Words by Hank Williams | Photos by Joyce Jones. Creative Commons CC-NC-BY-ND. Main Photo: The Sun Ra Arkestra
On Wednesday night, poet Quincy Troupe took to the stage without introduction and launched into his work, reading from two unpublished collections of his work. Troupe, invited by jazz trumpeter Miles Davis to co-write the musician’s autobiography, has deep connections with jazz, infusing his work with references to musicians and even reading with musical cadences. Troupe knows improvisation, collaboration–and even the need to listen and work as part of an ensemble–as he’s collaborated with musicians before, having worked with trombonist and AACM member George Lewis and including guitarist Kelvyn Bell and saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett on his 2011 SOUNDART release. His set-closing poem “Blue Mandela”, dedicated to Harlem-based artist Xenobia Bailey’s installation in the NYC subway’s new 34th St.-Hudson Yards station, brought Troupe a standing ovation as he exited the stage.
Pianist Connie Crothers’s set was (as promised) an exercise in free improvisation building on her angular, shimmering piano styling nicely complemented by Warren Smith’s solid drumming and Michael Bisio’s standout performance on bass.
The Sun Ra Arkestra returned to Vision as the closing set for the night–fortunately, at an earlier scheduled time than last year, when they took the stage well past midnight.
No strangers to finely honed (and theatrical) performance, the Arkestra entered the hall single file, chanting “this is the planet dream of the Earth Galaxy” as they filed through the standing room only crowd to take the stage. It could also be seen as a continuation of earlier in the day, when the Arkestra was one of the highlights of what’s becoming a Vision tradition of having a parade starting in the adjacent Washington Square Park cross the street to Judson. Marshall Allen, the Arkestra’s 92-year-old leader and conductor, finished off the first song with a positively celestial sounding flourish on the Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI), which Allen uses to supplement his saxophone and has become an acknowledged master at. The sound meshed perfectly with Judson’s acoustics, which are challenging to large ensembles such as the Arkestra. Indeed, the sound was a challenge throughout the set, as musicians signaled for more volume for their instruments. Part of the challenge is the difficult acoustics of Judson itself, a large open church with hard surfaces and high ceilings. Allen seems to have mastered the tricky acoustics, though.
The Arkestra’s “Discipline 27-II” kicked off with the sampled voice of none other than Ra himself sending a missive to the “People of Planet Earth”.
The Arkestra then launched into “Angels and Demons At Play”, with vocalist Middleton’s rich, deep vocals meshing with the synthesizer. Saxophonist Knoel Scott was inspired enough to put down his instrument and step to the front of the stage to show off his dance moves. Multiple roles and talents are simply par for the course for Arkestra members. As vocalist Tara Middleton explained to us after the set, there is no set list with the Arkestra, following how things worked under Ra himself. The band just responds to the vibrations present at the time and chooses songs accordingly.
The next piece matched Middleton’s scatting vocals to Allen’s upper register sax squeals in the bass and electric guitar – heavy tune that had the Arkestra swinging hard.
A bluesy acoustic bass solo kicked off “Blues in the Night”, eventually giving way to flute and electric guitar solo by Dave Hotep that allowed Middleton to show off her Blues chops.
The Arkestra classic “Love in Outer Space” followed and “When You Wish Upon a Star” was given the Arkestra’s unique, slightly atonal treatment and gave Allen the space to kick off the latter with a solo.
The final set-closing medley of “We Travel the Spaceways” and “Space is the Place” with the Arkestra leading a second line through the audience came all too soon.
Despite the issues with sound and acoustics, the Arkestra put in a strong performance, with Allen still playing with a force, intensity, and enthusiasm that defies his age. I’ve written that a few times about the Arkestra before, but it remains true and it’s something I hope to continue reporting for quite a while. However, with the addition of Middleton and other members who’ve been with the Arkestra a long time, Ra’s prodigious back catalog, fresh tunes composed by Allen added to the performance rotation, and the release of the Babylon CD/DVD set, the Arkestra looks set to be continuing traveling the spaceways for quite a while to come.
We’ll be reporting from Vision throughout the festival and I’ll have a wrap-up when it’s all done. If you haven’t caught it already, you can hear our Vision Fest preview show with Marc Ribot, Geri Allen, Lisa Sokolov, and Andrew Cyrille discussing Grimes’s influence and festival organizer Patricia Nicholson Parker talking festival logistics, which she’ll discuss on our colleague Basir Mchawi’s Education at the Crossroads show on Thursday at 7 PM EST. And, remember our next Suga’ in My Bowl show with Andrew Cyrille this Sunday at 11 PM EST on WBAI.
