The Jazz Thieves at The Way Station

The Jazz Thieves, through evocative lyrics, soulful improvisation, and wide-ranging originals revitalize jazz by reconnecting it to its roots. They "steal" Duke Ellington's melodicism, Tom Waits's grit, Bill Withers's soulful lyricism, and Thundercat's modern edge, uniting all it with a jazz imagination.

The Jazz Thieves' sound has been forged in the and grit and hustle of New York City's jazz and independent music scenes, absorbing their aesthetic and spirit from venues which feature modern pop, eclectic rock and straight-ahead jazz. They are led by the bassist/composer/lyricist John Gray and feature Matt Robbins on vocals and keyboard, Ayumi Ishito on saxophone, and Tim Ford on drums.

In late 2016, they released their first full-length album, "Brooklyn Elegy". Recorded and mixed at Room 17 Studios in Bushwick by engineers Joe Rogers and the Grammy Award-winner Ted Young, Brooklyn Elegy was met with critical acclaim from AllAboutJazz.com and Jazziz magazine, in addition to radio interviews and international radio airplay.

For the 2018 Composers Now Festival, the group will premiere two new works by John Gray at a venue they are quite comfortable in, The Way Station in Brooklyn. John's lyrics and compositions are intended to be windows into moments of catharsis, of love, or of beautiful disappointments.