Our acoustically designed room in the heart of Denver plays host to live jazz nightly (Wednesday through Sunday). Check the calendar below for set times as they may vary. Nocturne’s distinctive Artist in Residency programming is at the core of our line up. Most artists who perform at Nocturne engage in a four- to eight-week run that focuses on the exploration of a musical icon, the study of a jazz genre, or the exhibition of an Artist's own original work. This old-school approach to programming combines the unique opportunity to hone one’s craft with regular stage time, while also establishing an elevated rapport with Denver music fans. Nocturne is proud to be the only venue in Colorado that features jazz exclusively, and we are also pleased to feature national touring artists on special occasions.
ABOUT LIVE MUSIC AT NOCTURNE:
Reservations are strongly recommended for either music set. By reserving your seat for dinner and a show you can enjoy the live music along with a three course menu by our talented culinary team. You can make a reservation on-line or via phone @ 303.295.3333.
Supporting the musicians practicing their craft on our stage is important to us - your prepaid dinner reservation includes the artist fees that support fair pay to our music community. You can support in other ways such as purchasing music online, physical CD's or sending Venmo tips to your favorite artists. The music community is strong but still working to rebound from a lot of cancelled gigs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your support of their craft will keep this art form alive.
Saturdays in July, we invite you to join us for two sets of vintage and funk and groovy boogaloos with Alejandro Castaño (drums), Ben Markley (piano), Patrick McDevitt (bass) and Alex Heffron (guitar).
Alejandro Castaño is an active performer and educator in the United States and abroad. Castaño’s performance and recording credits include: Ron Miles, Eric Gunnison, Greg Gisbert, Peter Sommer, Steve Turre, Benny Bannack III, Gabriel Mervine and many others. He received his Bachelors in Jazz Studies from Metropolitan University of Denver in 2015. He is an educator at Denver School of the Arts, teaching percussion and Jazz. Castaño is the Director of Education for the Gift of Jazz as well as an educator for the Colorado Conservatory of the Jazz Arts.
Important Notes:
During this time of limited indoor capacity, floor seats are only available by reservation as we are limited to 50 seats per show/seating.
Saturdays in July, we invite you to join us for two sets of vintage and funk and groovy boogaloos with Alejandro Castaño (drums), Ben Markley (piano), Patrick McDevitt (bass) and Alex Heffron (guitar).
Alejandro Castaño is an active performer and educator in the United States and abroad. Castaño’s performance and recording credits include: Ron Miles, Eric Gunnison, Greg Gisbert, Peter Sommer, Steve Turre, Benny Bannack III, Gabriel Mervine and many others. He received his Bachelors in Jazz Studies from Metropolitan University of Denver in 2015. He is an educator at Denver School of the Arts, teaching percussion and Jazz. Castaño is the Director of Education for the Gift of Jazz as well as an educator for the Colorado Conservatory of the Jazz Arts.
Important Notes:
During this time of limited indoor capacity, floor seats are only available by reservation as we are limited to 50 seats per show/seating.
Inspired by the music of Herbie Hancock, Alejandro Castaño has put together an amazing group of musicians to explore all of his favorite compositions. Every Saturday in February, you can hear Alejandro Castaño (drums), Tom Amend (piano), Patrick McDevitt (bass), Steve Kovalcheck (guitar), and Serafin Sanchez (saxophone) playing the vast collection of Herbie Hancock’s music. These nights are guaranteed to be funky, fresh, and swingin!
Alejandro Castaño is an active performer and educator in the United States and abroad. Castaño’s performance and recording credits include: Ron Miles, Eric Gunnison, Greg Gisbert, Peter Sommer, Steve Turre, Benny Bannack III, Gabriel Mervine and many others. He received his Bachelors in Jazz Studies from Metropolitan University of Denver in 2015. He is an educator at Denver School of the Arts, teaching percussion and Jazz. Castaño is the Director of Education for the Gift of Jazz as well as an educator for the Colorado Conservatory of the Jazz Arts.
