Jerome Sabbagh (saxophone); Gilad Hekselman (guitar); Joe Martin (bass); Nasheet Waits (drums)

A prolific forward-thinking composer reflective of the current New York scene, as well as a musician with a deep connection to the well of the jazz tradition, Jerome Sabbagh is primarily driven by an unwavering attachment to melody. The Jerome Sabbagh Quartet has throughout the years developed its own identity, owing in no small part to the excellence of the musicians involved. Their new record “Stand Up!” was recently selected by Bill Milkowski as one of the ten best jazz records of 2025 in The Absolute Sound. For this Firehouse 12 appearance, the Jerome Sabbagh Quartet is joined by acclaimed guitarist Gilad Hekselman, as well as regular band members Joe Martin on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums.

Jerome Sabbagh was born in Paris in 1973 and has been living in New York since 1995. As a saxophone player, he is most concerned with lyricism and sound. His quartet’s music is eclectic yet cohesive, and leaves room for the unexpected. Jerome Sabbagh was one of Paul Motian's last saxophone players, in whose “New Trio” he played for a week at the Village Vanguard with Ben Monder. He has recorded 12 albums as a leader, with his quartet, as well as Kenny Barron, Al Foster, Ben Street, Rodney Green, Daniel Humair, Jozef Dumoulin, Greg Tuohey and Johnathan Blake.