Music
Live Music in The Little Café
All performances below take place in The Little Café (8 Winthrop Street) from 7pm-9pm, unless otherwise noted. There is no cover charge, but please order from the Café’s extensive selection of food, desserts, coffee, beer, and wine. To support, consider becoming a Member or donating to The Little.
DECEMBER MONDAY RESIDENCY: Watkins and the Rapiers | Every Monday night in December
CAFÉ HOLIDAY HOURS
Christmas Eve (12/24) Closed | Christmas Day (12/25) Closed
New Year's Eve (12/31) Open | New Year's Day (1/1) Closed
MLK Day (1/19) Open; no music
NYE with Bob Sneider Trio :: Wednesday, Dec. 31
Tasteful, straight-ahead jazz
Steve Grills & The Roadmasters :: Friday, January 2
A staple of the Rochester blues scene
Laura Dubin & Antonio Guerrero :: Saturday, Jan. 3
Jazz with piano and drums
Classical Guitar Night :: Sunday, Jan. 4
With students from the Eastman School
Jackson Cavalier :: Monday, Jan. 5
Indie folk rocker, one-man band
Margaret Explosion :: Wednesday, Jan. 7
Free jazz, slow motion psychedelia
The Rich Thompson Trio (aka “Generations Trio”) :: Thursday, Jan. 8
Cross-generational jazz trio
Mid-Century Modern Jazz Quartet :: Saturday, Jan. 10
Straight-ahead jazz from the 40’s-60’s
Indigo Breeze Band :: Sunday, Jan. 11
From jazz to pop and rock to R&B. | 12/17/25 – Performance from 5:30 to 7:30pm
River Lynch :: Monday, Jan. 12
Bluesy rock and roll
Jacobo Vega-Albela :: Wednesday, Jan. 14
Emotional, Cross-Continental Journey
John Weyl & Friends :: Thursday, Jan. 15
A danceable blend of Latin, blues, jazz, and country
The Occasional Saints :: Friday, Jan. 16
New Orleans, swing, roots and blues
The Darryl Parker Quartet
Soulful modern and classic jazz
Poetry Night with the Just Poets :: Sunday, Jan. 18
Readings begin at 6:30pm
Big Blue House :: Wednesday, Jan. 21
Folk, rock, blues, jazz and reggae
Dean Keller’s Soul Jazz Joint :: Thursday, Jan. 22
Classic and modern soul jazz tunes
Debbie Kendrick Project :: Friday, Jan. 23
Blues, jazz, gospel, folk and soul
Kubick’s Rubes :: Saturday, Jan. 24
Bluegrass and western swing
Mike Kaupa Jazz Kuartet :: Sunday, Jan. 25
Trumpeter Mike Kaupa and his quartet play jazz favorites and original compositions.
Ryan Sutherland :: Monday, Jan. 26
Singer-songwriter one-man band
The Good Weather String Band :: Wednesday, Jan. 28
Bluegrass jam-band
Spring Chickens :: Thursday, Jan. 29
A trio of singer-songwriters
Trio East :: Friday, Jan. 30
Jazz from ESM faculty
Deco & Diesel : Saturday, Jan. 31
Bluesy roots guitar duo!
Bookings
Music at The Little Cafe is booked on a curatorial basis, several months in advance.
Submissions are saved and considered at regular intervals, but we regret that it is not possible to guarantee a response. Note that this is a largely acoustic venue, with limitations on the volume due to the movie theatres in the same building. If you wish to submit your music for consideration, please include links to samples of your work, including something to give an accurate impression of your live performances, in an email to: music@thelittle.org