Jazz40 NYC: Cornelia Street Café

At New England Conservatory, jazz runs hot in young musicians' veins. It means the blaze of improvisation and individual creativity, the warmth of interaction in small ensembles. Experimentation is encouraged. And that's cool!

This tradition goes back 40 years, when NEC launched the first fully accredited jazz studies program at a music conservatory. In celebrating the 40th anniversary of this creative first, NEC dips into the past, present, and future, with a week of club dates in New York. A similar series of club appearances set Boston's jazz clubs ablaze back in October.

The week gets off to a start with an evening at the Cornelia Street Café. Pianist/composer Anthony Coleman of the NEC faculty performs the 9pm set. Coleman was heard in Jordan Hall last fall in a concert that combined his own works with music by Jelly Roll Morton. Saxophonist Jeremy Udden '00, '03 M.M., a young alumnus who has staked a claim on the attention of New York music critics and fans, performs the 10pm set, with music from his new CD Plainville.

The Cornelia Street Café is located at 29 Cornelia Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. There is a $10 cover charge at the door, with a one-drink minimum per set. Admission is ages 18 and over. Reservations are accepted by phone only, 212-989-9319.