ray has played at Carnegie Hall, the White House and the Kennedy Center, and is a frequent performer at Falmouth Jazz concerts, appearing this time with Gray Sargent on guitar and Marshall Wood on bass. 

Visit Tim’s website: CLICK HERE

Yoko Miwa Trio | March 1, 2026 | Highfield Hall and Gardens

Pianist, composer and bandleader Yoko Miwa is a Falmouth Jazz favorite who performs regularly at premier venues worldwide. She has released nine critically-acclaimed albums, including Songs of Joy which reached #1 on jazz radio charts and was voted Best Jazz Album of 2021 in DownBeat’s 86th Annual Readers Poll. Yoko is a professor at the Berklee College of Music. Her performance will kick off the “Women Who Lead: A Falmouth Jazz Series”, a 2026 concert initiative highlighting women bandleaders and women-featured ensembles. She will be joined by Will Slater on bass and Scott Goulding on drums. 

Visit Yoko’s website: CLICK HERE

Christine Fawson Quartet| March 15, 2026 | West Falmouth Library

Christine Fawson is a jazz singer and trumpet player. She was a Sarah Vaughan Internatonal Jazz Vocal Competition Finalist in 2017 and 2019. Christine has recorded four albums as a leader, including Happy Talk in collaboration with legendary trombonist and Grammy Award-nominated arranger Phil Wilson, and Christine Fawson Sings Jazz featuring pianist Tim Ray’s contemporary adaptations of her favorite selections from the Great American Songbook. She was a professor at Berklee College of Music from 2003-2017. Christine will be joined in Falmouth by Tim Ray (piano), Marshall Wood (bass), and Casey Scheuerell (drums).

Visit Christine’s website: CLICK HERE

Donna Byrne Quartet | April 18, 2026 | The Gallery on Main

Donna Byrne is not only a masterful singer but also a true entertainer. With Cape Cod roots, she is a favorite of Falmouth audiences. Over her distinguished career, Ms. Byrne has performed at top jazz venues including Scullers Jazz Club in Boston, the Blue Note in New York, and Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. She has eight solo CDs and has recorded with top jazz artists such as Bucky Pizzarelli, Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen, Dave McKenna and Herb Pomeroy. Donna had “the thrill of a lifetime” when she was invited by the legendary Tony Bennett to open for him on tour. She is joined for this performance by Tim Ray on piano, Marshall Wood on bass, and Marty Richards on drums.

Visit Donna’s website: CLICK HERE

Harry Allen and Rossano Sportiello | May 3, 2026| Highfield Hall and Gardens

One of the world’s leading jazz piano players on the scene today, Rossano Sportiello’s musical influences include Fats Waller, Art Tatum, Count Basie and other great masters. He has performed at major venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the United Nations as well as jazz clubs like the Blue Note, Birdland, Smalls and Mezzrow. Rossano’s prolific output tracks 40 albums to date, including both classical and jazz performances and six solo albums. With warmth, charm and prodigious piano playing, Rossano Sportiello is a favorite of Falmouth Jazz and we are delighted to welcome him back.

Tenor saxophonist Harry Allen is equally accomplished, having recorded over 70 CDs as a leader and many more as a sideman. With an elegant tone and swinging style, he has been described as “the Frank Sinatra of the tenor sax.” Harry has performed and recorded with talents ranging from Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Scott Hamilton, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, John Pizzarelli and Bucky Pizzarelli, to James Taylor, Sheryl Crow and Jay Geils.

Visit Rossano’s website: CLICK HERE

Visit Harry’s website: CLICK HERE

Judy Carmichael| May 17, 2026| Highfield Hall and Gardens

GRAMMY-nominated pianist and vocalist Judy Carmichael is one of the world’s leading interpreters of stride piano and swing. Count Basie was so taken with Carmichael’s playing that he gave her the nickname “Stride”. She has taken her infectious style of music and her equally infectious personality to Carnegie Hall, Jazz Festival Brazil, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Tanglewood Jazz Festival. For 25 years Judy has produced and hosted Judy Carmichael’s Jazz Inspired which broadcasts on NPR stations and podcasts. Her memoir, Swinger! A Jazz Girl’s Adventures From Hollywood To Harlem was published in 2018 and her book, Great Inspirations: 22 Years of Jazz Inspired on NPR was published in 2022.  Judy will be joined in Falmouth by John Merrill on guitar.