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Hank Williams is an associate producer for Suga’ in My Bowl on WBAI Radio and webmaster for the Suga’ and Behind the Mic sites. He is also a PhD candidate in English and Africana Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and teaches at Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Joyce Jones is the executive producer and host of Suga’ in My Bowl. She is a graphic designer and her photos have been published in Black Renaissance Noir.
Words by Hank Williams | Photos by Joyce Jones. Creative Commons CC-NC-BY-ND. Main Photo: Vision Fest 21 honoree Henry Grimes
Bassist/violinist/poet Henry Grimes famously doesn’t talk much nowadays: at least not to journalists like myself. To be perfectly clear, it isn’t an issue of him being inaccessible or thinking he’s too good or his time is too valuable: on the contrary, he’s usually in attendance at almost any event having to do with free/avant garde jazz in New York City–usually with his wife and manager Margaret at his side–and is just there digging the music even if he isn’t on the bill or has finished his own set. It’s just that he doesn’t talk a lot, period. An affable smile and recognition is all you’re likely to get. That’s fine since his body of work fills in much of the story. Still, those of us itching to dig deeper and get some of the history he’s been involved in won’t walk away with much more than we see on the bandstand.
Personal testimony isn’t the only story, though, and what your peers say about you counts for a lot. And Grimes’s peers have a lot to say about both the man and his work, which makes focusing the 2016 Vision Fest’s spotlight on Grimes all the more valuable since you’d be hard pressed to find someone with bad things to say about the man as either a person or musician. That’s rare in any industry.
Grimes’s remarkable story of walking away from the jazz spotlight before reemerging 35 years later has been told elsewhere, so I won’t repeat it here. The point is that Grimes is the type of artist who’s easy to overlook if one isn’t deep into jazz — much less the free improvisation that he revels and excels in. All of that makes Vision’s choice to highlight his career this year a good one, especially since he’s been a mainstay at the festival since his return to high level performance was punctuated by a Vision appearance over a decade ago and he’s been a mainstay ever since.
Grimes stood on the bandstand throughout three sets to kick off Vision on Tuesday night as both the honoree and center–figuratively and literally, as he occupied center stage–of all of the performances.
After Vision’s traditional opening invocation, the evening started with an ensemble pairing Grimes with pianist Geri Allen (in her Vision debut), Vision veteran Andrew Cyrille (who’ll be interviewed on Suga’ in My Bowl on Sunday 6/12) on drums, and Graham Haynes on coronet. Grimes alternated between bass and violin, showing equal comfort on each instrument. Allen showed, unsurprisingly, that she can keep up with the best improvisers out there and is as adept at playing more freely as she is in more structured environments. Cyrille, meanwhile, added a solid base for the group’s explorations and punctuated their second song with a steady rhythm on the cowbell.
Grimes has also written a fair amount of poetry, which was the focus of the second set, featuring vocalist Lisa Sokolov’s songs and Grimes’s poetry. Grimes accompanied the Sokolov-led choir of Imani Uzuri, Karma Mayet Johnson, Dwight Trible, and Mixashawn.
The night’s final set featured Mixashawn on saxophone, Melanie Dyer on viola, flutist Nicole Mitchell, and cellist Tomeka Reid joining Grimes’s frequent trio collaborators guitarist Marc Ribot and drummer Chad Taylor. The ensemble produced some of the night’s memorable performances. The first song of the set built to a crescendo riffing off of Mitchell’s repeated flute phrase with Ribot filling in the colors while Grimes kept a steady hand on bass. The set’s third (and last) piece started with a solid beat by Taylor, joined by Mitchell, then Ribot and Grimes. Taylor’s steady rhythms kept driving the group forward as they all set a frenetic pace.
Through it all, Grimes remained impassive, focused intently on the music at hand. While he may be a man of few words, Grimes “speaks” loudly and authoritatively on bass, violin, and written words. All of which were on display tonight.
We’ll be reporting from Vision throughout the festival and I’ll have a wrap-up when it’s all done. If you haven’t caught it already, you can hear our Vision Fest preview show with Marc Ribot, Geri Allen, Lisa Sokolov, and Andrew Cyrille discussing Grimes’s influence and festival organizer Patricia Nicholson Parker talking festival logistics, which she’ll probably discuss on our colleague Basir Mchawi’s Education at the Crossroads show on Thursday at 7 PM EST. And, remember our next Suga’ in My Bowl show with Andrew Cyrille this Sunday at 11 PM EST on WBAI.
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- Nicole Mitchell
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- Henry Grimes (left) and Marc Ribot at the 2016 Vision Fest.
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- Mixashawn and Grimes
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- Chad Taylor
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- Geri Allen
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- Henry Grimes
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- Lisa Sokolov (Right)
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- Andrew Cyrille
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- Graham Haynes (c) and Andrew Cyrille (d)
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Hank Williams is an associate producer for Suga’ in My Bowl on WBAI Radio and webmaster for the Suga’ and Behind the Mic sites. He is also a PhD candidate in English and Africana Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and teaches at Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Joyce Jones is the executive producer and host of Suga’ in My Bowl. She is a graphic designer and her photos have been published in Black Renaissance Noir.
