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 used to be on the air on NYC’s WBAI-FM radio every Tuesday night from 10 PM -12 midnight. 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 we start with an editorial announcement. We’re off the air for the time being because WBAI Radio has had its local programming terminated by it’s owner, the Pacifica Foundation, which cited the station’s financial losses as a reason for firing all the staff. You can read more from Gothamist, the Amsterdam News and the Indypendent. For now, I’ll point you to our archives with a decade of shows to stream. I’ll also still be doing weekly online Bandstand updates for the time being and will keep an eye on hits. If there’s interest, I’ll keep compiling listings and we’ll try to get back to event coverage. Thanks for reading and the interest over the years! -Hank
The annual BRIC Jazz Fest returns from October 19-26 under the roof of BRIC Arts Media’s building in downtown Brooklyn. Highlights include a screening of Sophie Huber’s Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes documentary on October 22; a performance by saxophonist Ravi Coltrane on the first festival “marathon night” October 24; pianist/vocalist Amina Claudine Myers on the second marathon night October 25; and drummer Antonio Sanchez‘s Migration and saxophonist Tia Fuller‘s ensembles on the third and final marathon night.
Bassist Ron Carter wraps up his residency at Birdland with a nonet from October 22-26.
Saxophonist Rene McLean is Brooklyn’s Sista’s Place on October 26.
Bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake are at The Stone with Assif Tsahar on October 25-26.
The tireless Vision Fest promoters Arts for Art start their late fall “Free Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon” series” with an afternoon set by bassist William Parker, drummer William Hooker, and saxophonist Daniel Carter at the Clemente Soto Velez Center on October 27. Admission is free (donations accepted) and there will be drawing materials for children and an interactive part of the performance. The series runs Sundays through December 15.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl’s radio show’s on hiatus for the moment, but we’ll have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
—- Hank Williamsis 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 Lehman College. Find him on Twitter @streetgriot
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 used to be on the air on NYC’s WBAI-FM radio every Tuesday night from 10 PM -12 midnight. 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 we start with an editorial announcement. We’re off the air for the time being because WBAI Radio has had its local programming terminated by it’s owner, the Pacifica Foundation, which cited the station’s financial losses as a reason for firing all the staff. You can read more from Gothamist, the Amsterdam News and the Indypendent. For now, I’ll point you to our archives with a decade of shows to stream. I’ll also still be doing weekly online Bandstand updates for the time being and will keep an eye on hits. If there’s interest, I’ll keep compiling listings and we’ll try to get back to event coverage. Thanks for reading and the interest over the years! -Hank
Bassist Ron Carter continues his residency at Birdland with a quartet from October 15-19 and a nonet from October 22-26.
Poet and multi-instrumentalist Ngoma Hill is at Sister’s Uptown Bookstore in Harlem on October 15 and the third Tuesday of every month for the Fat Tuesdays poetry and music showcase.
Vision Fest Promoters Arts for Art take the avant jazz show on the road to Brooklyn’s historic Weeksville Heritage Center from October 18-20. Bassist William Parker performs solo and leads a quartet on October 19 and returns as part of Mixashawn Rozie’s ensemble on October 20.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl’s radio show’s on hiatus for the moment, but we’ll have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
—- Hank Williamsis 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 Lehman College. Find him on Twitter @streetgriot
Words by Hank Williams | Photos by Joyce Jones & Hank Williams
The annual Vision Fest returns his year for its 24th edition and as usual provides a week full of avant garde jazz, dance, poetry, and visual art all under the same roof and available for the same admission fee. Single day passes are available and it’s probably a good idea to grab them in advance since the individual evenings can sell out. It’s worth considering a full festival pass, which gets you entrance to all six nights.
The 2019 event moves back to a more traditional calendar slot, running from June 11-16 and returns to Roulette in downtown Brooklyn. Roulette’s extremely easy to access, though: it’s one long block from the Atlantic Avenue subways and LIRR station.
The festival officially started on Sunday June 9 with film screenings at Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan.
This post will highlight a few key performances to look forward to, but you can (and should) look at the full schedule since it’s not possible to focus on every performance there in a single post and one of the wonderful things about the festival are the sets that take you by surprise.
Andrew Cyrille | Joyce Jones/Sugabowl Photography
As is Vision’s tradition, the opening night on Tuesday June 11 is centered around an artist that Vision bestows with a lifetime achievement award. This year’s honoree is drummer Andrew Cyrille. As is Vision’s tradition, Cyrille will perform in multiple ensembles during the course of the evening with collaborators chosen by the honoree. Cyrille’s going for quantity this time and will be part of eight different ensembles throughout the evening.
