Jazz and Candlelight Series Armory Square, Syracuse, NY
We are a premiere jazz/bossa nova band. Our repertoire consists of tunes in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French - jazz classics, bossa nova, Spanish ballad and French chanson. Our band consists of vocalist Luba Lesser, who also plays light percussion, guitarist/vocalist Jason Kessler, and Darryl Pugh on bass.
1 review
Stacy R.
May 31, 2026We booked them for a small party at the Everson Museum in Syracuse and they were fantastic. In addition to the party guests being so impressed, other museum attendees were stopping in the galleries to listen! The music was beautiful and the band was fun, yet very professional. Highly recommended!
Hired as: Jazz Band
Price range: Contact for rates
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
Gig length: 45 - 180 minutes
Insurance: Yes
Light jazz and bossa nova, sung in many languages; could be enjoyed as a stand alone stage act or background entertainment. Perfect for restaurants, clubs, private of company parties.
LuBossa! is a collaborative of Syracuse ’s finest jazz musicians, specializing in jazz from bossa nova to traditional to international. Members of the band include:
Jason Kessler (Acoustic guitar and vocals) is a graduate of Colgate University, studied classical guitar with William Viola of Philadelphia and composition at Syracuse University with Brian Israel. He has performed with members of the Syracuse Symphony and Society for New Music. His jazz group, Seaflight, has opened for Chick Corea and Dizzy Gillespie at major jazz fests.
Jason’s compositions were featured on the nationally aired PBS video, "All American Jazz". His repertoire ranges from Elizabethan and Renaissance to original fingerstyle works, jazz, and popular standards.
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Luba Lesser (Vocals and light percussion) began her music studies in Moscow, Russia, and continued her vocal performing with the Student Orchestra of Moscow State Technical University, and later as a student at the Moscow Jazz Studio. Her repertoire ranges from opera to jazz.
Since her arrival in the United States, Luba performed with several local vocal groups, including Syracuse Vocal Ensemble, Syracuse University Oratorio Society, and the Syracuse Opera. She has performed English Renaissance programs with the ‘Double String Duo’, and in 2002 she and Jason Kessler formed ‘LuBossa!’.
Luba holds a Masters of Vocal Performance Degree from Syracuse University, and is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). She teaches voice and piano, and is an adjunct professor of voice at Onondaga Community College.
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Darryl Pugh (Acoustic bass) currently a member of Symphoria and he has played the Bass with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra for over 30 years. He graduated with a Bachelors Degree from Berklee College of Music. Currently Mr. Pugh teaches at several local colleges including, Hamilton, Colgate, Syracuse University, Lemoyne, and OCC.
Mr. Pugh has been fortunate to be able to work in an eclectic mix of musical settings from Jazz to Latin to Club Music and more.
Saturday
Birthday Party
1:30pm - 3:30pm
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Syracuse, NY
3 one-hour sets:
Classical gas
Agua de beber
Corcovado/Quiet Nights
Dindi
Meditation
Girl from Ipanema
Vivo Sonhando
How insensitive
Triste
One note Samba
Photograph
Aguas de Marco
Haven't we met?
Spain
Besame mucho
Sunny
La Vie en Rose
The shadow of your smile
So nice
Once I loved
Wave
Fly me to the moon
Desafinado
So danco samba
Favela
Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud GIlberto, Chick Corea, Edith Piaf, Maria Rita, Postmodern Jukebox.
Three-prong outlet (ground)
Jazz Band