Saint George’s Church in Newburgh will host a special Mother’s Day concert featuring The In Four Jazz quartet It will be something of a reunion for bassist Jesse Breheney, leader of the jazz collective and a Newburgh native.

Now 37, the 2004 graduate of Newburgh Free Academy credits local performance opportunities, including the NFA string program, for nurturing his interest in music. And he will be reconnecting on Mother’s Day with two of his mentors: Carole Cowan, founder of Newburgh Chamber Music, which is sponsoring the concert, and Rick McCurdy, a music teacher and member of the NCM board and Breheney’s first bass teacher.

He recalled that while still in the eighth grade, he was charting some kind of musical path. Then in high school, he played in the College-Youth Symphony Orchestra at SUNY New Paltz, which Cowan, a former chair of the Music Department, conducted. The orchestra gave Breheney the experience of playing with an ensemble. Cowan, he said, “held us to a very high standard.”

McCurdy, also a bassist for the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, “exposed me to a lot of different things. I developed my musicianship through Rick.” And immersive summer jazz camps through Purchase College were influential. “That was the point in my upbringing where nothing else besides being a professional musician seemed possible.”

After graduating from the Eastman School of Music and studying at Juilliard’s pre-college division, he decided to focus on jazz.

Along the way, he met jazz musicians who invited him to join open mic nights and gigs at local venues. He got to play with artists like Marvin “BuGalu” Smith, who performed around the Hudson Valley, “holding jam sessions, holding court and taking younger musicians under his wing.” One particularly nurturing environment was the Falcon, the multi-faceted music venue in Marlboro founded by arts patron Tony Falco.

The Hudson Valley, Breheney said, is attractive to musicians for its proximity to New York City. Audiences respond. “Whenever I perform upstate there is an appreciation among audiences who really value the arts in an elevated way.”

Over the years, Breheny built contacts and artistic associations with a host of musicians. His networking led to In Four Jazz, in which constantly changing ensembles play at a variety of venues, mainly in New York.

These days, he and his musicians can be found performing regularly at notable nightclubs such as Mezzrow, Ornithology, Little Branch, Smoke, and St. Tuesday. He currently is firming up a partnership with Tavern on the Green for a jazz series starting later this month.

In addition to music, Breheney has a marketing background and a decade of experience as a partner in a boutique digital advertising agency. His current company, Breheney Media, focuses on the arts and education industry.

In the jazz scene, he said, there are scenes within scenes. His objective, he said, is to build a brand that pairs world class talent with great hospitality. “Slowly but surely, the better venues and musicians become associated with the brand.”

Besides being a performer, Breheney is also committed to fostering the legacy of American popular music. He serves on the board of the Tin Pan Alley American Popular Song Project as treasurer.

He got involved in the project through its executive director, who was an advertising client years ago. They remained in touch and when he was asked to join the Tin Pan Alley board, he agreed.

“The American popular song is vitally important to jazz music,” he said. “Many of the songs selected for our program are from the heyday of Tin Pan Alley in the 20’s and 30’s, and several of the composers had studios on 28th Street (in Manhattan) where the project got the original buildings landmarked.”

He added: “It’s a wonderful thing to be involved in!”

Join the In Four Jazz collective for a Mother’s Day tribute on May 14 at St. George’s Church, 105 Grand St., Newburgh. The concert, featuring songs from the American songbook, begins at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $30 for adults, and $5 for students, at the door (cash or check only) or online at newburghchambermusic.org.

The audience is invited to meet the performers at a reception after the concert.

Audience members are invited to bring instruments that they wish to donate to Valentina’s Instrument Donation Bank, to be repaired, if necessary, and given to Greater Newburgh Schools and music students.