Cyrille’s Haitian Fascination ensemble starts off the night, and here he’s joined by poet Quincy Troupe. Later on is a duet with saxophonist and frequent Vision participant saxophonist Kidd Jordan. Jordan’s wide-open, bluesy style should mesh well and will push the limits as both are consummate improvisors. Following that, drummer Milford Graves joins Cyrille for another duo that recalls the conversation between them in a live performance captured on their 1974 Dialogue of the Drums release.
In the second half of the evening, trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and guitarist Brandon Ross join Cyrille for a trio. But one of the highlights of the night not to be missed is Cyrille’s duo with saxophonist Peter Brötzmann. Again, it reunites collaborators from an old recording, this time recalling the 1982 Andrew Cyrille Meets Peter Brötzmann release. Brötzmann rarely plays in the US these days, so any opportunity to see him is worth it.
Henry Grimes (left) and Marc Ribot at the 2016 Vision Fest. | Joyce Jones/Sugabowl Photography
Wednesday night kicks off with the return of guitarist Marc Ribot, who leads a quartet here along with drummer Chad Taylor–a frequent collaborator who was part of Ribot’s trio with bassist Henry Grimes. Nick Dunston (b) and Jay Rodriguez (sax, flute) round out the ensemble. Ribot’s set should be an evolution of his work with the Spiritual Unity ensembles and be a highly experimental, energetic show.
Later on Wednesday night, the stage gets turned over to poetry as Edwin Torres and Fred Moten’s words are accompanied by Brandon Lopez (bass) and Gerald Cleaver (drums). It should be on the more experimental, “out” end of the spectrum, but that’s one hallmark of Vision: not only does it give space to poets, but it gives them prime time slots, doesn’t relegate them to a secondary stage (which there hasn’t been for several years now), and doesn’t shy away from performances that may be conceptually difficult.
Saxophonist Kidd Jordan earns the closing slot on Wednesday night. Here, he’s joined by frequent Vision collaborators in bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake along with pianist Joel Futterman in a tribute set dedicated to the late AACM member Alvin Fielder. This is another attribute of Vision: the constant reminders of those who’ve passed on and the commitment to continue their legacy through new and revisited work. Jordan’s set should be one of the highlights of the festival, though. While Jordan’s work fits in with the avant garde slant of the festival, it draws equally deeply from the blues and sacred music. One of the most impressive things is his ability to move seamlessly between points of inspiration and create improvised free-form narratives. Parker and Drake are perfect partners here as both have the flexibility to respond to whatever Jordan does and create moods of their own for Jordan to answer.
Melvin Gibbs at the 2016 Vision Fest | Joyce Jones/Sugabowl Photography
Thursday night again features a full night of performances, bookended by two particularly worth paying attention to. The God Particle ensemble brings together Melvin Gibbs (electric bass), Stephon Alexander (sax, laptop, EWI), James Brandon Lewis (sax), Luke Stewart (bass), Marc Cary (piano, synth), Graham Haynes (tpt), Will Calhoun (d), and David Pleasant (d, body perc). Gibbs’s ensemble builds on his interest in physics and collaborative work with Alexander, who’s a theoretical physicist and author of The Jazz of Physics. Their description probably sums up the set best: “God Particle will premiere a new work, Ogodo, the Cosmic Fabric, which examines the similarities between theoretical physics and African cosmology in relation to the concept of the “cosmic fabric” of space-time.”
To close Thursday evening, saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc leads Alto Gladness, featuring a trio of saxophonists along with William Parker (b) and Gerald Cleaver (d) in a tribute to Cecil Taylor that looks to be loud, boisterous fun.
Friday begins the first of a trio of afternoon panel discussions, held at 3 PM before the evening’s main performances start. This afternoon’s focus will be on Race and Gender in music and how it reflects economics and available resources for artists.
Later on Friday night, the duo of bassist William Parker and pianist Matthew Shipp hits, in what they say is their first duo appearance in the US in a decade. Expect intense and nuanced conversation between the two from this intimate set.
Saturday starts off with another rountable discussion (this time at 1 PM) on Practical Concerns of FreeJazz Artists). A large panel takes on a range of issues including housing, funding opportunities, education, and performance opportunities.
