Jared Schonig has spent years moving through the highest tiers of modern music as an award-winning drummer, composer, and bandleader—an artist whose career reads like a map of the contemporary jazz world and beyond. Touring and recording internationally, Schonig has collaborated with an extraordinary range of musicians including Nicholas Payton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Chris Potter, John Patitucci, Donny McCaslin, Darcy James Argue and Secret Society, the 8-Bit Big Band, Miho Hazama and m_unit, Dave Grusin, David Foster, Laurence Hobgood, Tim Hagans, Fred Hersch, Wycliffe Gordon, Tom Harrell, Joe Locke, and Ernie Watts, among many others. Along the way, he has appeared on multiple Grammy-winning records, played in orchestras for countless Tony Award-winning musicals, and performed on Emmy Award-winning television broadcasts.
Schonig’s reputation also extends deeply into the vocal world, where he has become a trusted and in-demand collaborator. He has toured with Grammy Award-winning artists and ensembles including Kurt Elling, the New York Voices, Sara Gazarek, Kristen Chenoweth, and Cynthia Erivo—credits that speak not only to technical mastery but to an instinct for dynamics, sensitivity, and support that great singers rarely forget.
Now, that breadth of experience feeds directly into his latest release: Jared Schonig’s Big Band Captured Live at Dizzy’s Club, issued via Anzic Records and set to arrive on August 28, 2026. The project marks Schonig’s first live recording as a leader, and follows his ambitious double-disc debut, Two Takes Vol. 1: Quintet / Vol. 2. Where the earlier release showcased range and intention in the studio, the new album leans into the electricity of the bandstand—music delivered with the looseness, joy, and precision that New York City’s best players can summon in real time.
Recorded at Dizzy’s Club in New York City, Live at Dizzy’s places Schonig at the center of a group built on long-standing relationships and hard-earned musical trust. The ensemble is filled with collaborators who have shared stages, tours, and years of musical conversation with him, giving the performance a sense of familiarity that never slips into comfort. Instead, it becomes the fuel—an environment where risk feels natural, and the band can play with abandon while still landing every detail.
At the heart of the rhythm section is bassist Matt Clohesy, a collaborator of two decades, alongside pianist David Cook, another long-time musical partner whose connection with Schonig is felt in the immediacy of their interplay. The horn section is equally formidable, featuring trumpeter Tony Kadleck, a widely respected lead voice and a consistent presence across Schonig’s big band work; trombonist Mike Davis, a close friend and a standout in the lead chair; and saxophonist Jason Rigby, whose sound and approach have become central to Schonig’s writing.
The record also captures the energy of new chemistry. Terell Stafford joins the band for the first time on this release, bringing a commanding voice to the session and delivering solos that underline why he has long been held in such high regard. Alto saxophonist Andrew Gould—another key figure in Schonig’s musical orbit through their work with the 8-Bit Big Band—continues to prove essential, combining lead strength with improvisational clarity. Trumpeter Scott Wendholt, a player Schonig grew up listening to, adds a tone and language that fits seamlessly into the band’s identity.
For Schonig, the album is as much about community as it is about composition. The goal is not simply to present charts, but to spotlight the professionalism, care, and brilliance these musicians bring to the music—qualities that become unmistakable when captured live, in a room where every choice is immediate and every moment counts.
A release celebration is scheduled for Monday, August 24 at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, offering audiences a chance to experience the spirit of the project in the space that shaped it. With Jared Schonig’s Big Band Captured Live at Dizzy’s Club, Schonig steps forward with a statement that feels both personal and expansive: a live document of a band built on history, trust, and the kind of excellence that turns performance into occasion.
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