JAZZ NIGHT w/ Joel Cotton & Steven Kirsty

Matt Niedbalski is back with his monthly Jazz Night, featuring a rotating lineup of featured artists and favorite collaborators. Enjoy music from the farthest reaches of the jazz genre, from the classics you already love to originals you’ll fall in love with.

Tonight’s lineup:
- Joel Cotton, saxophone
- Steven Kirsty, bass
- Matt Niedbalski, drums

Joel Cotton is an emerging multi-instrumentalist based in North Jersey, known for his captivating sound and unique melodies. He moved to the East Coast in 2012 to study at the Jackie McLean School in Hartford, Connecticut. In 2014, he was selected for a full-ride scholarship to the Jazz Studies program at William Paterson University, where he met Steven Kirsty and Matt Niedbalski. They formed Sonic Connection, and Joel and Matt also started the drums-and-saxophone duo Brothers, which released its first album in 2020.

Joel released his first self-led album, Consequence, in 2016. In 2023, he began writing and performing music with a quartet featuring Brandon McCune, and playing as a sideman with McCune. He has performed with Harold Mabern, Abraham Burton, Duane Eubanks, Bill Charlap, Brandon McCune, Nat Reeves, Rene McLean, Steve Davis, Jack Walrath, Joe Farnsworth, Ben Wolfe, Bob Cranshaw, Josh Evans, Dezron Douglas, and the Charles Mingus Big Band. He has played at jazz clubs and music festivals across the United States.

Born in Schenectady, NY, and living in Jersey City, NJ, Steven Kirsty grew up in a family of musicians and music teachers. He has performed throughout America, Spain, and Israel with numerous blues and jazz artists. Steven is also a saxophonist and piano tuner/technician. His playing is featured on albums including Charles Cornell’s Time Tales and Your Choice, Nic Cacioppo’s Time in Motion and Beginning to End, and Vin Mott’s Rogue Hunter and Country Blues.

Matt Niedbalski is a musician and composer based in upstate NY. His primary instrument is drums, and he mostly plays improvised music. His projects include GNP, a co-lead trio with pianist Tyler Giroux and bassist Dylan Perrillo; Charles Cornell; The Giroux Brothers; Dylan Perrillo Orchestra; and the Vin Mott Blues Band. Matt also formed a trio with saxophonist Adam Siegel and bassist Jason Emmond, often booked as the Matt Niedbalski Trio. He has hosted a monthly concert series at the Park Theater in Glens Falls, NY, since 2022, and is featured on over a dozen recordings. In addition to performing and composing, he mixes and masters recordings.

Listen to the album Brothers: https://mattniedbalski.bandcamp.com/album/brothers