James Brandon Lewis at the 2016 Vision Festival | Hank Williams
Saturday night features a solid lineup as well, with several acts worth seeing. Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis’s Unruly Quintet takes the stage at 9:30 PM. The lineup is the same one as the critically acclaimed Unruly Manifesto released earlier this year: Luke Stewart (b), Warren “Trae” Crudup (d), Anthony Pirog (elec guitar), and Jaimie Branch (tpt). Pirog and Branch add depth to the already tight, hard-hitting trio that played Vision in 2016 and made a big impression with their raw energy and Lewis’s incredible honesty. Lewis brings the same raw power and finesse to the stage and the colors and textures Pirog and Branch add to the mix promise an extremely enjoyable and challenging set of music.
Douglas R. Ewart closes out Saturday night with a set that should be a little less high energy than the previous one, but still extremely satisfying as well, with bassist Luke Stewart returning and guitarist Brandon Ross joining the cast to pay tribute to Joseph Jarman.
Sunday starts with the final afternoon panel discussion on Understanding and Achieving Cultural Equity at 3 PM followed by several strong closing night sets. Heroes are Gang Leaders, led by James Brandon Lewis and poet Thomas Sayers Ellis, takes the work of the late poet, writer, music critic, and Vision performer Amiri Baraka as a starting point for their own combination of words and music that serves as a fitting follow-up to Baraka’s own Blue Ark ensembles that graced the Vision stage many times in the past.
Pianist D.D. Jackson draws the honor of closing out the entire festival on Sunday night with a band formed in tribute to the late saxophonist Hamiett Bluiett.
That’s a lot–and it still just scratches the surface of what’s on offer at Vision. Again, it’s worth jumping to the full schedule to see everyone scheduled to perform.
For a deeper dive into this year’s honoree Andrew Cyrille, check out our show that aired on June 4 on WBAI, which was actually the first of two parts. We’ve also previously profiled several of the artists highlighted in this piece.
Constants of the festival are the open atmosphere, where artists mingle before and after sets and outside the venue and the vending area with releases from the artists you’ve just heard–often on small or obscure labels–that you can likely have autographed on the spot to taker home and all sorts of other related things.
With as much change as there is every year in the arts scene and the continuing reports of either the resurgence or death of jazz (depending who you read), the Vision Festival endures as a reassuring institution that’s seemed to survive by keeping true to its roots and taking real ethical and artistic principles that it sticks to no matter what. For an impressive 24 years, that’s been the secret to success, if only by sheer force of will, lots of community support, and tons of behind-the-scenes and often donated labor that substitutes for corporate underwriting. But the above is simply an embodiment of the festival’s name: it creates one vision of what we might want the artistic world to look like and a template for bringing it closer to fruition.
We’ll also check back in with a review and photos after Vision wraps up.
—- Hank Williamsis 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. Find him on Twitter @streetgriot
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 every Tuesday night from 10 PM -12 midnight. 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 back on air this week! This week’s guest is trumpeter Jaimie Branch, whose Fly or Die debut album garnered lots of deserved praise last year. Tune in to hear her story. And we have more listings for you this week.
Before we get to the rest of this week’s listings, a note that WBAI Radio’s Winter Fund Drive is in full swing. We urge you to give whatever you can and it’s particularly helpful to become a sustaining member with a monthly pledge, which we call a BAI Buddy. and gets you a few perks–including a members’ discount card useful for several places around NYC–in addition to giving the station a predictable, stable source of support. Remember that one-time pledges start at only $5–yes: $5. As always, thanks for any help you can offer.
Vision Fest promoters Arts for Art team up with The Kitchen for 3 nights of performances from March 7-9. Bassist William Parker and Hamid Drake are there on the 8th and return on the 9th with pianist Dave Burrell’s Harlem Renaissance project. Drummer Andrew Cyrille presents Haitian Fascination on the 9th.
Pianist Harold Mabern leads a trio at Smalls on March 8 and is at Smoke from March 14-16.
Vocalist Thana Alexa is at Interface NYC for an Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday tribute on March 9.
Pianist Marc Cary’s Harlem Sessions series continues with late Saturday night sets at Smoke on March 9 and 16. He’s also at Mezzrow on March 11.
