West Hartford Welcomes Hartford Jazz Great For 'International Jazz Day'

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — West Hartford will join a global celebration of jazz on Thursday, April 30, hosting a concert at the University of Saint Joseph featuring hometown bassist Nat Reeves and the release of his latest album, "Now in Time."

The April 30 concert begins at 7 p.m. at Hoffman Auditorium, 1678 Asylum Ave. Parking is free on-site. Tickets are $25 and available online.

The event is part of the 15th annual International Jazz Day, established in 2011 by UNESCO to highlight jazz’s role in promoting unity worldwide. This year’s observance includes events in all 50 states and 190 countries, with Chicago serving as the global host city.

The West Hartford concert will take place at Hoffman Auditorium on the university’s campus and feature the Nat Reeves Sextet.

Reeves, a longtime figure in the Hartford jazz scene and a Hartford resident, will perform on bass and cello alongside tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trumpeter John Hasselback III, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist Caelan Cardello, and drummer Chris Beck.

Aidan Levy, an assistant professor of English at USJ and a jazz historian who organized the event, said the performance underscores both the international and local significance of jazz.

“International Jazz Day celebrates America's greatest cultural gift to the world, an inclusive art form that exemplifies creativity, democracy in action, and the power of the human spirit to overcome obstacles,” Levy said. “Nat Reeves has been a global jazz ambassador for decades. He is a pillar of the Hartford jazz community, and Hartford is one of America's great jazz cities.”

The evening will also include a spoken-word performance by Reeves and Kate Rushin, poet-in-residence at Connecticut College.

Reeves, who taught for decades at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School and the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, is widely recognized for his work with leading jazz artists across generations.

Over a career spanning more than 40 years, he has performed with musicians including Kenny Garrett, Pharoah Sanders, and Jackie McLean, and has released three albums as a bandleader.

Organizers said the event aims to connect West Hartford audiences with both the legacy and future of jazz, while contributing to a worldwide celebration of the genre.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click on this link.