The Verve Jazz Ensemble is dedicated to making jazz accessible to a wider audience. Josh Feldstein, leader and drummer of the group, was born in Manhattan and began studying music at an early age. He later formed a trio with saxophonist Jon Blanck and bassist Chris DeAngelis

For over a decade, The Verve Jazz Ensemble has been delighting jazz enthusiasts with their inventive and talented performances that evoke the timeless quality of this genre. Under the leadership of drummer Josh Feldstein, the VJE ,

‘The Odd Couple’ was a 1968 award-winning US movie based on Neil Simon’s classic comic play. It was later developed into a successful TV series. Both the movie and the TV show used the same catchy ‘Odd Couple’ theme composed by the legendary Neal Hefti. Hefti, of course, 

*“We do rest on the Hardbop era, late 50’s,” said Josh Feldstein, drummer for The Verve Jazz Ensemble that just released a new album titled “All In.”. 

It takes a bold, knowledgeable and inventive group to call itself The Verve Jazz Ensemble. It is in the spirit of the Verve label’s 1950s-‘60s hard bop heyday that The Verve Jazz Ensemble composes, arranges, and performs jazz of a timeless quality.

ALL ABOUT JAZZ has listed Josh Feldstein among the leading, most popular jazz drummers in their global jazz drummers compendium (includes living jazz drummers as well as legends who have passed).  Fascinating reading!  Find your favorites!

In which we find one of the swingingest crew of jazzbos serving up a veritable live greatest hits set as they turn up the heat on some of their best charts on classics.  With no one blowing a false note anywhere in this passel of fine ones, this is the stuff you’ll pay the babysitter extra for when you stay out a little later to get into the groove.  Killer stuff.

(Light Groove)

"Led by drummer Josh Feldstein, the Verve Jazz Ensemble flexes between trios and septets on this album of swinging pot bop material. The core trio of Feldstein with pianist Steve Einerson and bassist Elias Bailey delivers a surprisingly upbeat and bopping take of Benny Golson’s “Whisper Not” that works impressively well.  The addition of Jon […]

"The Verve Jazz Ensemble formed in 2006 and have thus far released six studio albums, their most recent titled Night Mode. I have not heard the band before. Well, better late than never as this album will be a real treat for jazz fans. On the album are six versions of the ensemble; septet, sextet, trio and […]

“When drummer Josh Feldstein joined forces with tenor saxophonist Jon Blanck to form the Verve Jazz Ensemble back in 2006, the band was a quartet. Over the intervening years that foursome expanded and morphed, eventually becoming a septet for several tracks on 2018’s Connect The Dots. The growth and change has only intensified since then, as this group’s […]

"THE VERVE JAZZ ENSEMBLE is the creation of drummer Josh Feldstein and saxophonist Jon Blanck.  Originally formed in 2006 as a quartet, they eventually settled on a quintet format.  Their first recording in 2013, It’s About Time was expected to be their swan song, as they had reached what they thought was the end of the road, and wanted to […]

"VERVE JAZZ ENSEMBLE/Night Mode: Continuing to find a way to make jazz accessible enough to be the pop music of adults, this crew reconvenes itself six different ways throughout this set to keep things really hopping. Accessible, but not in a way that’ll piss off moldy figs and the jazz police, this wild and wooly […]

"The VJF is back and swinging harder than ever. The group’s 6th album is a heady, entertaining mix of original compositions by various members, jazz classics, and obscure, “under-served” gemsIf You Like: Art Blakey, Lou Donaldson, Hubert Laws, Herbie Hancock (acoustic), Freddie HubbardTrack Review (favorites denoted by *): Click here for full article.

"In the art world, predictability is to be avoided. To be vital, art should offer fresh perspectives while advancing the medium. If that’s the kind of music you’re looking for, you may be disappointed in the TVJE. The NY-based quartet plays acoustic jazz that could for the most part fit comfortably in jazz clubs of […]

"Keeping the jazz tradition alive, the Verve Jazz Ensemble expands and retracts into various sizes and shapes on this collection of vintage sounds. The core trio of Josh Fledstein/dr, Steve Einerson/p and Elias Bailey/b serve as a rich foundation for various quartets to septets, while sounding uptown on a rich bass dominated “Lil Darlin,” suave […]

Excellence in Jazz host Gary G. Vercelli and Capital Public Radio 90.7 FM Sacramento for featuring The VJE and “Connect The Dots.” http://www.capradio.org/118902  

“[Connect The Dots]…inventive explorations of jazz standards…combo renditions of big band recordings and originals from group members.” — George Kanzler, Editor, Hot House Magazine (Sept 2018) 

"The Feature CD of the Week is from one of our favorite groups. It’s from The Verve Jazz Ensemble titled “Connect The Dots.” It is a straight ahead effort that takes their music to a whole “nother” level of jazz interpretation. It is the fifth CD from this skillful supergroup of musicians.  The last disk “Swing-A-Nova” was a trio […]

'VERVE JAZZ ENSEMBLE/Connect the Dots: It’s hard to say that a group that arrived so fully formed is now coming into its own, but how else can you describe a set in which a solid crew takes it to the next level of the game? Rounding out their core sound with various additions at various […]