Saxophonist Gary Bartz, pianist Vijay Iyer, and drummer Lenny White are all at the Blue Note from March 14-17 with trumpeter Charles Tolliver for the 50th anniversary of his Paper Man release.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl will be back on WBAI‘s airwaves on Tuesday March 5 in our new weekly 10 PM slot! We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
—- Hank Williamsis 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 Lehman College. Find him on Twitter @streetgriot
This week, the annual Winter Jazz Fest is on and in full swing. The 15th edition of the increasingly popular showcase expanded again, with a third “mini marathon” night of music on Saturday January 5th and several standalone events, which we previewed here. In this post, we’ll take a look at the two marathon nights of music on Friday January 11th and Sunday January 12th in venues scattered around the heart of Greenwich Village.
As we’ve done for the past few years, we’ll go through a shows with a viewers’ guide to some of our preferred picks, with an admitted lean toward former guests on the Suga in My Bowl radio show.
I’ll point you toward the Friday and Saturday schedules and artist lineup, but hopefully this will help wade through the myriad choices available each night. Obviously, there are several ways to experience the festival. You can either pick and choose key acts, take a more eclectic approach and see what you find, or some combination of the two. It’s all good.
FESTIVAL THEME AND FOCUS
The theme is again on social justice, as it has been for the last few years. This year, following on the heels of #MeToo, the spotlight has shifted to women’s role in music. The We Have Voice Collective was initiated by several female musicians, including Fay Victor, Nicole Mitchell, Linda May Han Oh, Jen Shyu, Imani Uzuri, and Tia Fuller. Their open letter calls for a code of conduct, establishing safe spaces for women, LGBTQIA, transgender, and non-binary artists working in music and more opportunities for work in a field that’s often dominated by men. Festival co-organi and support of the broader discussion around Black Lives Matter, a theme that festival producer Brice Rosenbloom has committed to gender parity for the festival, noting in an essay in the 2019 program that while WJF has taken steps of its own, he sees that there’s still more work to be done and that the next step is pushing individual bandleaders to commit to more gender balance in their groups.
This year’s artist-in-residence is Meshell Ndgeocello, who has several sets of her own and will be part of an afternoon panel discussion on Saturday January 12.
TICKETS AND ADMISSION
WJF has ticket options for either the Friday or Saturday marathon nights–or both–but they don’t offer tickets for individual sets. That said, they’re a pretty good deal for how much music you get if you see more than a single show and there’s likely something to suit almost everyone’s taste. The one constant is that we strongly recommend getting tickets in advance, since the festival’s popularity does lead to sellouts.
LOCATIONS AND LOGISTICS
The WJF’s heart is still in the center of the Village: with venerable institutions Zinc Bar, The Bitter End, and Le Poisson Rouge returning, but the spaces at the New School that have been used for the last two years are gone and as a result the festival’s more scattered, with poles in the West and East Village also.
Zinc Bar is small and popular, so be warned that seeing an act scheduled there means getting there very early, and possibly skipping something else in the process.
On the western frontier of the Village and Tribeca are SOB’s and the SOHO Playhouse.
Nublu, Bowery Ballroom, Subculture, The Sheen Center, Public Arts, Mercury Lounge, and Bowery Ballroom are clustered together on the East Village/Lower East Side
Obviously, figuring out what one wants to see also means taking into account the logistics of who’s playing where and getting between venues, which requires more planning with the larger distances this year. It’s still very possible to venue-hop since most are a brisk walk, Citibike, or cab ride away.
Photo credit: Winter Jazz Fest (screenshot)
You can download the map here and there’s a copy in the festival program. Pickup of wristbands for marathon nights is at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker St).
HOT TIP: Use the WJF’s crowd estimator to see how much space a venue has before deciding to leave where you are. It’s at: https://www.winterjazzfest.com/crowds
FRIDAY JANUARY 11
Zinc Bar has an enticing lineup for the night and one good enough to consider staying put. The caveat is that it’s been too small for the festival for a long time, which means long lines to get in and a tight, crowded experience once you’re there. Should you decide to go, however, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen opens the night with a 6:40 PM set and at 9:20 PM the Borderlands trio takes the stage with pianist Kris Davis, bassist Stephen Crump, and drummer Eric McPherson. The following 10:40 PM set with the Artifiacts Trio featuring flutist Nicole Mitchell, cellist Tomeka Reid, and drummer Mike Reed should be an extremely satisfying one.
Over at the Sheen Center, guitarist Mary Halvorson brings her Code Girl project to the stage at 8:40 PM. Halvorson’s dense, looping electric guitar style’s attracting more fans, both as a side player and as a leader. Her collaborations with fellow guitarist Marc Ribot and others showcase her ability as a collaborative player capable of adding dense textures to an ensemble, which she’s continued in her own projects as a leader. For a deep dive, see our March 2018 show with Halvorson.