Andrew Friedrich, Dru Heller and Gonzalo Teppa first performed together in 2016 and trio quickly realized that they shared many of the same musical sensibilities and a willingness to allow the music to go anywhere. On this special evening, the trio will perform works from Andrew’s forthcoming album “Levity” as well as repertoire by jazz luminaries such John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter.
Bio: Andrew Friedrich began working as a professional guitarist in Boston in 2006. Eager to deepen his studies and gain more performing opportunities, he moved to Austin, Texas where he quickly became an in-demand sideman for many of Austin’s top soloists and bandleaders. Now based in Denver, Andrew works as a sideman and bandleader and runs a private studio. Andrew’s trio performances exemplify the creative flexibility and finesse that equally captivate long-time jazz enthusiasts and new-comers to the genre.
Important Notes and Reservation Information:
Wednesday Show Times: Set One: 6:30-7:45pm | Set Two: 8:45-10:00pm
- For bar and walk-in guests, a music fee of $19 per guest applies to this show
- To accommodate high demand and help our staff maintain a properly sanitized premises, we respectfully request that guests limit their visit to one set only at this time.
- Nocturne has been certified by the City of Denver as a "Fully Vaccinated Facility". As of 11/28/21 all guests and employees are required to be fully vaccinated (with documentation) to enter our facility.
Art of the Trio: Jack Dunlevie plays the Music of Brad Mehldau
Throughout his prolific career Brad Mehldau has explored and expanded the reaches of expression both at the piano and within the classic piano trio format. His approach dives to new depths of harmony, rhythm, and technique while always carefully speaking the heart of a song. Jack Dunlevie pays homage to this trio with his own featuring Hunter Roberts on bass and Kevin Matthews on drums.
Jack Dunlevie is a Denver-based pianist, mandolinist, vocalist, and composer. He graduated in 2015 from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver winning awards in composition and recital performance. Performing full time around Colorado and touring nationally he can be heard playing Jazz, Classical, Salsa, and Bluegrass with a variety of bands both as a side man and as a leader.
Important Notes:
During this time of limited indoor capacity, floor seats are only available by reservation as we are limited to 50 seats per show/seating.
Front Range Drive - led by pianist Ben Markley includes Peter Sommer - tenor sax, Wil Swindler - alto sax, Steve Kovalcheck - guitar, Seth Lewis - bass and Dru Heller - drums. Markley's playing and writing has been recognized by national publications such as DownBeat and All About Jazz. His brand of music is swinging, lyrical, and honest. Front Range Drive is Markley's latest musical project with material that ranges from Markley's original compositions, as well as influences including Cedar Walton, Herbie Hancock, David Hazeltine, Michael Jackson, The Roots, and James Brown - all written and arranged with his dearest friends and musical collaborators in mind.
Friends and bandmates for over 30 years, Mark Diamond, Paul Romaine, and Andy Weyl consistently inspire audiences with their spirited arrangements of Swing, Latin, Hard-bop, Blues, and standard repertoire. Big Swing is a two time Nocturne Artist in Residency alum and we are tremendously excited to welcome them back to the stage for a third series in August and September of 2019.
BASS: Mark Diamond's hard-grooving acoustic bass sound was birthed in the New York area, where he learned to play many musical styles. In 1980 he moved to Colorado with the band Arabesque and has since been a highly sought after sideman, appearing on over 100 albums, including Grammy award winner Tim O'Brien, Tim and Mollie O'Brien, Sally Taylor, (daughter of James and Carly), James Van Buren with Richie Cole, Keith Oxman, Mary Flower, and Mary Ann Moore. Mark has toured Europe, appears at festivals and clubs across the US and has performed with such legendary performers as Earl Klugh, Nnenna Freelon, Spike Robinson, Richie Cole, James Moody, Ernestine Anderson, Ben Sidran, Peter Rowan, Henry Butler, Fred Wesley, Buddy Tate, (of the original Count Basie Band), Bruno Carr, blues men Eddie Kirkland and Mark Hummel, and New York based jazz vocalists Allan Harris and Tom Lellis.