Suga’ in My Bowl host Joyce Jones and I refer to the annual Vision Fest as the high holy days of jazz and we’re only half-kidding. The festival has managed to outlast competing fests with much deeper pockets and big name corporate sponsors behind them while still managing the delicate balancing act between being a smaller artist-focused event willing to take risks and keeping up with the times and technology. So while you can now buy tickets online and follow their various social media feeds, Vision is unafraid to feature poets in prime time slots or book quirky acts. It’s all part of the scene and that’s why we’ve been going for several years now and have featured numerous performers as guests on the show. In full disclosure, WBAI Radio returns as a media sponsor this year and happily so: it fits the station’s vibe fairly well.
Suga’ in My Bowl previewed this year’s festival in our last show, interviewing festival organizer Patricia Nicholson Parker for a “big picture” view, along with pianist Geri Allen (in her first time Vision appearance), guitarist Marc Ribot, drummer Andrew Cyrille and composer/vocalist Lisa Sokolof all speaking on the influence and importance of bassist Henry Grimes. If you missed that, be sure to catch WBAI producer Basir Mchawi’s Education at the Crossroads show on Thursday June 9 st 7 PM EST, where Patricia Nicholson Parker will be giving an update.
Vision started on Sunday June 5th with 3 classic films celebrating the 60th year of the Sun Ra Arkestra at Anthology Film Archives. While none of the film’s are new, provided a good opportunity to see John Coney/Sun Ra’s Space is the Place, The Magic Sun, or Robert Mugge’s Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise again. Mugge’s documentary has aged well and does about as good a job as anyone could of giving a broad overview of Ra himself and the Arkestra. Coney’s film, on the other hand, is pure fun: a sci-fi/Blaxploitation mashup that’s the ultimate fan experience.
Vision settles in for the week at Judson Memorial Church from the 7-12 with nightly performances highlighting the career of bassist Henry Grimes. It retains its usual informal atmosphere and you’re likely to see musicians hanging out and checking out other sets. Everything happens in the main upstairs space, while the basement houses a marketplace and food vendors. It’s a good place to pick up some of the music you’ll hear over the course of the week and you can usually even get your CD autographed, too!
Tuesday night is all about this year’s Vision honoree: bassist/violinist Henry Grimes. Grimes leads two groups over the course of the evening and participates in a third. Pianist Geri Allen and drummer Andrew Cyrille join Grimes for the first set, while the final set of the night features a Grimes-led septet as an expended version of Marc Ribot’s trio with Grimes and drummer Chad Taylor, whose collaboration was captured in the 2014 Live at the Village Vanguard release.
Grimes’s story is a remarkable one. He was in high demand in the 1960s, especially in the free jazz scene, where he played with notables like Sunny Murray, Sonny Rollins, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, and Cecil Taylor — to name only a few. Grimes suddenly dropped out of the music scene after getting stuck in Los Angeles with a broken bass he had no money to repair before being rediscovered. Bassist William Parker sent Grimes one of his basses and Grimes practiced feverishly to prepare for his reemergence on the jazz scene. Appropriately enough, his big return to New York was punctuated by a performance at the 2003 Vision Fest and he’s been a regular ever since.
Wednesday night has poet Quincy Troupe (who we talked to in May for a Miles Davis birthday show) given his own slot to read some of his work in prime time. Pianist Connie Crothers then leads a trio as a lead-in to the night’s closing act: the Sun Ra Arkestra led by the 92 year old saxophonist Marshall Allen.
While the Arkestra can be wildly uneven in the quality of their performances, they’ve been solid lately, including at last year’s Vision where they closed an evening with a phenomenal show, at the Winter Jazz Fest earlier this year, where they brought the house down with a midnight set at Judson Memorial Church, and an inspired performance at a Red Bull Music Academy-sponsored “Night of Spiritual Jazz” earlier this year. Much of what I wrote for their Winter Jazz Fest date still applies, including the vitality that vocalist Tara Middleton has brought to the ensemble. I’d add that the Arkestra is actually a perfect intro for people new to jazz and while they have showmanship and performance honed to a science, their level of performance lately has been high. Fortunately, you won’t have to stay up all night to see the Arkestra do their thing this time, since the scheduled descent to Earth is at a relatively early 9:40 PM.
Thursday night’s lineup starts with multi-instrumentalist Bill Cole, who leads his “UnTempered Ensemble” featuring saxophonist Ras Moshe–who channels the spirit of John Coltrane with nearly every breath he takes–followed by Vision veteran saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc’s ensemble and a first Vision appearance by poet Tonya Foster.