Meanwhile at Subculture in the 9:40 PM set, pianist Aaron Parks will work through his 2018 Little Big release, which is gaining a lot of deserved attention.
Over at Mercury Lounge, saxophonist Marcus Strickland‘s Twi Life is a solid pick in the 10:40 PM slot for anyone looking for a fresh take on the music rooted in the jazz tradition, yet incorporating funk, soul, and elements of hip hop. For a deeper dive see our recent show with Strickland as part of our 2019 WJF coverage.
For you real night owls or hardcore fans of the after-hours scene, Nublu‘s 1 AM Late Night Jam Session led by trumpeter Jamie Branch is worth making your way over to the Lower East Side for. Branch’s debut 2018 Fly Or Die release gained the attention of a lot of people who might not have caught her while woodshedding at the Vision Festival or other venues.
SATURDAY JANUARY 12th
The piano duo of Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn kick things off with a 6:20 PM set at Le Poisson Rouge. Iyer shouldn’t need much introduction at this point, but his densely layered, nearly cinematic works have kept him busy touring when he’s not teaching at Harvard. The conversation between the two should yield a heady, exciting set that will reward close listening yet still being accessible. For a much deeper dive, see our 2015 show featuring Iyer.
Later on at LPR, veteran drummer Billy Hart‘s quartet sets up in the 9 PM time slot. Hart, who earned his chops as a member of Herbie Hancock’s groundbreaking and forward-looking 1970s Mwandishi band is now a key member of The Cookers superband when not helming his own ensemble. Expect a high energy straight ahead set that’ll swing hard.
Over at SOB’s, vocalist Fay Victor and saxophonist Nubya Garcia present compelling cases for going there. Victor’s 6:40 PM set with Mutations for Justice reprises the concept she’s workshopped over the past year and done versions of at last year’s Winter Jazz and Vision Festivals. Victor’s avant-garde vocal style meshes well with that of her band and speaks directly to the current political period, with some of her lyrics sounding like a stream of consciousness voice from Trump’s brain and critiquing the absolute absurdity of it all. Nubya Garcia’s 9:30 PM set might provide some revelations, as it did for me when I heard her open for Thursday night’s concert with sax greats Gary Bartz and Pharoah Sanders. When asked about how it felt to open for them, she said: “I can’t really put that into words. It’s very surreal and a huge honor.” Garcia’s style seemed a natural pairing and her set was an energetic one led by her playing paired with strong, bass-heavy drumming and trippy, dub-inflected keyboards. If you want to see one possible future of what jazz looks like, see her.
Over on the east side, Subculture has some appealing sets with Liebman, Rudolph, & Drake combining the powers of Dave Liebman and percussionists Adam Rudolph and Hamid Drake at 9:20 PM. Expect, obviously, a percussion-heavy set but one marked by African rhythms and rich textures set off by Liebman’s work on sax and piano.
You may want to stay put for J.D. Allen and David Murray‘s midnight set, which should keep you alert with the dueling tenor saxophones of the co-leaders. Murray’s capable of playing both “in” and “out” and matching lyricism with pure energy.
To tip my hand somewhat, I’ll probably post up at The Sheen Center, a new venue this year. If you missed saxophonist Gary Bartz‘s historic Thursday night set with Charles Tolliver and Pharoah Sanders, you have another chance to catch him in the 8:20 PM set with Pocket Science, where he teams up with colorful (in every sense of the word) electric bassist Jamaladeen Tacuma. I’m not quite sure what to expect, but Tacuma’s funk and harmolodics-inspired riffs should give Bartz a nice foundation to launch from.
If you’re inclined towards Pocket Science, stick around for the 9:40 PM set intriguingly titled Impressions of Pepper Round Robin with an all star cast of drummers Mark Giuliana, Makaya McCraven, and Nate Wood; electric guitarist Liberty Ellman; keyboardists Brian Jackson (best known for his Gil Scott Heron collaborations) and Matthew Whittaker; pianist David Virelles; trumpeter Keyon Harrold; harpist Brandee Younger; trombonist Clark Gayton; and saxophonist JD Allen. Admittedly I don’t know exactly what to expect here, but it’s certain to be a wild, loud, electronic ride.