PIANO: Andy Weyl was born in Denmark, and spent his youth traveling across Europe. He moved to Boulder, Colorado where he received a degree in piano performance from the University of Colorado in 1978. Over the years, he has played and recorded with the region’s best jazz musicians, and performs at clubs and festivals across the nation and Europe, frequently backing up visiting artists of note, such as James Moody, Tom Harrell, Benny Golson, Spike Robinson, Eddie Harris, Al Grey, Bruce Foreman, and Rumble Seat.
DRUMS: Paul Romaine began playing drums professionally at age 14. Paul has led, recorded, or performed with countless combinations of the Denver area’s best players and with internationally acclaimed artists such as Eddie Harris, Benny Golson, James Moody, Larry Coryell, Gunther Schuller, Charlie Rouse, Eddie Gomez, Jack McDuff, Marlena Shaw, Rufus Reid, Clark Terry, Dave Grusin, and Robin Eubanks. During his association with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Paul toured North America performing concerts and clinics. In between gigs, he studied jazz composition at the Lamont School of Music and, in 1991 received a degree in recording engineering from the University of Colorado. He serves as a mentor musician/clinician in several Denver area school districts. Paul saw the need for a jazz education program for students who are serious about the music and founded the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts (CCJA) which offers a program for middle school and high school students from throughout the Denver metropolitan area to play together and study with professional musicians on a weekly basis.
The Camilla Vaitatis Quartet (Taylor Clay - Tenor Sax, Patrick McDevitt - Bass, Kevin Matthews - Drums)
This newly formed band will perform all original compositions by Vaitaitis. As an experienced composer in genres ranging from big band to small groups and even indie rock, Vaitaits draws from her wide scope of influences (indie music, psychedelic rock traditional jazz and others) to create dynamic, unique works that move audiences. The quartet will perform brand new, never before-heard compositions as well as pieces from Vaitaitis' 2020 series "Quarantunes."
Camilla Vaitaitis is an award winning pianist, vocalist, arranger and composer based in Denver, CO. She graduated from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies & Commercial Music and recently received a Master's degree in Jazz Composition also from Lamont in 2020. In addition to her work as a jazz musician, Camilla leads an indie rock band Specific Ocean. Camilla works as a program assistant with the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts and is the host of the weekly interview and masterclass series "CCJA Sundays" through which she has had the privilege of interviewing musicians including Maria Schneider, Bill Frisell, and Melissa Aldana.
- For bar and walk-in guests, a music fee of $19 per guest applies to this show
To accommodate high demand and help our staff maintain a properly sanitized premises, we respectfully request that guests limit their visit to one set only at this time.
Thursday Show Times: Set One: 6:30-7:45pm | Set Two: 8:45-10:00pm
The Rhythm Section: Alex Heffron - guitar, Gabe Rupe - bass and Brian Claxton - drums
Saxophonist and composer Daryl Gott was born and raised in Denver. Growing up in a musical family Daryl was exposed to music and specifically jazz at a young age. He graduated from Denver School of the arts and continued his formal music education at the City College of New York where he studied with saxophonist Jon Gordon. Daryl is established in Denver's jazz scene as an in demand sideman and a dynamic bandleader.
Important Notes:
During this time of limited indoor capacity, floor seats are only available by reservation as we are limited to 50 seats per show/seating.
Denver based saxophonist and composer Daryl Gott is joined by Eric Erhardt on tenor sax, Patrick McDevitt on bass, Alex Heffron on guitar and Colin Stranahan on drums. This special one night show will showcase a sounds that is at once fresh and modern while being rooted in the deep traditions of jazz.
BIO: Growing up in a musical family in Denver, saxophonist Daryl Gott was exposed to jazz at a young age. After graduating from Denver School of the Arts, he continued his formal music education at the City College of New York where he studied with saxophonist Jon Gordon. Daryl is very active in Denver's jazz scene as a first call sideman and a dynamic bandleader in his own right.
Important Notes and Reservation Information:
Thursday Show Times: Set One: 6:30-7:45pm | Set Two: 8:45-10:00pm
- For bar and walk-in guests, a music fee of $19 per guest applies to this show
- To accommodate high demand and help our staff maintain a properly sanitized premises, we respectfully request that guests limit their visit to one set only at this time.
