Downtown Jazz: Trio Gusto and Mike Martin

Trio Gusto with Mike Martin delivers a suave and swinging blend of jazz standards, hot club, and French chanson. Their Frenchy-lounge repertoire ranges from Django Reinhardt and Georges Brassens to Cole Porter and Nat King Cole. Vocalist and guitarist Mike Martin, formerly of Combo 37, leads the band with his vintage Gibson archtop, channeling the spirit of French nightclubs and American jazz he fell in love with while living in Paris. Clarinetist and guitarist Geoff Kim (Guagua) adds hot swing, sweet ballads, and tzigane melodies, evoking sounds from Bourbon Street to Istanbul with his soulful and humorous solos. Guitarist Buck Maynard, formerly of Buck & The Black Cats, brings a style influenced by Luther Perkins and Chet Atkins. John Thompson-Figueroa (Guagua/Lokum) plays double bass with rich tone and Latin fire, shaped by his Puerto Rican roots. Together, they create a vibrant, cosmopolitan sound that is both sophisticated and playful and celebrates a joyful fusion of global jazz traditions.
Rhythm and groove come to the heart of the city from June 3-6 when Burlington City Arts (BCA) and the Church Street Marketplace team up to present Downtown Jazz as part of The Flynn’s Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. Enjoy four evenings of live, local music throughout Downtown Burlington. The bricks will be boppin’ on the Church Street Marketplace with the return of the Top Block Stage from 6–9 PM on Wednesday, June 3, through Friday, June 5, and an extended lineup from 4–9 PM on Saturday, June 6. Wander down the Marketplace and take in jazz on College Street, a more intimate setting that pairs perfectly with dinner—grab a table at Leunig’s, Sweetwaters, or Ri Ra and enjoy live tunes from 6–8 PM, Wednesday through Saturday.
Midday performances round out the experience in City Hall Park, where BCA’s Summer Concert Series returns to jazz up your lunch hour on Wednesday and Friday from 12:30–1:30 PM.
Whether you’re strolling Church Street, dining al fresco, or taking a midday break in the park, Downtown Jazz offers countless ways to get into the groove of summer in the city!
Downtown Jazz is supported by Zero Gravity Brewery and High Noon. BCA’s Summer in the City is made possible in part thanks to our Underwriters at the Pomerleau Family Foundation; Supporters Burlington Telecom, Myti, Soundtoys, and Lake Champlain Chocolates, and Community Partner American Flatbread Burlington & Mothership Brewery. Media Sponsors: Seven Days and WCAX.⁠