John Yao & His 17-Piece Instrument delivers a bold, modern take on big band jazzโfusing swing, Latin grooves, and adventurous writing with one of NYCโs most dynamic ensembles. Performing all original compositions including works from their new album Points in Time, coming out on July 11, 2025 on See Tao Recordings.
Buy Tickets here
7-7:45pm - Rehearsal Set (open to all)
8-9pm - Performance one set
Saxes - Alejandro Aviles, Hashem Assadullahi, Sam Dillon, Paul Jones, Carl Maraghi
Trumpets - Nick Marchione, Stuart Mack, David Neves, Oscar Stenmark...
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John Yao & His 17-Piece Instrument delivers a bold, modern take on big band jazzโfusing swing, Latin grooves, and adventurous writing with one of NYCโs most dynamic ensembles. Performing all original compositions including works from their new album Points in Time, coming out on July 11, 2025 on See Tao Recordings.
Buy Tickets here
7-7:45pm - Rehearsal Set (open to all)
8-9pm - Performance one set
Saxes - Alejandro Aviles, Hashem Assadullahi, Sam Dillon, Paul Jones, Carl Maraghi
Trumpets - Nick Marchione, Stuart Mack, David Neves, Oscar Stenmark
Trombones- Matt McDonald, John Yao, Nick Vayenas, Jeff Nelson
Rhythm Section - Randy Ingram, Robert Sabin, Jeff Davis
About the band:
John Yao and His 17-piece Instrument (JY-17 for short) is the long-standing passion project of trombonist and composer John Yao featuring his original compositions and arrangements which explore the boundaries of harmony, color, texture and rhythm. The 17-piece ensemble is comprised of New York Cityโs finest jazz musicians including members of Grammy- award winning ensembles such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, both of which Yao has been a regular substitute for many years. The bandโs debut album Flip-Flop was released in 2015 and received critical acclaim.DownBeat says, "[Flip-Flop] showcased Yao's unpredictable compositions and inventive arrangements, which spring from tradition while pointing toward future portals." Yaoโs compositions and arrangements are post-bop, experimental and aim to explore new sounds for big band. โAt times angular and broken, other times linear and swinging, he offers a broad view of the possibilities of jazz composition,โ says Jim McNeely of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. In 2016, Yao founded the Big Band & Beyond Concert Series which featured the premier of new works for the JY-17 as well as a six-month residency at the ShapeShifter Lab in Brookyln, NY.
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