Article Contributed by Jamie Huenefeld
Published on February 14, 2026
Brooklyn Bowl was packed wall-to-wall on February 6, 2026 as Jazz Mandolin Project delivered a night centered on jazz language, risk-taking improvisation, and deep musical chemistry. With drummer Jon Fishman in the lineup, a rarity and a major draw, the room carried an unmistakable sense of occasion long before the first note. This was also the band’s first tour in twenty years. Fans lined up early to claim rail spots, and the sold-out crowd included travelers from Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Long Island.
Jazz Mandolin Project’s line up for the evening featured Fishman, the aforementioned drummer extraordinaire from the jam rock titan Phish. The line up rounded out with the talented Jamie Masefield on mandolin/mandola, Danton Boller on upright bass, and Michael Mavridoglou on trumpet/keys.
From the start, the band leaned into exploratory phrasing and groove-forward interplay, balancing compositional clarity with spontaneous detours. Set one opened with “Straight Life” before moving into a fluid sequence of “Black Market” into “Reich’s Boogie” into “Bromeliad,” then closing with “At the Pershing.” The transitions were clean but alive, leaving space for each player to color the edges. The first set clocked in at around one hour.
Set two opened with “Nozani Na” flowing into “Ode to Dark Eyes,” then shifted through “Clip” and “Maggot Brain” before landing on one of the night’s most memorable moments: “Husky.” Before that tune, Jamie Masefield addressed the room and asked how many musicians were in the building, clearly pleased by the response. He then noted that he was playing not a mandolin but rather a 1913 Gibson mandola, which he described as “more of a guttural instrument,” and “perhaps the oldest soul in the room.” He framed “Husky” as a quiet, sensitive piece, albeit with gentle sarcasm, since the song itself came off upbeat, bright, and full of jazz funk. The mandola’s intricate tapestry sat in striking contrast to the steady, grounded bass work from Boller, creating one of the set’s strongest juxtapositions.
Just before leaving the stage, Fishman grabbed the mic to assure the crowd: “We aren’t done.” The encore proved it. “Going to California” offered a left turn in texture and feel. Fishman then delivered vocals for “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath, sending the room home on a high-voltage finish that blended humor, muscle, and pure fan-service chaos in the best way.
At its core, this show was a musical conversation between musicians, genres, and the crowd. With Fishman’s rare presence, Masefield’s historic mandola texture, and a sold-out room ready for every twist, Jazz Mandolin Project turned the iconic Brooklyn Bowl into a jazz-improv summit disguised as a delightful party. We can only hope this quartet decides to tour again before another twenty years slip away.
Jazz Mandolin Project might be over, but the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY has plenty of great shows on the ledger to get your feet moving and body grooving. This weekend, The Roots are performing a special Valentine’s Day set on February 14. On Feb 19, Dead Bowl: Bushwick’s Dead, a popular dead cover band from Brooklyn, will raise the roof. Former Twiddle guitarist Mihali Savoulidis and bassist Zdenek Gubb will play a unique set as Gubbulidis on February 21. Ralph McDaniels and friends are poised to deliver a special Mardi Gras themed show on February 26. The electronic music ambassador who merges jazz and hip hop also known as DJ Logic will return to the Bowl on February 27 for birthday show filled with special guests including John Medeski. Head on over to their event page for more details about these and other shows.
Check out more photos from the show!
Band: Jazz Mandolin Project
Venue: Brooklyn Bowl
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Date: February 6, 2026
Set One: Straight Life, Black Marke > Reich’s Boogie > Bromeliad, At the Pershing
Set Two: Nozani Na > Ode to Dark EyesClip > Maggot Brain, Husky
Encore: Going to California, War Pigs[1]
Notes: 1. Black Sabbath
