Valery Ponomarev Quintet at Smalls

Valery Ponomarev Quintet at Smalls
Dec. 24. $25-$40. 7:30PM and 9:30PM

Russian trumpeter Valery Ponomarov was one of the first jazz musicians from his country to have an impact on the American jazz scene. He joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1976 and stayed with that legendary band until 1980, when he made way for a young trumpeter named Wynton Marsalis. Ponomarov is known for playing in the so-called hard bop style associated with Blakey, Horace Silver and Charles Mingus. So if you’re looking for a Christmas Eve gig that A) hasn’t been cancelled, and B) isn’t the usual holiday fare, Ponomarov might just the ticket. The Valery Ponomarev Quintet plays on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, at Smalls.