"JAZZIZ.com takes a look at 10 of the hottest – and sweetest – new jazz albums that will be released in July 2018. Release date: July 20 THE VERVE JAZZ ENSEMBLE – Connect the Dots (LightGroove Media) Click to view full article. The Verve Jazz Ensemble is a modular New York-based ensemble led by drummer […]

"Nicely nestled among a string of other jazz releases comes Swing-A-Nova by The Verve Jazz Ensemble. A charming straight-ahead session that features a potpourri of bop and bossa/Latin jazz favs, which capitalizes on this energetic trio’s technique. Toss in trumpeter Tatum Greenblatt on three tracks, and that results in a quality exploration of the material. […]

"An excellent and flexible trumpeter with a beautiful depth in the lower registers of the trumpet, Tatum Greenblatt makes this album immediately identifiable in traditional jazz with first-rate musicians Josh Feldstein (drums), Steve Einerson (piano), and Elias Bailey (bass). This is consistently an exciting and most impressive album, where the music is idiomatic and technically […]

"A wild mix of classic pop and classic jazz delivered in a post-bop, breakneck speed [performance], the crew delivers their hottest stuff yet.  A great roller coaster ride right down the middle, they have no agenda but to play great and make sure a grand time is had by all.  Without a note out of […]

“The latest release from the Verve Jazz Ensemble is one of this year’s best jazz albums to date. This kind of jazz pays striking tribute to the music of Duke Ellington’s “Take The A Train,” a silent moment to feel the simply joys of life. But wait my good friends, this is not for the […]

“In April of 2013, the Verve Jazz Ensemble released their first album It’s About Time (2012) to rave reviews from critics and jazz lovers everywhere. Exactly one year later, the group follows up on their amazing debut by unveiling East End Sojourn, an exciting second effort featuring new creative arrangements, more reimagined standards, a couple […]

“After hitting us with an auspicious debut last year and enjoying all the praise that came their way, the crew comes back not holding anything back and the music is hotter with the ensuing praise sure to be higher. Tearing it up like daddios without being hipsters, this is a swinging, bopping masterpiece that gets […]

"The Verve Jazz Ensemble is a classic quintet made up of Tatum Greenblatt/tp-fh, Jon Blanck/ts, Matt Oestreicher/p, Chris DeAngelis/b and Josh Feldstein. Greenblatt’s got a clean and sweet Kenny Dorham-styled horn, while Blanck’s earthy tenor is right up there in the Benny Golson red meat variety. The band goes through crisp and pressed standards like […]

"HillRag.com:  Formed in 2006 by drummer Josh Feldstein, the Verve Jazz Ensemble features trumpeter Tatum Greenblatt, pianist Matt Oestreicher, tenor saxophonist Jon Blanck and bassist Chris DeAngelis. This debut album offers Bebop standards such “Lady Bird,” “Boplicity” and “Jordu”; the big band reduction of “Big Swing Face”; two favorite classics of Henry Mancini’s “The Days […]

'This welcome recording shows me that a jazz group can still make an impact playing straight ahead bop tunes and acclaimed standards. It’s really a simple concept, right? But it’s rather odd that it’s done so rarely these days. The Verve Jazz Ensemble is an East Coast quintet which has been together since 2008. Despite […]

"VERVE JAZZ ENSEMBLE / It’s About Time: Here’s a bunch of young lions that have put in their time and are now serving up totally awesome results. They aren’t in the tradition, they are right in the pocket. Showing how retro can be a very good thing when you can’t improve on perfection, this sounds […]

"In 2006 drummer Josh Feldstein established the Verve Jazz Ensemble, a contemporary jazz group playing standards and straight ahead material in the finest venues throughout the Connecticut area without having an album to their credit until this appropriately-titled recording debut It’s About Time. On tap are an array of jazz standards featuring new arrangements and dynamic interpretations of […]

"Here’s what the folks at WTJU in Charlottesville, VA had to say about VJE: …The young and the talented are presented with all their musical chops.  Tatum Greenblatt, trumpet and flugelhorn;  Jon Blanck, tenor;  Matt Oestreicher, piano; Chris  DeAngelis, bass;  Josh Feldstein, drums.  Yes, we have heard these tunes many times, but the quintet does […]

“Fun, high octane stuff that’s hot enough to make major labels re-open their jazz departments. This wild and wooly set will bring new ears into the jazz tent…Killer stuff throughout.” 

"Just take their origianl groove and imagine it expanded---maybe to the nth degree. Contemporary/modern jazzbos that...serve up a career-defining set full of playing that blows you away. Killer Stuff.

Check out Woodshed's Master Class on "Developing & Maintaining a Band Book: 6 Keys to Successful Charts" with Verve Jazz Ensemble

[The VJE] performed…to a sold-out house of jazz savvy music lovers…the connection to the audience was magical!  Our audience loved it.

Jack Schaffer

Curator

Germantown Performing Arts Center

The Verve Jazz Ensemble formed in 2006 and have thus far released six studio albums, their most recent titled Night Mode. I have not heard the band before. Well, better late than never as this album will be a real treat for jazz fans.