Ben Rosenblum Trio
New York pianist and accordionist Ben Rosenblum brings his trio to Mr. Tipple's for an evening of genre-crossing contemporary jazz. With bassist Mat Muntz and drummer Jake Shandling, Rosenblum performs music from his global palette — drawing from Brazilian forró, Irish folk, Middle Eastern traditions, and bebop into his own distinctive voice.
Rosenblum has performed across more than twenty-five countries and twenty genres, touring with Grammy-winning artists including Rickie Lee Jones and Catherine Russell. His February 2026 album "The Longest Way Round" with his larger Nebula Project earned 4.5 stars from Downbeat, with reviewer Ed Enright praising his "mind-blowing and heart-melting accordion chops" and ability to blend his "stomach-Steinway with horns and guitar in a hard-bop esthetic." The album features all-original compositions that seamlessly move through Dominican merengue, West African rhythms, Irish reels, and J-pop influences — what one reviewer described as "playing like a passport filled to capacity."
Bassist Mat Muntz brings his own experimental edge to the trio, working in microtonality and non-Western instrumentation alongside his jazz foundation. His unusual orchestrations and unconventional performance practice have taken him across North America, Europe, and Asia. Drummer Jake Shandling, also a software engineer with interests in music technology, rounds out this rhythm section of contemporary jazz innovators.
Live reviews of Rosenblum's performances highlight the joyous energy he brings to his eclectic compositions. At his sold-out album release concert at Smalls Jazz Club, the Nebula Project received a standing ovation for their 40-minute suite performance that blended Eastern European folk melodies with hard-bop rhythms. His music moves fluidly between piano and accordion — sometimes playing both simultaneously — creating what critics call "cinematic and deeply personal" soundscapes that feel "cohesive and intentional" despite their global scope.
Expect compositions that tell compelling stories while reaching hearts — from the pure joy of merengue-meets-J-pop to the emotional weight of Irish-inflected tributes, all anchored by the trio's close musical chemistry developed through extensive touring.