Trombonist Steve Swell leads a trio as a lead-in for the night’s closing set with drummer/percussionist Hamid Drake (who we profiled in 2014) backed by an all-star cast of saxophonist Kidd Jordan, pianist Cooper-Moore, and bassist Michael Bisio.
Friday night’s lineup has early sets of ensembles led by drummer William Hooker and pianist Cooper-Moore before a closing set with pianist Michele Rosewoman’s “New Yor-Uba” ensemble. We profiled Rosewoman in 2013, for the CD release of her New Yor-Uba project. Look for an inspired spiritual set from Rosewoman, as she blends Yoruba songs with jazz improvisation and expect a special touch of freedom for the Vision crowd.
Saturday night’s lineup highlights saxophonist Hamiett Bluiett and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, each leading ensembles. Bluiett wrapped up last year’s Vision on the last night leading a rousing performance with a cast so large that it spilled off the stage and needed to commandeer space on the floor to accommodate everyone. It was a grand vision (pun unintentional) of swirling sounds that captured much of what the festival is about. The enormity of the sound produced nearly shook the building at times. Expect a slightly less magisterial treatment this year, as he “only” leads a quartet, however, with solid backing from pianist DD Jackson and drummer Hamid Drake, expect a wild ride.
Sunday night’s lineup has saxophonist Kidd Jordan’s ensemble given the duties of closing out the festival: an honor Jordan’s been tasked with before and handled brilliantly.
I can only scratch the surface here while keeping this a readable length (and may have failed in the latter already). Check the full schedule to see all the acts with our preliminary recommendations in mind. My ultimate recommendation is to show up, watch, listen, and just get lost in the atmosphere. I always walk away from Vision blown away by someone I was vaguely aware of beforehand, but that’s the magic of this festival.
We wrap our coverage with a show interviewing drummer Andrew Cyrille on Sunday June 12 from 11 PM – 1 AM EST on WBAI. If you scoot home quickly after the Kidd Jordan set, you’ll be able to catch the tail end before calling it a night and wrapping it all up until this time next year. If you miss it, not to worry: we archive shows on our website.
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Hank Williams is an associate producer for Suga’ in My Bowl on WBAI Radio and webmaster for the Suga’ and Behind the Mic sites. He is also a PhD candidate in English and Africana Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and teaches at Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Photo Credit: Hank Williams
Welcome to Suga in My Bowl radio‘s weekly feature, On The Bandstand, where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests. We’re online weekly and on the air on NYC’s WBAI-FM radio alternate Sunday nights from 11 PM -1 AM. Keep up with us via Facebook, the blog here, or our main website, or Twitter and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
We’re off the air this week, but stop by our archives to get your fix from nearly 7 years of archived shows until next week. Look for us at this year’s Vision Festival, which we’ll be reporting from and previewed last week with drummer Andrew Cyrille, guitarist Marc Ribot, vocalist Lisa Sokolof, pianist Geri Allen, and festival organizer Patricia Nicholson Parker.
The big event is the Vision Festival and WBAI’s a media sponsor. It starts on the 5th with films celebrating the Sun Ra Arkestra at Anthology Film Archives and moves to Judson Memorial Church from the 7-12 with nightly performances highlighting the career of bassist Henry Grimes. Former guests include poet Quincy Troupe, saxophonist Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Arkestra, pianist Michele Rosewoman, drummer Hamid Drake, and bassist William Parker. The schedule is at Vision’s site.
AZA, the exhibit of drummer Will Calhoun’s visual art collaboration is on display at the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education in the South Bronx until July 21st. See our review of the show for more details. Calhoun is also at City Winery for an acoustic show with Living Colour on June 8.
Saxophonist David Murray is at the Harlem Afternoon Jazz Series at Rendall Memorial Presbyterian Church on the 7th.
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater is at the Jazz Standard from the 7-12.
Blues vocalist Alexis P. Suter is at BB King’s on the 8th.
Vocalist Catherine Russell is at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room from June 8-9.
Trombonist/seashellist Steve Turre is at Smoke with the “Bones of Art” ensemble from the 8-9.
Saxophonist René McLean is at Smoke, joined by fellow saxophonist Gary Bartz for a Jackie McLean tribute from June 10-12.
Low brass specialist on tuba Joe Daley is at Terra Blues with Hazmat Modine on June 11th.
Vibraphonist Roy Ayers joins Talib Kweli at The Blue Note on June 13th.
Vocalist Rene Marie is at Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse on the 14th for the National Jazz Museum in Harlem’s annual benefit concert.
Bassist Christian McBride is at The Blue Note from June 14-19th.
Pianist Vijay Iyer is at the Jazz Standard from June 15-19th.