Friday nights in March, Nocturne presents the Daryl Gott Quintet as they explore the works of the iconic Joe Henderson. The quintet consists of some of Denver's finest jazz artists including: Daryl Gott -alto, Eric Erhardt -tenor, Tom Amend -piano, Seth Lewis -bass and Dru Heller -drums.
BIO: Growing up in a musical family in Denver, saxophonist Daryl Gott was exposed to jazz at a young age. After graduating from Denver School of the Arts, he continued his formal music education at the City College of New York where he studied with saxophonist Jon Gordon. Daryl is very active in Denver's jazz scene as a first call sideman and a dynamic bandleader in his own right.
- For bar and walk-in guests, a music fee of $29 per guest applies to this show
To accommodate high demand and help our staff maintain a properly sanitized premises, we respectfully request that guests limit their visit to one set only at this time.
Friday Show Times: Set One: 6:30-7:45pm | Set Two: 9:00-10:30pm
Pianist/Vocalist/Composer Dawn Clement has established herself as one of the most sought after musicians working today. With her joyful presence, consummate technique and distinctive sound, Clement has gained the attention and respect of musicians, critics and fans through the US and abroad. “In all this world of jazz, there are very few individual voices, no matter what the instrument, but Dawn has come up with a voice that’s unique…” says legendary jazz trombonist Julian Priester. With 5 CD’s under her belt, not to mention appearing as side woman on Jane Ira Bloom’s latest release “Wild Lines” and Emi Meyer’s “Monochrome”, Dawn has been hailed as the “Wonder Woman of Seattle” by Paul DeBarros (Seattle Times). Downbeat says “The revelation is Dawn Clement’s piano, always ready with the lyricism or structure the moment needs. With her newest release, Tandem, she explores the magic of musical pairs with some of her closest musical cohorts. Dawn has recently re-located from the Pacific Northwest to Denver, Colorado to take on the new role of Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of the Jazz and American Music Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts in Music Composition from Vermont College of the Arts. When she is not playing, composing, touring, or teaching, Clement lives in Denver with her husband and three children, Noah, Elvin, and Adele.
Important Notes:
During this time of limited indoor capacity, floor seats are only available by reservation as we are limited to 50 socially distanced seats per show/seating.
Dawn Clement - Piano, Greg Garrison - Bass, Dru Heller - Drums, Adam Bartczak (trombone)
Pianist/Vocalist/Composer Dawn Clement has established herself as one of the most sought after musicians working today. With her joyful presence, consummate technique and distinctive sound, Clement has gained the attention and respect of musicians, critics and fans through the US and abroad. “In all this world of jazz, there are very few individual voices, no matter what the instrument, but Dawn has come up with a voice that’s unique…” says legendary jazz trombonist Julian Priester. With 5 CD’s under her belt, not to mention appearing as side woman on Jane Ira Bloom’s latest release “Wild Lines” and Emi Meyer’s “Monochrome”, Dawn has been hailed as the “Wonder Woman of Seattle” by Paul DeBarros (Seattle Times). Downbeat says “The revelation is Dawn Clement’s piano, always ready with the lyricism or structure the moment needs. With her newest release, Tandem, she explores the magic of musical pairs with some of her closest musical cohorts. Dawn has recently re-located from the Pacific Northwest to Denver, Colorado to take on the new role of Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of the Jazz and American Music Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts in Music Composition from Vermont College of the Arts. When she is not playing, composing, touring, or teaching, Clement lives in Denver with her husband and three children, Noah, Elvin, and Adele.
Important Notes:
During this time of limited indoor capacity, floor seats are only available by reservation as we are limited to 50 socially distanced seats per show/seating.
