When the Chestnut Hill Community Association’s Fall Frolic returns on Thursday, Oct. 8, at Chestnut Hill College, it will feature one of the neighborhood’s music legends in the making.

Pianist and composer Joe Block performed at the Fall Frolic for the first time in 2023, and the then 24-year-old jazz musician already had an impressive resume to his name. After winning the Essentially Ellington composition contest in 2016 with his composition “Volcanic Suite,” he went on to a dual-degree program at Columbia and Julliard, and to performances with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and appearances at revered festivals such as the Monterey Jazz Festival.

For most, these accomplishments would be worthy enough laurels upon which to rest. Block, however, is just getting started. With credits including work on Broadway, a film score, and two albums slated for release this year, his performance at the Fall Frolic: An Evening in the French Quarter is shaping up to be a must-see performance for jazz fans.

To understand the breadth of Block’s music, one only needs to look at his recent works away from the stage as a musical director. In 2025, Block served as the associate musical director and pianist for the Broadway stage adaptation of George Clooney’s 2005 film “Good Night, and Good Luck.” Set in the 1950s, the play dramatizes journalist Edward R. Murrow’s conflict with Sen. Joe McCarthy, with Block playing an essential role in establishing the mid-century atmosphere that was conveyed visually with the original film’s black-and-white cinematography. With a background that encompasses big band, cool, and straight-ahead jazz, Block is a natural fit to capture the sound of an era where jazz, like the political landscape of the play, was going through seismic upheaval.

Sonically, his contributions as musical director for the soundtrack for the Armada ski film “ORNADA” are on another planet. Working alongside composer and producer Aaron Beaumont, Block creates a landscape infused with the sounds of jazz piano, electronic music, hip-hop, and video game soundtracks. The sound is expansive and eclectic and serves as the perfect accompaniment to the film’s pastiche of ski footage and sci-fi-tinged skits. It’s the work of a young artist comfortable in the fundamentals of his craft and willing to experiment and explore the outer bounds of what jazz can be.

The same dichotomy between tradition and experimentation can be heard in Block’s solo recordings. Released earlier this year, the album “Solo Piano, Vol. 1” sees Block bring his distinctive “beyond the notes” understanding of music to jazz standards like Thelonius Monk’s “’Round Midnight” as well as pop recordings like John Lennon’s “Imagine,” finding in the latter a gospel texture that brings new shade and texture to Lennon’s original. The framework of standards allows Block to flex his muscles, bringing a distinctive voice to well-loved songs. The music on his next release, “There is Always Hope,” however, will be entirely original compositions. Set for release on Sept. 25 on Blue Engine records, “There is Always Hope” marks not just his first recording of originals, but his debut record as a bandleader as well. On the aptly named first single “Ungrounded,” Block and his band take flight. While “Ungrounded” is more firmly rooted in jazz than his work on “ORNADA,” it’s no less cosmic. Featuring complex time signatures and eruptive solos courtesy of jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, “Ungrounded” takes off like a rocket.

All these accomplishments add up to an exciting performance at this year’s Fall Frolic. Joining Block again this year are saxophonist Dylan Band, bassist Madison Rast, and drummer Byron Landham. Accompanying the quartet for her second Fall Frolic is vocalist Kate Kortum. Winner of the 2025 Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition, Kortum is a dynamic on-the-rise talent all her own: her latest LP “Wild Woman” has been met with strong reviews over 5.1 million streams. Guests at this year’s Fall Frolic will be afforded the opportunity to see not just one of jazz’s brightest young talents in the making, but Chestnut Hill’s own contribution to Philadelphia’s vibrant jazz history.

The Fall Frolic: An Evening in the French Quarter supports the Chestnut Hill Community Association and will be held on Thursday, Oct. 8, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Chestnut Hill College’s Saint Joseph Hall. Tickets are available now at chestnuthill.org or by phone at 215-248-8810. The Chestnut Hill Community Association would like to thank its sponsors to date: Temple Health - Chestnut Hill Hospital and Chestnut Hill College.