In the fast-evolving landscape of contemporary jazz, few imprints maintain the curatorial integrity, familial warmth, and rigorous artistic vision of Anzic Records. Founded in 2005 by clarinetist Anat Cohen and arranger-producer Oded Lev-Ari, the New York-based label has spent over two decades cultivating a cross-pollinated trans-Atlantic community of artists. What began as a bootstrap operation to protect an artist’s right to own her master recordings has blossomed into an international nexus connecting Tel Aviv, Toronto, and New York. From the breathtaking trumpet work of Avishai Cohen to the nuanced post-bop idioms of Tom Oren, Ernesto Cervini, and Joel Frahm, Anzic has consistently championed music that prioritizes depth over commercial compromise.
Now, the label is stepping out of the studio and into grander, reverberant live rooms. This evolution is perfectly encapsulated by acclaimed drummer, composer, and Broadway veteran Jared Schonig. Following his ambitious 2021 studio release Two Takes—a project that paired a quintet against a roaring big band across two separate volumes—Schonig has returned with Live at Dizzy’s. Recorded across two sold-out sets at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s premier venue by engineer Tiger Diep, the new double-vinyl release captures an 18-piece ensemble operating at the absolute peak of its powers.
More than just a concert recording, Live at Dizzy’s is a masterclass in modern big band architecture. Schonig smartly steps back from the arranger’s desk, choosing instead to hand over his compositions to a murderer’s row of contemporary arranging royalty, including Miho Hazama, Mike Holober, Jim McNeely, John Daversa, Laurence Hobgood, and Alan Ferber. Featuring a core rhythm section with decades of shared history, alongside guest appearances from luminaries like Terell Stafford and Grammy-winner Nicole Zuraitis, this release demonstrates how a dedicated working ensemble can breathe vibrant, unpredictable life into complex charts. This report offers a comprehensive exploration of Anzic’s legacy, Schonig’s compositional and performance history, a detailed track-by-track breakdown of the new double-LP, and a look at where this landmark recording positions the label and its artists for the future.
Detailed Chronology: From Tel Aviv Foundations to Lincoln Center Stages
The Anzic Genesis and Trans-Global Network
The story of Anzic Records is rooted in artistic self-determination. In 2005, clarinetist Anat Cohen and her longtime Tel Aviv school friend, arranger and producer Oded Lev-Ari, faced an industry standard that required young jazz musicians to record albums only to buy back physical copies from major labels to sell at gigs. Unwilling to succumb to these predatory practices, they formed their own imprint—portmanteauing "Anat" and "music"—to release Cohen’s debut, Place & Time.
Over the past twenty-one years, the label has organically expanded into a global network. The Tel Aviv-to-New York pipeline has introduced virtuosic talents like Tom Oren and Gadi Lehavi, alongside the celebrated sibling collective, the 3 Cohens. Simultaneously, a robust Toronto branch established roots through drummer Ernesto Cervini and his sister, vocalist Amy Cervini (a core member of the vocal trio Duchess and Lev-Ari’s wife).
This web of associations runs deep. Cervini’s drums routinely anchor tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm’s trio, featuring bassist Dan Loomis. Loomis previously co-led The Wee Trio alongside Jared Schonig, and later enlisted Schonig for his own monumental 2020 song cycle, Job’s Trials. Over the last few years, Anzic has intentionally scaled up its sonic footprint, documented by the 3 Cohens collaborating with the WDR Big Band, and now, Schonig’s roaring 18-piece big band taking over Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Jared Schonig: From Broadway Pits to Jazz Leadership
Jared Schonig’s career exemplifies the versatility required of the modern elite instrumentalist. Splitting his time between the gritty immediacy of jazz clubs and the demanding precision of the Broadway pit, Schonig has originated the drum books for seven major Broadway productions. His resume includes holding the chair for the high-profile revival of The Color Purple and the theatrical juggernaut Moulin Rouge! The Musical. When touring jazz and crossover acts require absolute rhythmic authority, Schonig is routinely called upon by Kurt Elling, Nicholas Payton, Miho Hazama’s m_Unit, and the viral sensation the 8-Bit Big Band.