Percussionist Steve Kroon is at Smoke on the 15th.
Pianist /Vocalist Andy Bey is at Mezzrow from the 17-18th.
Poet Sonia Sanchez’s and saxophonist Gary Bartz are at The Blue Note for an afternoon show on June 18th.
Saxophonist Kamasi Washington is at Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield for a free Summerstage performance on the 18th as part of the Blue Note Jazz Festival.
Finally, the Blue Note Jazz festival runs throughout the month and has many more shows in addition to the ones highlighted here.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI‘s airwaves on June 12. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
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Hank Williams is an associate producer for Suga’ in My Bowl on WBAI Radio and webmaster for the Suga’ and Behind the Mic sites. He is also a PhD candidate in English and Africana Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and teaches at Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Photo Credit: Hank Williams
Welcome to Suga in My Bowl radio‘s weekly feature, On The Bandstand, where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests. We’re online weekly and on the air on NYC’s WBAI-FM radio alternate Sunday nights from 11 PM -1 AM. Keep up with us via Facebook, the blog here, or our main website, or Twitter and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
This week’s show is a preview of the 2016 Vision Festival and we’re talking to drummer Andrew Cyrille, guitarist Marc Ribot, vocalist Lisa Sokolof, pianist Geri Allen, and festival organizer Patricia Nicholson Parker.
WBAI’s Spring Fund Drive has begun and We have 2 special premiums. There are signed copies of Quincy Troupe’s book Miles and Me or a one day pass to the Vision Festival. Either is available for a $35 pledge. Both include a year’s station membership and the Vision pass gets you discounted admission. You can pledge online throughout the drive for Miles and Me or for the Vision festival pass — or both. You can also call the hotline at 516-620-3602 if you want to do things the old school way. But act fast: there are limited copies of the book and only 3 Vision passes available. When they’re gone, they’re gone.
The big event is the Vision Festival and WBAI’s a media sponsor. It starts on the 5th with films celebrating the Sun Ra Arkestra at Anthology Film Archives and moves to Judson Memorial Church from the 7-12 with nightly performances highlighting the career of bassist Henry Grimes. Former guests include poet Quincy Troupe, saxophonist Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Arkestra, pianist Michele Rosewoman, drummer Hamid Drake, and bassist William Parker. The schedule is at Vision’s site and my long-promised preview really is on the way this week.
AZA, the exhibit of drummer Will Calhoun’s visual art collaboration is on display at the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education in the South Bronx until July 21st. See our review of the show for more details. Calhoun will be at the Blue Note on May 30th with McCoy Tyner. He’s also at The Blue Note with Living Colour in a special free show on the 31st and acoustic Living Colour shows at City Winery on June 1 and 8.
Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin leads the Soulsquad at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club on May 31.
Poet/playwright Sonia Sanchez’s plays Sister Son/Ji and The Bronx is Next have a short run at Restoration Plaza’s Skylight Gallery in Brooklyn from June 2-4.
Low brass specialist on tuba Joe Daley is at Le Poisson Rouge with Hazmat Modine on June 4 and Terra Blues on the 11th.
Trombonist/seashellist Steve Turre is at Borough of Manhattan Community College’s Tribeca Performing Arts Center on the 4th for the Lost Jazz Shrines series and at Smoke with the “Bones of Art” ensemble from the 8-9.
Drummer Roy Haynes is at Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield for a free Summerstage performance with pianist McCoy Tyner on the 4th.
Looking ahead, Saxophonist David Murray is at the Harlem Afternoon Jazz Series at Rendall Memorial Presbyterian Church on the 7th.
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater is at the Jazz Standard from the 7-12.
Blues vocalist Alexis P. Suter is at BB King’s on the 8th.
Vocalist Catherine Russell is at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room from June 8-9.
Saxophonist René McLean is at Smoke, joined by fellow saxophonist Gary Bartz for a Jackie McLean tribute from June 10-12.
Finally, the Blue Note Jazz festival runs throughout the month and we’ll highlight some of the shows next time.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI‘s airwaves on June 12. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
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Hank Williams is an associate producer for Suga’ in My Bowl on WBAI Radio and webmaster for the Suga’ and Behind the Mic sites. He is also a PhD candidate in English and Africana Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and teaches at Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Photo Credit: Hank Williams
Welcome to Suga in My Bowl radio‘s weekly feature, On The Bandstand, where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests. We’re online weekly and on the air on NYC’s WBAI-FM radio alternate Sunday nights from 11 PM -1 AM. Keep up with us via Facebook, the blog here, or our main website, or Twitter and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
We’re off the air this week, but stop by our archives to get your fix from nearly 7 years of archived shows until next week. The promised preview of the NYC summer jazz concert season is coming later this week as well — for real this time. As usual, we have lots more music for you this week.