At 11 PM, pianist/vocalist Amina Claudine Myers slows things down a bit with a quieter, more contemplative set that’ll showcase her thoughtful lyrics and vocal ability. Myers is joined by three other vocalists here, so expect some interesting interplay between them.
That’s a lot! But the nice thing about Winter Jazz is that it presents you with a good dilemma: who to choose from the sheer amount of interesting acts. We’ll check back in after it’s all wrapped up.
Are you planning to go? Who are you looking forward to seeing? Let us know in the comments.
—- Hank Williamsis 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 Lehman College in The Bronx.
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 if you missed last week’s show with bassist Jamaladeen Tacuma, head over to our archives where you can hear that and nearly a decade of previous shows. As usual, we have more listings for you this week.
Bassist William Parker leads the In Order to Survive Sextet at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club from August 28-29 with saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and drummer Hamid Drake.
Drummer Andrew Cyrille is at the Village Vanguard with Joe Lovano from August 28-September 2.
Saxophonist Gary Bartz is at Smoke for a Charlie Parker tribute from August 30-September 2.
Drummer Lenny White is at the Jazz Standard with Cyrus Chestnut’s trio from August 30-September 2. He’s also at Kitano on September 7-8 with George Colligan’s trio.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl will be back on WBAI‘s airwaves on Sunday September 2. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
—- Hank Williamsis 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 Lehman College and The City College of New York. Find him on Twitter @streetgriot
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 guest is bassist Jamaladeen Tacuma! He has no immediate upcoming shows, but we’ll let you know when he’s in the area. But we have more listings for you this week.
Saxophonist T.K. Blue is in Ossining NY at Henry Gourdine Park on August 20 for a free outdoor concert sponsored by Jazz Forum Arts.
Guitarist Bill Frisell has a residency at The Stone from August 21-26 and is joined by drummer Andrew Cyrille on the 23. He’ll also be at National Sawdust in Brooklyn to perform a specially commissioned work on August 29 and at Russ and Daughters Café on August 30.
Pianist Harold Mabern leads a trio at the Village Vanguard from August 21-26. Connecticut fans can catch his trio at The Side Door in Old Lyme on August 31 and September 1.
Pianist Marc Cary’s Harlem Sessions series continues with late Saturday night sets at Smoke on August 25 and September 1.
Harpist Riza Printup and bassist Mimi Jones team up to lead an ensemble for a morning set at Newark’s Bethany Baptist Church on August 26.
Bassist William Parker leads the In Order to Survive Sextet at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club from August 28-29 with saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and drummer Hamid Drake.
Drummer Andrew Cyrille is at the Village Vanguard with Joe Lovano from August 28-September 2.
Saxophonist Gary Bartz is at Smoke for a Charlie Parker tribute from August 30-September 2.
Drummer Lenny White is at the Jazz Standard with Cyrus Chestnut’s trio from August 30-September 2. He’s also at Kitano on September 7-8 with George Colligan’s trio.
We finish this week with events at the annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival sponsored by the City Parks Foundation. Most are free. Trumpeter Adam O’Farrill and saxophonist Gary Bartz are both at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem on August 22. Also on August 22 is a screening of Jake Meginsky’s documentary film Milford Graves Full Mantis at Harlem’s Maysles Documentary Center including a discussion with Graves and Meginsky. (See our review of the film and our show devoted to it.) Gary Bartz and drummer Jack DeJohnette are at Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park on August 24 with Charles Tolliver. Vocalist Catherine Russell is at Garvey Park on August 25. Gary Bartz and Amina Claudine Myers are at Tompkins Sq. Park on August 26. See the full schedule here.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl will be back on WBAI‘s airwaves on Sunday September 2. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
—- Hank Williamsis 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 Lehman College and The City College of New York. Find him on Twitter @streetgriot
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 guest is trumpeter Freddie Hendrix. Hendrix will be at the closing night of this year’s Vision Fest at Roulette in downtown Brooklyn on Memorial Day–May 28–with saxophonist Oliver Lake’s big band. Vision’s remains the big story this week; scroll to the bottom for more Vision Fest info.
WBAI Radio’s Spring Fund Drive is underway and it needs your support to stay on the air and keep this show on the air. You You can pledge as little as $5 online and we encourage you to consider becoming a sustaining member with a monthly pledge. The proceeds support WBAI Radio–not us–and will help ensure the survival of listener supported non-commercial radio in New York! We’re grateful for any gift you can give the station.
