Chris Byars Original Sextet

Ticket is valid for one set only.$15 food and drink minimum.

Must be 21+ to enter. Please arrive 15 minutes before desired set. Tickets are non-refundable.

Chris Byars was born Christopher Lawrence Byars in 1970 in New York City to musical parents Janita Byars (First Clarinet, American Symphony Orchestra) and James Byars (Oboe/English Horn, New York City Ballet Orchestra). In 1983, he adopted jazz as a musical departure from an early career as an opera singer, during which he performed dozens of productions for The New York City Opera and The Metropolitan Opera, including many high-pressure solo roles. In an early encounter with an artistic giant, Chris appeared in the title role of the made-for-television production of The Spellbound Child by balletmaster-choreographer George Balanchine, which aired in 1982 on PBS’s Great Performances series shortly before Balanchine’s death

Byars earned Bachelor of Music (1990) and Master of Music (jazz studies, performance, 1992) degrees from Manhattan School of Music.

Over the course of five decades, Byars has participated in musical productions from behind the scenes, as a sideman, as a leader, as a traveling artist, conductor, educator, arranger, and composer. His two closest musical associations have been with bassist Ari Roland and trombonist John Mosca, both for over a 30 year period, with no interruptions. Byars has traveled to 55 countries representing the Unites States as a Cultural Envoy for music outreach programmed by US Embassies, usually as a sideman for the Ari Roland Quartet, but occasionally as a leader. Ari and Chris co-directed recurrent outreach programs in Syria and in Cyprus, with the purpose of healing divisions and building goodwill towards the United States. Ari solos exclusively using the bow (arco) and employs gut strings, which present a technical challenge for bowing that he has met with decades of persistence and hard work. John Mosca has been a connection for Byars’s work with John Pizzarelli, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, various projects by Don Sebesky, NOLA Studio and many other New York City happenings. Mosca has been a steady presence in all horn sections of Byars’s choosing, no matter what the size. This is largely due to his rare combination of perfect sight-reading, excellent jazz improvisational concept, and high capacities for tempo and range. Both Ari Roland and John Mosca, like Chris’s parents, are Juilliard-educated musicians.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Cafe Bohemia, 15 BARROW STREET, NEW YORK, United States