WBAI’s Spring Fund Drive has begin and we’ve put together a special premium for you. We have 10 autographed copies of Quincy Troupe’s book Miles and Me available for a pledge of $35 to WBAI. The book is his remembrances of knowing and working with Davis on his autobiography and commentary on the music and life from one of the very few people who was close to the man.You can pledge throughout the drive at WBAI’s pledge site.
AZA, the exhibit of drummer Will Calhoun’s visual art collaboration is on display at the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education in the South Bronx until July 21st. See our review of the show for more details. Calhoun will be at the Blue Note on May 30th with McCoy Tyner.
Drummer and percussionist Bobby Sanabria leads Quarteto Ache at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on the 27th with Latino poets.
Percussionist Adam Rudolph has a residency at The Stone from May 24-29 and is joined by Graham Haynes on the 25th, 27th, and 28th.
Pianist Harold Mabern is at Mezzrow with saxophonist Eric Alexander from May 25-26.
Trumpeter Marcus Printup is Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club with the JALC Orchestra from May 25-26.
Poet and author Quincy Troupe and Margaret Porter Troupe at the Harlem Arts Salon on May 26th for a Miles Davis birthday event. They’re joined by saxophonist Gary Bartz and percussionist James Mtume Reservations are required and can be done at their site.
Saxophonist René McLean is at Sista’s Place in Brooklyn on the 28th for an African Liberation Day celebration.
Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin leads the Soulsquad at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club on May 31.
Low brass specialist on tuba Joe Daley is at Le Poisson Rouge with Hazmat Modine on June 4.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI‘s airwaves on May 29. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
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Hank Williams is an associate producer for Suga’ in My Bowl on WBAI Radio and webmaster for the Suga’ and Behind the Mic sites. He is also a PhD candidate in English and Africana Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and teaches at Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Photo Credit: Hank Williams
Welcome to Suga in My Bowl radio‘s weekly feature, On The Bandstand, where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests. We’re online weekly and on the air on NYC’s WBAI-FM radio alternate Sunday nights from 11 PM -1 AM. Keep up with us via Facebook, the blog here, or our main website, or Twitter and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
We’re off the air this week, but stop by our archives to get your fix from nearly 7 years of archived shows until next week. Check back later in the week for a preview of the NYC summer jazz concert season in a separate post. As usual, we have lots more music for you this week.
We start this week with the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, whose 17th annual jazz festival runs in in venues throughout Brooklyn and wraps up on May 15th. WBAI Radio is a media sponsor. See the CJBC’s website for the schedule (opens as a PDF).
AZA, the exhibit of drummer Will Calhoun’s visual art collaboration is on display at the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education in the South Bronx until July 21st. See our review of the show for more details. Calhoun will be at the Blue Note on May 30th with McCoy Tyner.
Guitarist Julian Lage is at Drom on the Lower East Side on May 11th and the Jazz Standard on May 12th.
Pianist Michele Rosewoman leads her Quintessence ensemble at Zinc Bar on May 12.
Pianist/keyboardist Marc Cary is at Ginny’s Supper Club on the 14th.
Drummer and percussionist Bobby Sanabria is at Carnegie Hall on the 14th for a free, afternoon “Carnegie Kids” show (reservations are necessary), at Borough of Manhattan Community College’s Tribeca Performing Arts Center at the on the 21st for the Made in New York Gala, and leads Quarteto Ache at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on the 27th with Latino poets.
Saxophonist Oliver Lake is at the 17 White St Loft in Manhattan for a duo performance with bassist Joe Fonda on May 15th.
Looking further ahead, Tubist Howard Johnson is at Craig Harris’s Harlem Afternoon Jazz Series at Rendall Memorial Presbyterian Church for two lunchtime sets on May 17th.
The MAC Power Trio of saxophonist David Murray, pianist Geri Allen, drummer Teri Lyne Carrington, and celebrates the release of their CD debut Perfection at Birdland from May 17-21.
Pianist Harold Mabern leads a trio at Small’s on the 18th.
Vocalist Thana Alexa is at 55 Bar on the 18th and the 20th.
Harpist Brandee Younger is at Tavern on the Lake in East Windsor NJ on the 20th.
Pianist and vocalist Diane Schuur is at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater from May 20-21st.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI‘s airwaves on May 15. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
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Hank Williams is an associate producer for Suga’ in My Bowl on WBAI Radio and webmaster for the Suga’ and Behind the Mic sites. He is also a PhD candidate in English and Africana Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and teaches at Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Photo Credit: Hank Williams
Welcome to Suga in My Bowl radio‘s weekly feature, On The Bandstand, where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests. We’re online weekly and on the air on NYC’s WBAI-FM radio alternate Sunday nights from 11 PM -1 AM. Keep up with us via Facebook, the blog here, or our main website, or Twitter and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
This week’s guests are harpist Riza Printup and trumpeter Marcus Printup. Marcus leads a sextet at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club on May 25th and 26th. As usual, we have lots more music for you this week.