Visit Judy’s website: CLICK HERE

Alan Broadbent Trio| June 7, 2026| Highfield Hall and Gardens

Alan Broadbent is a New Zealand-born jazz pianist, arranger and composer and multiple GRAMMY winner. During the 1990s, he recorded on Natalie Cole’s album Unforgettable… with Love, then became her pianist and conductor on tour. His arrangement for her video When I Fall in Love won the GRAMMY Award for Best Orchestral Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal. He later won a second GRAMMY for his arrangement of Leonard Bernstein’s Lonely Town that was recorded by Shirley Horn. As a soloist and with his jazz trio, Broadbent has been nominated three different times for GRAMMYs for Best Jazz Performance. Alan will be joined by the masterful Harvie S on bass and the dynamic Billy Mintz on drums.

Visit Alan’s website: CLICK HERE

Greg Abate Quartet | June 27, 2026 | The Gallery on Main

Whether playing jazz classics or one of his own compositions, Greg Abate is known for his hard-driving and energetic approach. Called the “Prince of Bebop”, his sound has been described as “the distillation of swing’s easygoing vibe and bop’s more animated groove” and his music as having “a feverish intensity, full of verve and swagger.” Abate studied at the Berklee College of Music and has played lead alto saxophone for the Ray Charles Orchestra and tenor sax with the revived Artie Shaw Orchestra. With more than 18 acclaimed recordings, he performs around the globe and has been a New England favorite for more than 25 years. Greg will be joined by a killer trio of pianist Chris Taylor, bassist John Lockwood and drummer Gary Johnson.

Visit Greg’s website: CLICK HERE

Brandi Disterheft| July 12, 2026 | West Falmouth Library

Brandi Disterheft is an acclaimed Canadian-American jazz bassist, vocalist and composer known for her swinging bass lines and melodic improvisations. Her music blends straight-ahead jazz with contemporary influences, often featuring her soulful vocals. Having studied with Ron Carter, she won the JUNO (Canada’s GRAMMY) for Best Traditional Jazz Album of the Year in 2008 for her album Debut, and has since earned three additional JUNO nominations for her recordings. Brandi has captivated audiences at international festivals, major jazz clubs and prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Now she comes to Falmouth, along with Alex Minasian on piano, as another great concert in our “Women Who Lead” series.

Visit Brandi’s website: CLICK HERE

Duke Robillard and his All-Star Band | July 26, 2026 | Highfield Hall and Gardens (under the tent)

Since co-founding Roomful of Blues in 1967, Duke Robillard has achieved legendary status through his mastery of the guitar and a commanding grasp of a diverse array of blues styles. Hailed by BB King as “one of the great players,” Duke has garnered multiple GRAMMY nominations and Blues Awards, and boasts an extensive catalog of over 35 CDs as a leader. His All-Star Band is comprised of top-tier musicians who share his fervor for authentic blues and exceptional musicianship. It will be great to welcome them back to Falmouth!

Visit Duke’s website: CLICK HERE

Georgia Heers | August 9, 2026 | Highfield Hall and Gardens (under the tent)

Vocalist Georgia Heers is an emerging artist with a warm, expressive voice and a deep affinity for the Great American Songbook. A graduate of Oberlin College and Juilliard School, she has already appeared at acclaimed venues including Mezzrow, Dizzy’s, Minton’s Playhouse and the Kennedy Center. She was featured in George Clooney’s Broadway adaptation of Good Night, and Good Luck, bringing her artistry to a national audience. With a debut album on the horizon, Heers is a rising voice not to be missed. Accompanied by Greg Ruggiero on guitar, Georgia an exciting addition to the Falmouth Jazz series “Women Who Lead“. 

