Music, Image & Word

A new ongoing series where live jazz, poetry, and film converge in real time, making every evening a singular, unrepeatable experience. Led by Grammy-nominated bandleader J. C. Hopkins, it brings together an evolving lineup of musicians, poets, and filmmakers in a dynamic exchange between sound, language, and moving image.

Tonight is devoted to New York City in all its beauty, noise, loneliness, and possibility—told through poetry, music, and film. J. C. Hopkins and his quartet move between jazz, atmospheric, and experimental terrain, evoking the cinematic worlds of Ennio Morricone and Angelo Badalamenti.

J. C. Hopkins’ work inhabits the space between jazz, storytelling, and atmosphere. Leading the J. C. Hopkins Quintet and Biggish Band, he creates performances that feel less like concerts than conversations—fluid, collaborative, and alive to the moment. His collaborators have included Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, Martha Wainwright, and Teddy Thompson. His recently released album, It’s a Sad and Beautiful World, captures a long arc of songwriting shaped by both intimacy and scale. Based in the Hudson Valley, Hopkins is also co-director of Rohmer Gallery, where music, film, and poetry often intersect.

The Live From Upstate series is generously underwritten by the Ettinger Foundation.