Dawn Clement - Piano, Greg Garrison - Bass, Dru Heller - Drums, Eman Alexander (guitar)
Pianist/Vocalist/Composer Dawn Clement has established herself as one of the most sought after musicians working today. With her joyful presence, consummate technique and distinctive sound, Clement has gained the attention and respect of musicians, critics and fans through the US and abroad. “In all this world of jazz, there are very few individual voices, no matter what the instrument, but Dawn has come up with a voice that’s unique…” says legendary jazz trombonist Julian Priester. With 5 CD’s under her belt, not to mention appearing as side woman on Jane Ira Bloom’s latest release “Wild Lines” and Emi Meyer’s “Monochrome”, Dawn has been hailed as the “Wonder Woman of Seattle” by Paul DeBarros (Seattle Times). Downbeat says “The revelation is Dawn Clement’s piano, always ready with the lyricism or structure the moment needs. With her newest release, Tandem, she explores the magic of musical pairs with some of her closest musical cohorts. Dawn has recently re-located from the Pacific Northwest to Denver, Colorado to take on the new role of Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of the Jazz and American Music Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts in Music Composition from Vermont College of the Arts. When she is not playing, composing, touring, or teaching, Clement lives in Denver with her husband and three children, Noah, Elvin, and Adele.
Important Notes:
During this time of limited indoor capacity, floor seats are only available by reservation as we are limited to 50 socially distanced seats per show/seating.
Dawn Clement - Piano, Greg Garrison - Bass, Dru Heller - Drums, John Gunther (tenor)
Pianist/Vocalist/Composer Dawn Clement has established herself as one of the most sought after musicians working today. With her joyful presence, consummate technique and distinctive sound, Clement has gained the attention and respect of musicians, critics and fans through the US and abroad. “In all this world of jazz, there are very few individual voices, no matter what the instrument, but Dawn has come up with a voice that’s unique…” says legendary jazz trombonist Julian Priester. With 5 CD’s under her belt, not to mention appearing as side woman on Jane Ira Bloom’s latest release “Wild Lines” and Emi Meyer’s “Monochrome”, Dawn has been hailed as the “Wonder Woman of Seattle” by Paul DeBarros (Seattle Times). Downbeat says “The revelation is Dawn Clement’s piano, always ready with the lyricism or structure the moment needs. With her newest release, Tandem, she explores the magic of musical pairs with some of her closest musical cohorts. Dawn has recently re-located from the Pacific Northwest to Denver, Colorado to take on the new role of Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of the Jazz and American Music Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts in Music Composition from Vermont College of the Arts. When she is not playing, composing, touring, or teaching, Clement lives in Denver with her husband and three children, Noah, Elvin, and Adele.
Important Notes:
During this time of limited indoor capacity, floor seats are only available by reservation as we are limited to 50 socially distanced seats per show/seating.
Pianist/Vocalist/Composer Dawn Clement has established herself as one of the most sought after musicians working today. With her joyful presence, consummate technique and distinctive sound, Clement has gained the attention and respect of musicians, critics and fans through the US and abroad. “In all this world of jazz, there are very few individual voices, no matter what the instrument, but Dawn has come up with a voice that’s unique…” says legendary jazz trombonist Julian Priester. With 5 CD’s under her belt, not to mention appearing as side woman on Jane Ira Bloom’s latest release “Wild Lines” and Emi Meyer’s “Monochrome”, Dawn has been hailed as the “Wonder Woman of Seattle” by Paul DeBarros (Seattle Times). Downbeat says “The revelation is Dawn Clement’s piano, always ready with the lyricism or structure the moment needs. With her newest release, Tandem, she explores the magic of musical pairs with some of her closest musical cohorts. Dawn has recently re-located from the Pacific Northwest to Denver, Colorado to take on the new role of Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of the Jazz and American Music Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts in Music Composition from Vermont College of the Arts. When she is not playing, composing, touring, or teaching, Clement lives in Denver with her husband and three children, Noah, Elvin, and Adele.
Important Notes:
During this time of limited indoor capacity, floor seats are only available by reservation as we are limited to 50 socially distanced seats per show/seating.
Colorado native Derek Banach has performed professionally for 25 years in a variety of settings from Jazz to Hip-Hop, Salsa, Classical, and Reggae. His roots are firmly set in the Hard-Bop stylings of 60's period icons such as Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. Derek's quintet album, "Tugende" displays his composing talents and personal approach to trumpet playing. He has recorded with Italian producer Nicola Conte, Quintetto X, Paul Mulliken and has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Richie Cole, Joe Bonner and Ron Miles.
