Exciting Summer 2026 Season Ahead!

We still have a lot of great concerts and events coming up this spring and we look forward to seeing you soon at the Space! Looking ahead, we are putting  together a full and exciting Summer Season 2026 starting in June! First, it’s the long running New Mexico Jazz Workshop Youth Jazz Camp (June 8-19) – Space still available. Then the 35th Annual Music Under the Stars series at the Albuquerque Museum begins June 12 and run through Aug 28.  Outpost’s 30th Annual Summer Thursday Jazz Nights gets going on June 25 and runs through Aug 13. And, in July, it’s the New Mexico Jazz Festival Stage at Route 66 Summerfest in Nob Hill (July 18)!  So much to look forward to for those warm summer days! Tickets and Full Details coming soon! Stay Tuned! 

Meanwhile, we are looking for SPONSOR for Music Under the Stars series, which features all of your favorite NM Salsa bands on Fridays (Son Como Son, Calle 66, Nosotros and more), special guests like Grammy award winning groups like Flor de Toloache and Son Habana from L.A., and artfully curated Jazz and Blues on Saturdays (Bert Dalton; Doug Lawrence; Orrin Evans, etc!)! SPONSOR A CONCERT or BECOME A TABLE SPONSOR for a night or for the whole series! Benefits include reserved tables, ticket passes, early entry and more! It’s a great way to get visibility for your business or to simply enjoy the concert with friends! Please contact us at mail@outpostspace.org for more information. Your support makes it all happen and we truly appreciate it!

We look forward to sharing all the great music and more with you!

Doug Lawrence Quartet

Renowned tenor saxophonist and longtime New Mexican resident, Doug Lawrence, returns to Outpost, this time with his quartet featuring John Trentacosta on drums, Bob Fox on piano and Terry Burns on bass performing a swinging assortment of originals, jazz standards and blues, bossas and ballads. The featured tenor saxophone soloist with the twenty-time Grammy winning Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, Lawrence, who was born in Louisiana and raised in New Mexico, spent over 25 years making a name for himself in New York City. He has performed and recorded with iconic artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Celia Cruz, Benny Goodman, Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, Rodney Dangerfield, Joey DeFrancesco and many others and has appeared at virtually every major concert hall and performance venue around the world. He has performed for six U.S. Presidents, the Queen of England, the King of Thailand, the King and Queen of Sweden and numerous Heads of State and continues to perform and record with many of today’s leading artists, including Billie Eilish, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Carmen Bradford, Dianne Schuur, George Cables, Peter Bernstein, Louis Hayes, Terell Stafford, to name a few. In 2023, Mr Lawrence was inducted into the New Mexico Music Hall of Fame, and on February 4th, 2024, he won a Grammy® as a featured soloist, along with the rest of the Count Basie Orchestra, for Large Ensemble Jazz Album of the year. 2026 finds Mr Lawrence once again on a Grammy® nominated album, this time with vocalist Debra Silver, as well as touring and recording as leader of his own bands, leading the Annual Eddie Durham All-Star Celebration Big Band in Austin TX, continuing his tenure with the venerable Count Basie Orchestra and more.

A 2026 Welcome from Outpost Director, Tom Guralnick!

Exciting news to report! It’s official! As of January 3, 2026, Outpost and the venerable New Mexico Jazz Workshop (founded 1976) have merged and joined forces to unite the spirit of jazz, creativity, and community under the Outpost banner. This is an exciting new chapter which brings together two of the state’s most respected arts organizations with over 80 years of combined experience in jazz education, performance, and community engagement. It will allow for expanded opportunities for musicians from all over and of all ages, more extraordinary live music presentations, art exhibitions, educational programs and more! There is much to look forward to in the year ahead and we will continue to update you as new directions and opportunities unfold!

One such opportunity includes Membership! With the merging of Outpost and the New Mexico Jazz Workshop, we are offering new membership categories and enhanced member benefits. Outpost members will continue to receive the current benefits like $10 ticket discounts, member-only concerts, etc. in addition to the benefits offered by the New Mexico Jazz Workshop, including early access to concerts, passes to summer Music Under the Stars concerts and more!

There’s a lot to look forward to in 2026, including another great spring season of music beginning in March (check out the schedule and purchase tickets here); expanded class offerings (at the NMJW building as well as at Outpost), art exhibits in the Inpost Artspace; a full summer season which includes Outpost’s 30th Annual Summer Thursday Jazz Nights; the 35th anniversary of  the Music Under the Stars series at the Albuquerque Museum; the 20th anniversary of the New Mexico Jazz Festival; and the renovation of the Outpost building (tentatively scheduled to start in October), which will allow us to provide better facilities for expanded programming and services!

We look forward to seeing you soon and sharing all that this new chapter brings for all of us here at Outpost and for the community!

Sincerely,

Tom Guralnick,
Outpost Founder & Executive Director

 

 

Fall 2025 Season Just Ahead!

What a great 19th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival it was! Such variety and artistry! From NEA Jazz Masters, internationally acclaimed artists, New Mexico’s own and more, it was another memorable month of music, art, film, and community. Thanks to all who came out to support and enjoy live music statewide and thanks to our sponsors, funders, partners, volunteers and all who make it happen! Now, we look ahead to the Outpost Fall 2025 Season which kicks off on Friday October 17 at Outpost with sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee & Amit Kavthekar on tabla. Then, it’s Adam Rudolph’s Sunrise Trio; Caity Gyorgy; Claudio Tolousse, The Story of, Part 2; Lorca Hart Quartet; Bébé La La’s 15 Year Anniversary Concert; George Cables Trio; Nnenna Freelon w. Alan Pasqua & Keith Ganz; Outpost’s Fall Record Fair (proceeds of which will go towards a major renovation of the Outpost building in 2026!); and much more! Check it all out and get your tickets here!

We look forward to seeing you this fall!

(Photo above- Legendary jazz pianist George Cables)

THIS WEEK AT THE 19th ANNUAL NEW MEXICO JAZZ FESTIVAL!

The 19th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival continues this week with several shows at the Outpost, plus more! Tuesday, September 23, it’s bassist Linda May Han Oh’s The Glass Hours. Then, on Wednesday, September 24th, it’s saxophonist David Sánchez’ Carib project (he’ll also perfrom at the Taos Community Auditorium, Thursday, Sept 25 and at Unit “B” by Chocolate Maven, Santa Fe, Friday, September 26. Next, it’s drummer Nate Smith, Thursday, September 25 (two shows!). And on Saturday, September 27, The Musician’s Greenbook film screening with a concert and Q & A – presented in partnership with AFMX.  AND, the festival comes to a close with Grammy nominated vocalist Carmen Lundy, Sunday, September 28!  Click Here for New Mexico Jazz Festival Tickets & Info! 

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The Outpost