Anthony Wonsey with Billy Edwards

Hard bop pianist Anthony Wonsey brings his distinctive voice to Mr. Tipple's intimate recording studio setting, leading a stellar quartet featuring Bay Area-trained bassist Billy Edwards, veteran drummer Sylvia Cuenca, and alto saxophonist Ivan Polyanskiy.

Wonsey is one of contemporary jazz's most compelling hard bop and post-bop voices, a Berklee graduate who earned his stripes in Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine before collaborating with jazz luminaries including Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Wallace Roney, and Vincent Herring. Known for his crisp, clean technique and authoritative approach, Wonsey brings both the swing tradition and modern sensibilities to classics and originals alike. His playing has been praised for its "extraordinary, beautiful introductions" and unfazed precision even at breakneck tempos.

Bassist Billy Edwards represents the next generation of jazz talent, having trained in the Bay Area under the tutelage of The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol, who connected him with masters like Buster Williams and Calvin Keys. Since relocating to New York, Edwards has been working steadily with established artists including Ralph Moore and Roy McCurdy, and performs weekly at Eve's Lounge as part of saxophonist Steve Carrington's Infinity Trio.

Completing the quartet are drummer Sylvia Cuenca, a hard-swinging powerhouse who earned NEA jazz performance grants and worked extensively with trumpet legend Clark Terry and tenor great Joe Henderson, and alto saxophonist Ivan Polyanskiy, a versatile musician who has performed internationally with Kenny Wheeler, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Lalo Schifrin.

Expect an evening of sophisticated hard bop and post-bop that balances reverence for the tradition with fresh interpretations, featuring the kind of tight, cohesive playing that comes from musicians who understand both the language of jazz and each other's musical voices.