‘Bill Charlap approaches a song the way a lover approaches his beloved … no matter how imaginative or surprising his take on a song is, he invariably zeroes in on its essence,’ Time magazine wrote. That precision, sustained across a career and a trio partnership running since 1997, arrives at Maverick Concert Hall on Saturday, September 5, at 8:00 p.m.
About the Show
The Grammy-winning pianist plays this engagement with bassist David Wong and drummer Dennis Mackrel—a rhythm section that differs from the Peter Washington/Kenny Washington pairing heard on his studio and Vanguard recordings. Trio chemistry is central to what Charlap does: And Then Again (Blue Note, 2024), a live recording from the Village Vanguard, prompted DownBeat critic Ed Enright to describe the group as operating at “the epitome of their creative powers,” demonstrating what he called “extrasensory communication” across the bandstand. “This record is about the communication of the trio,” Charlap has said. “What we’re doing individually, and what we’re doing as a unit.”
The September 5 date falls between two festival appearances: the Chicago Jazz Festival on September 3 and the Detroit International Jazz Festival on September 6, with a full week at the Village Vanguard beginning September 8. Tucked into that circuit, the Maverick date offers a 400-seat outdoor hall near Woodstock—close enough to hear the piano breathing.
The concert is part of Maverick Concerts’ 2026 season, organized around American composers and performers in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and running through September 13. The jazz series features Charlap alongside pianists Isaiah J. Thompson and Fred Hersch as headliners. Charlap’s family roots sit squarely in that American tradition: his father was Broadway composer Moose Charlap, who wrote the score for Peter Pan, and his mother, Sandy Stewart, earned a Grammy nomination in 1963. His own Grammy Award came in 2016 for The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, a collaboration with Tony Bennett.
Venue & Logistics
Maverick Concert Hall, at 120 Maverick Rd in West Hurley, is a historic outdoor pavilion and the anchor of summer classical and jazz programming in the Hudson Valley. The concert begins at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 5.
Tickets
Reserved hall seats are priced at $65 and $40; partial-obstruction seats at $30 and $27; general admission outdoors at $25; student tickets at $10. Buy tickets