About Firehouse 12

Firehouse 12 is an innovative multi-use space that houses an award-winning bar, state-of-the-art recording studio and unusually intimate music venue inside a formerly abandoned firehouse in New Haven, Connecticut’s historic Ninth Square District. During two semi-annual concert series, the acoustically engineered studio space transforms into an incomparable 80-seat venue critics have hailed as “the pre-eminent spot for improvised music in the region” (Nate Chinen, New York Times), “New England’s premier improvised music venue” (Bill Carbone, New Haven Advocate) and “New Haven’s acclaimed avant-garde bastion of the bold and experimental” (Owen McNally, Hartford Courant).

“It’s reflective of my personal tastes, in that I don’t see any qualitative difference between a Julian Lage concert and a Wadada Leo Smith concert,” said founder Nick Lloyd of his eclectic programming strategy for the venue in a recent New York Times feature. In 2009 alone, the venue presented nearly 30 memorable concerts by a diverse range of creative improvisers that included Ben Allison, Peter Brötzmann, Amy Cervini, Taylor Eigsti, Peter Evans, Jimmy Greene, Mary Halvorson, Darius Jones, Steve Lehman, Michael Musillami, Gretchen Parlato, Noah Preminger and Matt Wilson among many others. When not using the space to present concerts, or record music for its own label, Firehouse 12 Records, it is one of the most in-demand recording studios on the East Coast for musicians of all genres.