We start this week with the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, whose 17th annual jazz festival kicked off on the 15th and runs until May 15th in venues throughout Brooklyn. WBAI Radio is a media sponsor. See the CJBC’s website for the schedule (opens as a PDF).
AZA, the exhibit of drummer Will Calhoun’s visual art collaboration is on display at the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education in the South Bronx until July 21st. See our review of the show for more details. Calhoun will be at the Blue Note on May 30th with McCoy Tyner.
Pianist Michele Rosewoman leads her Quintessence ensemble at Zinc Bar on May 5.
Organist John Medeski is at The Stone on May 6.
Low brass specialist on tuba Joe Daley is at Terra Blues with Hazmat Modine on May 7th.
Vocalist Kurt Elling, bassist Christian McBride, and vocalist Dianne Reeves all lead groups at the Prospect Park Bandshell on May 7-8th as part of the GRAMMY Park festival.
Finally, The Red Bull Music Academy has a night of spiritual Jazz featuring Pharoah Sanders, the Sun Ra Arkestra, and Kamasi Washington on May 8. The event’s listed as sold out, but details are at the Red Bull Music Academy site and there may be a wait list.
Guitarist Julian Lage is at Drom on the Lower East Side on May 11th and the Jazz Standard on May 12th.
Pianist/keyboardist Marc Cary is at Ginny’s Supper Club on the 14th.
Drummer and percussionist Bobby Sanabria leads Quarteto Ache at Carnegie Hall on the 14th and will be at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center at the Borough of Manhattan Community College on the 21st for the Made in New York Gala.
Saxophonist Oliver Lake is at the 17 White St Loft in Manhattan for a duo performance with bassist Joe Fonda on May 15th.
Looking further ahead, Tubist Howard Johnson is at Craig Harris’s Harlem Afternoon Jazz Series at Rendall Memorial Presbyterian Church for two lunchtime sets on May 17th.
The MAC Power Trio of saxophonist David Murray, pianist Geri Allen, drummer Teri Lyne Carrington, and celebrates the release of their CD debut Perfection at Birdland from May 17-21.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI‘s airwaves on May 15. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
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Hank Williams is an associate producer for Suga’ in My Bowl on WBAI Radio and webmaster for the Suga’ and Behind the Mic sites. He is also a PhD candidate in English and Africana Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and teaches at Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Photo Credit: Hank Williams
Welcome to Suga in My Bowl radio‘s weekly feature, On The Bandstand, where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests. We’re online weekly and on the air on NYC’s WBAI-FM radio alternate Sunday nights from 11 PM -1 AM. Keep up with us via Facebook, the blog here, or our main website, or Twitter and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
We’re off the air this week, but stop by our archives to get your fix from nearly 7 years of archived shows until next week. Also see our review of Will Calhoun’s art exhibit on display in the South Bronx. As usual, we have lots more music for you this week.
We start this week with the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, whose 17th annual jazz festival kicked off on the 15th and runs until May 15th in venues throughout Brooklyn. WBAI Radio is a media sponsor. You can get full information and a schedule from the CBJC by calling 718-773-2252 ext 103.
Saxophonist Tia Fuller is at The Blue Note on the 25th with the Berklee Rainbow All Stars.
AZA, the exhibit of drummer Will Calhoun’s visual art collaboration is on display at the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education in the South Bronx until July 21st. Calhoun will be at the Blue Note on the 26th May 30th with McCoy Tyner.
Pianist Randy Weston has a busy week. He leads the African Rhythms ensemble with bassist Alex Blake in the Dweck Center of the Brooklyn Public Library’s main branch on the 26th and in a free performance at New School University’s Tishman Auditorium on the 28th to close out his yearlong residency. Finally, Weston returns to the Dweck Center on the 30th for a talk on the African roots of jazz. The Brooklyn library events are part of the Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival.
Looking further ahead, Saxophonist Oliver Lake and bassist Reggie Workman are at Village Vanguard with TRIO3 from April 26-May 1.
Pianist Barry Harris leads a trio in a lunchtime set at St. Peter’s Church on April 27th.
Drummer Billy Cobham is at The Blue Note from April 27-May 1 with Donald Harrison.
Drummer Kim Thompson leads a quartet at Zinc Bar on the 29th.
Saxophonist Ahmed Abdullah leads his DIASPORA band at Sistas’ Place on April 30. This event is part of the Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival.
Pianist Geri Allen is at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club on April 30 with Joe Lovano.
