The Buffalo Jazz Octet has performed since 2011, combining the power and compositional intricacy of a large ensemble with the flexibility and dynamism of a small improvising combo. The octet collaborated with saxophone legend Joe Ford (of various McCoy Tyner bands) in 2015, and the band's members have worked individually with such internationally noted musicians as Buddy Morrow, Bruce Johnstone, Paul Smoker, Paul Bley, and William Parker. PausaLive, the group's debut album, came out on Cadence Jazz Records in April 2017. The octet has appeared at the 2014 and 2015 Queen City Jazz Festivals, Villa Maria College, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, and Pausa Art House, and will kick off the 2017 Northwest Jazz Festival in Lewiston, NY.