Percussionist Ray Mantilla is at Gateway Center in downtown Newark NJ for a free outdoor lunchtime performance on June 6 as part of WBGO Radio’s concert series.
Blues vocalist Alexis P. Suter is at Van Vleck Gardens in Montclair NJ on June 10 and at Caramoor in Katonah NY for the American Roots Music Festival on June 23.
The 23rd annual Vision Festival showcase of avant garde Jazz, poetry, dance and visual art wraps up on May 28, Memorial Day at Roulette in downtown Brooklyn. The last day starts with an afternoon panel discussion on the topic of the struggle for cultural equity in New York’s music communities with Dave Burrell, William Parker, Craig Harris among the speakers. Trombonist Craig Harris’s Brown Butterfly suite and saxophonist Oliver Lake’s Big Band are highlights of the night’s performances. You can jump to the full schedule right now or see our preview. We’ll also have a review when it wraps up if you can’t make it and need to live vicariously through us.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl will be back on WBAI‘s airwaves on Sunday June 10. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
—- Hank Williamsis 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 Lehman College and The City College of New York. Find him on Twitter @streetgriot
The annual Vision Fest returns his year for its 23rd edition and as usual provides a week full of avant garde jazz, dance, poetry, and visual art all under the same roof and available for the same admission fee. Single day passes are available and it’s probably a good idea to grab them in advance since the Wednesday night opening is already sold out.
The 2018 event is much earlier than usual: running from May 23-29, wrapping up on Memorial Day. It also features a return to Roulette in downtown Brooklyn after 3 years at Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village. Roulette’s extremely easy to access, though: it’s one long block from the Atlantic Avenue subways and LIRR station.
The festival officially started on Monday May 21 with films at Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan.
As is Vision’s tradition, the opening night on Wednesday May 23 is centered around an artist that Vision bestows with a lifetime achievement award. This year’s honoree is pianist Dave Burrell. As is Vision’s tradition, Burrell will perform in multiple ensembles during the course of the evening.
Burrell’s Harlem Renaissance suite featuring drummer Andrew Cyrille should be worth a look, and emanates from the intersection of his family’s history with the era.
Next up is what promises to be a historic reunion of former bandmates when Burrell joins legendary saxophonist Archie Shepp along with drummer Hamid Drake and bassist William Parker; the latter two are both familiar names to the Vision crowd. Burrell appears on several of Shepp’s classic early 1970s albums, including Live at the Pan African Festival, Blasé, Kwanza, and Attica Blues. Additionally, he’s been a more recent collaborator with Drake and Parker. The set promises to be a memorable one, as Shepp doesn’t gig too often in the US now.
Wednesday night’s closing set promises to be an exceptionally exhilarating ride, with Burrell leading a quintet with dual tenor saxophonists in Kidd Jordan and James Brandon Lewis, bassist William Parker, and drummer Hamid Drake. Jordan and Lewis are at opposite ends of the age spectrum, but both have a free-flowing wide open playing style and with Jordan drawing from the deep wells of the southern Blues for much of his inspiration, the pairing with the rising star Lewis should be special for all involved.
Thursday night kicks off with a panel discussion on the topic of “Creating Safe(r) Spaces in the Performing Arts,” featuring members of the We Have a Voice Collective, who released an open letter on sexism in Jazz.
Electric guitarist Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl ensemble starts Thursday night, followed by Vision veteran Whit Dickey’s trio. The Women With an Axe to Grind ensemble is something not to be overlooked, though. Bassist Jöelle Léandre will be making a rare US appearance and is joined by flutist Nicole Mitchell and violist Melanie Dyer.
Friday night brings pianist Matthew Shipp in different ensembles. Shipp teams up with Daniel Carter on saxophone/trumpet/flute and ever-present bassist William Parker for “Seraphic Light” early in the evening and leads the “Acoustic Ensemble” for the closing set. In between that, drummer Nasheet Waits’s “Equality” ensemble has a set that will be worth catching.
On Saturday, vocalist Fay Victor’s “Mutations for Justice” hits early in the evening. Victor’s freeform vocals are nearly otherworldly at times, creating a sonic palette for improvisations reminiscent of reed instruments. Slightly later, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire joins pianist Kris Davis and drummer/percussionist Tyshawn Sorey for another highly anticipated experimental set. Drummer/percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett draws Saturday night’s cleanup slot with a variation of his long-running Afro-Horn ensemble with trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah as a special guest.