Saxophonist and EVI master Marshall Allen makes a rare non-Arkestra Earthly appearance with two sets at The Stone on April 30.
Low brass specialist on tuba Joe Daley is at The Stone on May 1 for the early set and at Terra Blues with Hazmat Modine on May 7th.
Vocalist Kurt Elling, bassist Christian McBride, and vocalist Dianne Reeves all lead groups at the Prospect Park Bandshell on May 7 as part of the GRAMMY Park festival.
Pianist Michele Rosewoman leads her Quintessence ensemble at Zinc Bar on May 5.
Organist John Medeski is at The Stone on May 6.
Finally, The Red Bull Music Academy has a night of spiritual Jazz featuring Pharoah Sanders, the Sun Ra Arkestra, and Kamasi Washington on May 8. The event’s listed as sold out, but details are at the Red Bull Music Academy site and there may be a wait list.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI‘s airwaves on May 1. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
—-
Hank Williams is an associate producer for Suga’ in My Bowl on WBAI Radio and webmaster for the Suga’ and Behind the Mic sites. He is also a PhD candidate in English and Africana Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and teaches at Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Photo Credit: Hank Williams
Welcome to Suga in My Bowl radio‘s weekly feature, On The Bandstand, where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests. We’re online weekly and on the air on NYC’s WBAI-FM radio alternate Sunday nights from 11 PM -1 AM. Keep up with us via Facebook, the blog here, or our main website, or Twitter and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
This week’s guests are harpist Riza Printup and trumpeter Marcus Printup. Also scroll down for our coverage of the NEA Jazz Masters tribute concert in a previous post. As usual, we have lots more music for you this week.
We start this week with the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, whose 17th annual jazz festival kicked off on the 15th and runs until May 15th in venues throughout Brooklyn. WBAI Radio is a media sponsor. You can get full information and a schedule from the CBJC by calling 718-773-2252 ext 103.
Pianist Harold Mabern leads a trio at Smalls on the 20th.
Bassist Alex Blake and WBAI World of Jazz host Dwight Brewster are at Staten Island’s The Gallery on the 22nd. This event’s part of the Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival.
Drummer and visual artist Will Calhoun is at the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education in the South Bronx on the 22nd for a performance and reception to open the show of his visual art, which is on display until July 21st.
Pianist/vocalist Andy Bey is at Mezzrow from the 22nd-23rd.
Guitarist Pat Metheny returns to the area for a series of shows with bassist Ron Carter. The duo are at Norwalk CT’s Infinity Hall on April 20-21, Cape May NJ’s Exit Zero Jazz Fest on the 23rd, and Newton NJ’s Newton Theater on the 24th.
Also at Exit Zero is vocalist René Marie, who takes the stage on the 23rd.
Poet/vocalist Latasha Nevada Diggs hosts a free tribute to the late poet Jayne Cortez at Highline Ballroom on the 23rd.
Saxophonist “Sweet Poppa” Lou Donaldson has a free outdoor concert at the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education Rooftop in the South Bronx on the 23rd.
Jeff Lieberman’s The Amazing Nina Simone documentary film screens at the Lower East Side’s Metrograph Theater on the 23rd.
Pianist/keyboardist Marc Cary is at Ginny’s Supper Club on the 23rd.
Percussionist Steve Kroon is at the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights for Jazz Vespers on the 24th. This event’s part of the Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival.
Saxophonist Tia Fuller is at The Blue Note on the 25th with the Berklee Rainbow All Stars.
Pianist Randy Weston leads the African Rhythms ensemble with bassist Alex Blake in the Dweck Center of the Brooklyn Public Library’s main branch on the 26th. Weston returns to the Dweck Center on the 30th for a talk on the African roots of jazz. These events are part of the Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival.
Looking further ahead, Saxophonist Oliver Lake and bassist Reggie Workman are at Village Vanguard with TRIO3 from April 26-May 1.
Drummer Billy Cobham is at The Blue Note from April 27-May 1 with Donald Harrison.
Drummer Kim Thompson leads a quartet at Zinc Bar on the 29th.
Saxophonist Ahmed Abdullah leads his DIASPORA band at Sistas’ Place on April 30. This event’s part of the Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival.
Pianist Geri Allen is at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club on April 30 with Joe Lovano.
Finally, The Red Bull Music Academy has a night of spiritual Jazz featuring Pharoah Sanders, the Sun Ra Arkestra, and Kamasi Washington on May 8. The event’s listed as sold out, but details are at the Red Bull Music Academy site and there may be a wait list.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI‘s airwaves on May 1. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
—-
Hank Williams is an associate producer for Suga’ in My Bowl on WBAI Radio and webmaster for the Suga’ and Behind the Mic sites. He is also a PhD candidate in English and Africana Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and teaches at Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Behind the Mic 