The sharpest reason to head Uptown during the September 24–27 weekend is concentrated in a single bandstand: Walter Smith III’s CMA Premiere Ensemble at Smoke Jazz Club. Smith, the tenor saxophonist and composer, leads a newly billed quintet with pianist Jason Moran, guitarist Matt Stevens, bassist Matt Brewer, and drummer Bill Stewart. The occasion has real specificity. Smoke’s residency page identifies the engagement as the debut of a new work commissioned through Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works program, with support from the Doris Duke Foundation, and says the ensemble will record the project after the run. For listeners who prefer a show with a defined musical occasion behind it, this is the weekend’s unusually direct choice.[1][2][3]

The ensemble’s personnel makes the premiere legible before a note is played. Smith supplies tenor saxophone; Moran is listed on piano, Stevens on guitar, Brewer on bass, and Stewart on drums. It is a five-player setup with room for a composed framework to meet the quick decision-making expected of a working jazz group. Smith’s official site currently foregrounds his 2026 release TWIO Vol. 2, while Smoke frames this residency around new material made for this particular configuration. That pairing gives the dates a useful sense of scale: an artist with an active recording life, bringing a commission into a room built around close listening and repeat sets.[2][3]

Thursday, September 24 offers two entry points, at 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM, both presented as dinner shows by Smoke Jazz Club. The two sets make this a flexible early-evening stop: take the first seating for an unhurried night, or use the later slot as the center of an Upper West Side evening. Friday, September 25 brings the ensemble back for a 6:30 PM dinner show, one of the listed opportunities to hear the premiere during the guide’s Thursday-through-Sunday frame. Smoke’s official site places the club at 2751 Broadway, and its ticket page makes clear that the early sets are structured around dining as well as the performance.[1][2]

A premiere built for repeat listening

There is value in choosing one of these dates without treating the commission as a ceremonial label. Smith’s group includes players with distinct instrumental roles, and the club presents the work across a multi-night residency, a format that places the music in front of listeners repeatedly as the week unfolds. The Thursday pair and Friday early set are especially useful for anyone looking to hear the project at its outset, when the band’s sound is still being introduced to the room. The page also identifies Smith as a composer alongside his saxophone work, keeping the emphasis on the material itself as well as the band assembled to play it.[2][3]

Practical details: the selected Smoke Jazz Club performances are Thursday, September 24 at 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM, plus Friday, September 25 at 6:30 PM. The Thursday and Friday early sets are dinner shows, and Smoke Jazz Club is at 2751 Broadway. Check Smoke Jazz Club’s official site and the residency ticket page again before leaving for current set times, admission details, dining information, and any changes to the engagement.[1][2]

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Smoke Jazz Club’s official website confirms the venue and address; its official residency page provides the commission, personnel, and schedule context; Walter Smith III’s official site provides current artist context.[1][2][3]

These concerts happened on 24–25 September 2026

The next dates at these venues: Smoke Jazz Club

Sources

  1. Welcome to Smoke Jazz Club — Smoke Jazz Club
  2. Walter Smith III CMA Premiere Ensemble feat. Jason Moran, Matt Stevens, Matt Brewer and Bill Stewart — Smoke Jazz Club
  3. Walter Smith III — Walter Smith III