Justin Adams (piano), Keith Oxman (tenor sax), Dave Rohlf (drums), Andre Rose (bass)
The Derek Banach Quintet takes to the stage on Friday June 3rd, as they explore tunes from the golden era of the iconic Blue Note recording label.
Featuring: Keith Oxman (tenor sax), Jeff Jenkins (piano), Ken Walker (bass) and Todd Reid (drums).
Colorado native Derek Banach has performed professionally for 26 years in a variety of settings from Jazz to Hip-Hop, Salsa, Classical, and Reggae. His roots are firmly set in the Hard-Bop stylings of 60's period icons such as Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. Derek's quintet album, "Tugende" displays his composing talents and personal approach to trumpet playing. He has recorded with Italian producer Nicola Conte, Quintetto X, Paul Mulliken and has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Richie Cole, Joe Bonner and Ron Miles.
Important Notes and Reservation Information:
Friday Show Times: Set One: 6:30-7:45pm | Set Two: 9:00-10:30pm
- For bar and walk-in guests, a music fee of $29 per guest applies to this show
To accommodate high demand and help our staff maintain a properly sanitized premises, we respectfully request that guests limit their visit to one set only at this time.
A quartet of Denver's jazz elite ( saxophonist Keith Oxman, guitarist Dave Corbus, bassist Ken Walker and drummer Todd Reid ) will be exploring Eddie Harris' legacy and musical ideas through their own lens Thursday nights through March & April. An influential force on the jazz world for decades, tenor saxophonist Eddie Harris used his light and fluid sound to bring groundbreaking compositions such as “Listen Here”, “Freedom Jazz Dance”, and “Cold Duck Time" to the world. He was equally influential in the development of unique hybrid instruments and electronic effects and helped expand the boundaries of the jazz sound for new generations of listeners.
Nocturne is honored to present this unique series that honors the late American jazz singer, Carmen McRae. Regarded as the rare musical equal to her friends Ella and Billie, Carmen had a prolific career in the jazz idiom that spanned from 1940's into the late 1980's. Her live performances, filled with emotional richness and a heavy swinging style are simply legendary.
This series will offer a special musical insight, as Eric Gunnison was the pianist on Carmen McRae's highly regarded (and Grammy nominated) album Carmen Sings Monk. From 1986 to 1991 Gunnison also toured as the pianist and arranger for McRae. Eric will be joined by Denver singer Louisa Amend who will explore many of Carmen's classics, as well as a few treasures pulled from one of Carmen's last known existing physical books of music that Eric has managed to preserve much of.
Louisa Amend is a vocalist and educator based out of Denver, Colorado. She graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 2016 with a Bachelors of Music Education and was a member of a number of the premier ensembles and opera productions produced by the university. After teaching in public schools for a few years Louisa transitioned into working as a freelance musician and founding her own voice studio.
Eric Gunnison was raised in Buffalo, NY and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, graduating with a BA in music composition in 1979. He lives in Denver where he has been a mainstay in the music scene for 2 decades. Eric performes the world over and has appeared in concert with Ron Miles, Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Phil Woods, Bobby Shew, Chris Potter, Christian McBride, and Eddie Gomez just to name a few. Since 1991 Gunnison has also been the pianist and a composer/arranger for the Denver super-group Convergence. Gunnison recently retired from his position at The University of Denver’s Lamont School Of Music and is now exclusively a performer.
Sunday Show Times:
Set One: 6:30 - 7:45pm
Set Two: 8:45- 10:00pm
Important Notes and Reservation Information:
- Floor seats are reserved for Dinner and a Show Reservations (Music & Three Course Dinner Included)
- Reserved Bar Seats are $19 per guest and include music. Bar guests can order from our entire dinner menu as well as our wine & cocktail list.
- If availability permits, we do allow walk-in guests. Walk-in guests will have a music charge of $20 per person applied to their check on weeknights.