Visit Georgia’s website: CLICK HERE

Rossano Sportiello | August 30, 2026 | John Wesley United Methodist Church

One of the world’s leading jazz piano players on the scene today, Rossano Sportiello’s musical influences include Fats Waller, Art Tatum, Count Basie and other great masters. He has performed at major venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the United Nations as well as jazz clubs like the Blue Note, Birdland, Smalls and Mezzrow. Rossano’s prolific output tracks 40 albums to date, including both classical and jazz performances and six solo albums. With warmth, charm and prodigious piano playing, Rossano Sportiello is a favorite of Falmouth Jazz. We are delighted to welcome him back for a solo piano concert.

Visit Rossano’s website: CLICK HERE

Nicole Zuraitis Quartet | September 20, 2026 | Highfield Hall and Gardens (under the tent)

The amazing Nicole Zuraitis is a 2X GRAMMY-winning and 6X GRAMMY-nominated jazz singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and arranger. She’s earned GRAMMY nominations across four categories: Best Jazz Vocal Album, Best Large Jazz Ensemble, Best Jazz Performance and Best Arrangement. Nicole won Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2024 with How Love Begins (co-produced with Christian McBride), the only person ever to have won this award who wrote and arranged the entire album herself. In collaboration with acclaimed drummer, bandleader, and composer Dan Pugach (who is also her husband), she won another GRAMMY in 2025 with Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence. Her latest album Live at Vic’s Las Vegas earned two more GRAMMY nominations in 2026.

Also winner of the prestigious American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal, Nicole has headlined at Newport Jazz Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Saratoga Jazz Festival and Tanglewood, along with iconic NYC jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Birdland, and the Blue Note. Returning to Falmouth with her quartet including Dan Pugach on drums along with guitar and bass, who better than Nicole to headline this season’s Falmouth Jazz “Women Who Lead” series!

Visit Nicole’s website: CLICK HERE

Lucy Yeghiazaryan| October 23, 2026 | West Falmouth Library

Lucy Yeghiazaryan is an American Armenian vocalist who brings warmth, elegance, and emotional depth to the Great American Songbook. A past finalist in the Thelonious Monk Competition, Lucy has become a leading voice in straight-ahead jazz by bringing the richness of her heritage together with her love for the ultimate American artform. Growing up in post-Soviet Armenia, she began listening to her father’s once-contraband collection of jazz records at a young age, mimicking the sounds and styles of the likes of Ella and Sarah Vaughan before she even learned to speak English. Lucy can be found performing in and outside of the US with regular appearances at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Mezzrow, Symphony Space and more. We’re excited to welcome Lucy back to Falmouth, accompanied by Greg Ruggiero on guitar, as part of this year’s Falmouth Jazz “Women Who Lead” series.

Visit Lucy’s website: CLICK HERE

Carmen Staaf and Allison Miller | December 6, 2026 | West Falmouth Library

Pianist Carmen Staaf and drummer Allison Miller come together to continue the collaboration they began in 2018, exploring originals and standards with playful intelligence and deeply synced connection. Both celebrated bandleaders and collaborators on the New York jazz scene, they bring a powerful sense of interplay, trust, and creativity to this intimate setting. Carmen has performed with the legendary Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, as well as Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. She has been heard at the Village Vanguard, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, SFJazz and major jazz festivals around the world. Allison, on top of releasing more than a dozen albums as a leader or co-leader, has performed with artists such as Ani DiFranco, Natalie Merchant, Brandi Carlile and Indigo Girls, and is a proud member of the Blue Note jazz recording supergroup Artemis. As the final concert in this season’s “Women Who Lead” series, this performance showcases two top-tier artists redefining what a jazz duo can be. 

Visit Carmen’s website: CLICK HERE

Visit Allison’s website: CLICK HERE