Jazz traditionalists will instantly recognize Schonig from his tenure in The Wee Trio—a cooperative vibraphone, bass, and drums outfit he co-founded with James Westfall and Dan Loomis, which released five critically acclaimed albums on Bionic Records between 2008 and 2016. However, it was his 2021 Anzic debut, Two Takes, that established his bona fides as a major big band conceptualist. The album featured eight original compositions recorded twice: first by an agile quintet on Volume 1, and subsequently by a sprawling big band on Volume 2. The charts for the latter were commissioned from master arrangers whom Schonig had long admired from the audience before eventually working under them in New York’s competitive large-ensemble circuit.
Capturing Lightning: The Genesis of Live at Dizzy’s
Live at Dizzy’s represents Schonig’s first live album as a bandleader. Captured in 2025 by engineer Tiger Diep across two consecutive sold-out nights at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the project builds directly upon the residency momentum Schonig had established at the club over the previous two years. Crucially, the production decisions honor the live environment: ambient room acoustics and natural audience applause are deliberately left intact at the conclusion of every track, ensuring the physical space remains an active character in the listening experience.
Of the eight tracks featured on the double-LP, six are carried over from the studio arrangements of Two Takes Vol. 2: “Sound Evidence,” “Climb,” “White Out,” “Nuts,” “Eight Twenty,” and “Sabotage.” Meanwhile, studio-only tracks like “Tig Mack” and “Gibbs St.” are left behind to make room for two striking new compositions.
The first new addition, “Jiggle Jaggle,” was playfully named by Schonig’s four-year-old son and handed over to co-producer and arranger Mike Holober, alongside tenor saxophonist John Ellis. The second, “Canyons,” is a pandemic-era collaboration co-written with bassist Adam Neely—a close friend from Schonig’s days as the house drummer for the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. Originally arranged by Miho Hazama for vocalist Michael Mayo, the vocal part was ultimately recorded by recent Grammy-winner Nicole Zuraitis when Mayo was unavailable.
Schonig’s compositional history also weaves through older pieces. “Sabotage” was birthed out of sheer adversity during a Wee Trio residency at Jazz at The Bistro in St. Louis; upon arriving for the second day of recording, the band discovered their microphone cables had been systematically severed overnight. Instead of canceling, they channeled the frustration into a driving, tense composition. Meanwhile, “Climb” originated on Wee + 3, the trio’s fifth and final album, and “White Out” was conceived during Schonig’s harrowing encounter with a brutal New York blizzard, quickly becoming the most-recorded tune in his catalog.
Supporting Context & Metrics
Personnel and Ensemble Architecture
An 18-piece jazz orchestra requires absolute administrative and musical cohesion to function at the level documented on Live at Dizzy’s. The band’s spine is built upon decades of shared trust: bassist Matt Clohesy and pianist David Cook bring twenty-year collaborative histories with Schonig to the bandstand. The horn sections are anchored by elite section leaders—Tony Kadleck on lead trumpet, Michael Davis leading the trombones, and Andrew Gould leading the altos—alongside principal soloists Jason Rigby and Scott Wendholt. Furthermore, master trumpeter Terell Stafford makes his debut sitting in with Schonig’s big band.
Remarkably, continuity is maintained through the rhythm and brass sections, with players like Kadleck, Brian Pareschi, Rigby, and Carl Maraghi carrying over directly from the Two Takes studio band. Demonstrating the wisdom of experienced leadership, lead brass players Kadleck and Davis take zero solos across the entire engagement, executing their demanding lead chairs with disciplined precision to allow the featured soloists space to soar.
Track-by-Track Vinyl Sequencing Analysis
The physical double-LP layout optimizes the listening experience, fitting precisely two compositions per side across four sides of vinyl:
- Side A: Opens with Miho Hazama’s striking arrangement of “Sound Evidence.” Trombonist Jeff Keberle introduces the theme as the brass section swells behind him. Following a soaring trumpet solo from Scott Wendholt, the texture shifts dynamically: pianist David Cook moves to electric keyboard, and guitarist Steve Goodman takes a pristine-toned electric guitar solo while the entire horn section drops out entirely, leaving only keyboard and Schonig’s drums beneath him—complete with an enthusiastic audience member calling out in appreciation. This is followed by “Climb,” the first of Mike Holober’s two charts, which builds in an even, flowing wave dominated by alto saxophonist Erica Von Kleist with tenor support from Jason Rigby.
