SMALL GROUPS
Beyond the grandeur of the full orchestra, Glenn Crytzer also leads versatile combos, ranging from intimate duos to vibrant octets, featuring musicians drawn from his acclaimed big band. These smaller ensembles offer a focused exploration of small-group jazz and American Songbook classics from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. This setting allows Glenn to delve deep into the rich breadth of the era's music, showcasing his mastery of diverse guitar styles pioneered by legends such as Charlie Christian, George Barnes, Eddie Lang, Eddie Durham, Oscar Moore, and Allan Reuss.
While instrumentation is tailored to each specific performance, certain lineups are uniquely noteworthy.
The Savoy Seven
Channeling the spirit of Benny Goodman's celebrated early 1940s septet (tpt, cl, ts, p, eg, sb, d), The Savoy Seven (formerly known as The Syncopators) delivers vibrant performances featuring not only authentic transcriptions of Goodman's small group hits but, Glenn's inventive original arrangements of timeless songs and his compelling new compositions as well.
The ensemble has appeared across North America at concerts, jazz clubs, festivals, swing dances, corporate and private events, weddings, and more. Public performance highlights include The David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Steel Stacks, the Shalin Liu Performing Arts Center, Symphony Space, the Redwood Coast Jazz
Festival, The San Diego Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza, The Sun Valley Jazz Festival, Zinc Bar, Cliff Bell's, Nighttown, and hundreds of swing dances and Lindy Hop events including Lindy Focus, DCLX, Camp Jitterbug, Beantown Lindy Hop Camp, the Seattle Lindy Exchange, and Midwest Lindy Fest. The Savoy Seven was also the house band in residence for two years at Seattle's beloved Century Ballroom.
The Savoy Seven's discography traces a prolific journey, beginning as The Syncopators with their debut Harlem Mad (2011) featuring 20 original compositions and the live Skinny Minne (2012). As The Savoy Seven, they released EPs Focus Pocus and A Little Love This Christmas in 2014, followed by the 2018 full-length Uptown Jump, a collection of 18 of Glenn's original songs. Amidst the 2020 Covid shutdowns, the resourceful ensemble, under the temporary moniker The Secluded Seven, recorded the EP The Melody That Follows Me, with each musician contributing remotely from their home studios.
The Glenn Crytzer Quartet
Among Glenn Crytzer's diverse musical offerings is a highly versatile quartet, adaptable to numerous instrumental configurations. From this flexible foundation, three distinct formats have emerged as the most in-demand, each inspired by different historical ensembles.
THE BIG FOUR
The Big Four draws direct inspiration from the legendary Bechet-Spanier Big Four of the 1940s, featuring trumpet, clarinet/saxophone, guitar, and string bass.
A prominent fixture in NYC's speakeasy scene, Glenn's Big Four has built a reputation through extended residencies and engagements at top venues including The Rainbow Room, Pegu Club, Honeybees, Delilah, NY Distilling, The Plaza Hotel and more, and are currently in residence Thursdays at Festival Cafe on 61st and 2nd Ave.
During the 2020 Covid shutdowns, The Big Four offered free weekly concerts in both Central Park and Bennett Park. They also launched the ambitious "Songbook Sessions," a weekly livestream series that chronologically explored the American Songbook from 1920 to 1944, presenting ten songs from a different year sequentially each week. Beginning in July of 2025 the band will release one new song per week from this extensive series to streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, and Amazon Music.
THE "TWO GUITAR" QUARTET
Modeled after the unique sound of the George Barnes and Ruby Braff Quartet, this lineup features Glenn on electric guitar, cornet, acoustic rhythm guitar, and string bass—showcasing his dynamic role as a frontline soloist. As the newest addition to Crytzer's quartet family, this ensemble has quickly gained acclaim, appearing in concert at the Sidney and Berne Davis Arts Center, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, and the Tri-State Jazz Society, as well as at various speakeasies and restaurants throughout NYC.
THE "PIANO" QUARTET
Rounding out the trio of in-demand quartets is Glenn's piano quartet. Inspired by the elegant swing of the Nat "King" Cole Trio, this versatile ensemble features guitar along with piano, bass, and either a vocalist or horn player. A staple for sophisticated ambiance, this quartet has held residencies at Blacktail and Pepe's Cellar, and currently provides the perfect Saturday Brunch soundtrack at Peck Slip Social.
In addition to concerts, speakeasies, and festivals Glenn's quartets are highly sought after for private events, weddings, and corporate gatherings due to their exceptional musicianship, compact size, versatile instrumentation, and sartorial savoir-faire.