Sunday starts with an afternoon panel discussion moderated by writer Scott Currie, this time for part one on the topic of “The Ongoing Struggle for Cultural Equality in NYC Music Communities” with poet Steve Cannon, pianist Dave Burrell, bassist William Parker, trombonist Craig Harris, Bernadette Speach, and Adam Shatz. Later on, Harris closes out the evening with his “Brown Butterfly” suite.
Memorial Day Monday brings another afternoon panel discussion and continues Sunday’s theme. Mike Heller moderates a panel of bassist Reggie Workman, trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah, saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, bassist Luke Stewart, drummer Warren Smith, and dancer Patricia Nicholson Parker.
Fly or Die, Trumpeter Jamie Branch’s first release as a leader, gained favorable reviews last year. You get a chance to see her ensemble live in the evening’s first set of music. Slightly later Cooper-Moore gets a solo piano set followed by saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc’s “New World Pygmies.”
Finally, saxophonist Oliver Lake’s big band closes out the entire festival on Monday night. The final festival set is traditionally a large affair and this year should be no different, especially for someone with the compositional skills of Lake. People unfamiliar with Vision might have different ideas of what a big band sounds like, but Lake’s effort here is likely to be one that swings hard while creating multiple spaces for free improvisation and pushes the boundaries.
One unique attribute of Vision is the atmosphere it intentionally creates be breaking down boundaries between audience and musicians and even musicians themselves: it’s not uncommon to see musicians attend on different days simply to watch the other sets as audience members. There’s also a vending area open every night that provides the opportunity to take home some of the music one hears and possibly even get it autographed on the spot.
Vision’s one of the most highly anticipated festivals on our calendar every year at Suga’ in My Bowl radio, and for good reason. It’s a festival of Jazz that intentionally brings one back to the roots of what the music should be about: improvisation, community, and creativity.
For a deeper dive into this year’s honoree Dave Burrell, check out our show that aired on May 13 on WBAI. Our May 27 show will focus on trumpeter Freddie Hendrix, who’ll be part of Oliver Lake’s big band on the same night. It will air on WBAI (and stream online) from 11 PM-1 AM on the 27th and be archived on our site afterwards.
We’ll also check back in with a review and photos after Vision wraps up.
—- Hank Williamsis 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. Find him on Twitter @streetgriot
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 this week, but is you missed last week’s show with pianist Dave Burrell, head over to our archives where you can hear that and nearly a decade of archived shows. Burrell’s getting a lifetime achievement award at this year’s Vision Fest and will be performing in three different combos on the opening night at Roulette in downtown Brooklyn on May 23. Drummer Andrew Cyrille joins Burrell for the Harlem Renaissance suite, later that night he reunites with saxophonist Archie Shepp, then leads a quartet in the closing set with James Brandon Lewis, Kidd Jordan, and William Parker. Vision’s the big story this week; scroll to the bottom for more Vision Fest info.
WBAI Radio’s Spring Fund Drive is underway and it needs your support to stay on the air and keep this show on the air. You You can pledge as little as $5 online and we encourage you to consider becoming a sustaining member with a monthly pledge. The proceeds support WBAI Radio–not us–and will help ensure the survival of listener supported non-commercial radio in New York! We’re grateful for any gift you can give the station.
Saxophonist Tia Fuller leads a quartet at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club on May 22.
The 23rd annual Vision Festival showcase of avant garde Jazz, poetry, dance and visual art returns to Roulete in Brooklyn from May 23-29 and starts with a film festival on May 21 at Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan. Highlights include guitarist Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl project, vocalist Fay Victor’s Mutations for Justice, drummer Francisco Mora Catlett’s Afro Horn, trombonist Craig Harris’s Brown Butterfly suite, and saxophonist Oliver Lake’s Big Band on the final night. There are also afternoon panel discussions on the topic of the struggle for cultural equity in New York’s music communities on May 27 and 28. You can jump to the full schedule right now and we’ve got a preview coming this week and continuing event coverage after that.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl will be back on WBAI‘s airwaves on Sunday May 27. We’ll also have another edition of “On the Bandstand” online next Sunday with a fresh set of listings.
—- Hank Williamsis 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 Lehman College and The City College of New York. Find him on Twitter @streetgriot
Photo Credit: Hank Williams
(L-R) Kidd Jordan, Michael Bisio, Hamid Drake | Joyce Jones/Sugabowl Photography
Behind the Mic 