Spike Wilner

A hard-working pianist, producer, and club owner, Spike Wilner has built a reputation as a gifted jazz improviser steeped in the post-bop tradition. He brings his passion for jazz to his work as both a bandleader and club owner, managing the beloved Greenwich Village institutions Smalls and Mezzrow. A regular on the N.Y.C. scene since the '90s, he has released his own albums, including 2000's Portraits, 2008's 3 to Go with Ryan Kisor, and 2015's Live at Smalls; the latter just one of many recordings released on the label Wilner runs out of Smalls. Over the years, he has documented every night at the club, making available recordings by such regular players as Peter Bernstein, Harold Mabern, Cyrille Aimee, Joel Frahm, and more.