- Side B: Initiates with Jim McNeely’s brisk, three-panel treatment of “White Out.” Rigby’s tenor opens the piece, Wendholt’s trumpet navigates the middle register, and the full ensemble caps the tune with kinetic force. The side closes with John Daversa’s “Nuts,” a blistering, straight-down-the-middle post-bop showcase. David Cook shines on acoustic piano, John Ellis delivers a powerful tenor solo, and Andrew Gould’s alto tears through the changes at a breakneck pace before the full orchestra crashes into the ending.
- Side C: Delivers the new material, kicking off with Holober’s expansive “Jiggle Jaggle.” Driven by a heavy backbeat funk groove, the playful theme is carried on soprano saxophone, opening up into expansive solos by Ellis on tenor and Goodman on clean-toned guitar. This leads directly into the emotional centerpiece of the double-album: Laurence Hobgood’s exquisite arrangement of the ballad “Eight Twenty.” Named for the date Schonig was married, the tune features an infectious, South African-inflected rhythm. Andrew Gould’s soprano sax carries the melody from start to finish, complemented by a gorgeous piano interlude from David Cook that closes the side with profound grace.
- Side D: Puts the second new piece, Hazama’s arrangement of “Canyons,” right at the forefront. Here, Nicole Zuraitis eschews lyrics entirely, delivering a breathtaking masterclass in pure vocal scatting from start to finish, underscored by Matt Clohesy’s subtle electric bass and Terell Stafford’s commanding trumpet work toward the movement’s climax. The album closes with Alan Ferber’s arrangement of “Sabotage”—an effervescent, late-1920s-tinged party piece that serves as an unofficial encore, featuring Stafford out front on trumpet and John Ellis standing as the final, roaring soloist of the night.
Official Statements & Industry Perspectives
The collaborative ethos of Anzic Records and the meticulous craft behind Live at Dizzy’s have drawn widespread praise from critics, musicians, and industry insiders alike.
Reflecting on the philosophy that guided the formation of the label, founder Anat Cohen noted in retrospective interviews regarding early industry exploitation:
"The deals on offer to a young jazz musician back then essentially amounted to recording an album on your own dime and buying back physical copies from the label just to have product to sell at gigs. We needed to create a home of our own where the music could breathe without administrative interference."
Discussing the translation of studio charts into the volatile, high-energy environment of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jared Schonig emphasized the vital importance of trusting master arrangers with his foundational ideas:
"Every chart on this record is somebody else’s imaginative work. I might write the core tune, establish the overarching tempo, and step completely off the arranging credits, but handing these compositions to writers like Miho [Hazama], Mike [Holober], and Jim [McNeely] allows the music to become something infinitely grander than I could ever build alone in a practice room."
Critics covering the release have universally praised the physical sequencing of the double-LP, noting how the deliberate retention of room acoustics and audience interaction preserves the authentic energy of a working band operating at the height of its creative powers in its favorite room.
Future Outlook
As Anzic Records enters its third decade of operation, Live at Dizzy’s signals a definitive scaling up of the label’s artistic ambitions. Moving beyond the intimate quartet and quintet dates that defined its early years, the imprint is increasingly comfortable supporting large-ensemble statements—ranging from the 3 Cohens with the WDR Big Band to Jared Schonig’s 18-piece orchestral juggernaut.
For Schonig, the success of this live document solidifies his dual identity as both an indispensable rhythmic engine for the Broadway and jazz elite, and a visionary large-ensemble bandleader in his own right. With a proven working unit featuring decades of shared musical DNA—spanning stalwart collaborators like Clohesy and Cook, alongside dynamic modern arrangers like Hazama and Holober—Schonig has established a sustainable, scalable model for contemporary big band jazz.
As the jazz community continues to seek out authentic, uncompressed live documents in an increasingly digital age, Anzic Records and Jared Schonig have provided a definitive blueprint for how to capture lightning in a bottle. Live at Dizzy’s not only honors the history of the New York jazz scene but points a confident, swinging path toward the future of large-ensemble composition.
