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.
Suga’ in My Bowl is off the air this week. Join us next Sunday. To get your fix until then, check out our our audio archives which includes last week’s centennial dedication to Billie Holiday. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at some upcoming gigs.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI‘s airwaves April 19th. 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 Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of pianist Vijay Iyer‘s work at Suga’ in My Bowl radio. Since we did a partial profile on him back in 2010 (audio archived here), we’ve caught him several times, including leading his own trio with bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore, collaborating with the TRIO 3 ensemble of veterans Oliver Lake, Reggie Workman, and Andrew Cyrille, or in any number of one-off combinations and collaborations. In short, we think a lot of him and his work and in that regard we’re far from alone.
That’s one reason why we were excited to finally get our hands on the just-released Break Stuff, on which appears several songs that we’d heard in various stages of workshopping by Iyer and the trio. It shows the incredible range of interests and influences that Iyer channels into his work and if you’re an Iyer fan, you should probably just go get it.
But this post is actually about the “EPK” (Electronic Press Kit)– promotional video to most of us — for the release, which I can’t stop watching.
Granted, music videos are nothing new — indeed, MTV and MTV-2 built their reputation on them even if they don’t bother actually play them much anymore — and groups known primarily to the jazz world have even dabbled in the genre to varying levels of success.
The EPK, however, is a slightly different animal, combining features of a traditional music video with that of the “press kit” that would generally go out primarily to journalists with written background info on the artists, creative process, and the like that said journos could use to write up a story or review. But it’s the 21st Century! So, just like everything else, there’s a transition to video and some of the things you previously had to tell people, you can now show. And since you’re already spending money on the thing, then why not just throw it up online for everybody?
That’s what’s happening now and as a result, for a lot of releases you now get a preview of the entire album with artist commentary and background info. When done right, they’re nicely produced mini-documentaries and the one for the Vijay Iyer Trio’s Break Stuff is done right.
In the video, we get a seven-and-a-half minute walk through of the various songs that make up the release and insight to how things ended up being produced the way they are, such as Iyer’s decision to include the words from Nigerian-American writer Teju Cole‘s novel Open City and riffs on hip hop and break beats, name-checking Jeff Chang’s now classic narrative of hip hop history Can’t Stop Won’t Stop in the process. Crump and Gilmore are here, too and reveal a fair amount of their contributions to shaping the final release, including Gilmore’s near-obsessive attention to detail that confirms something I’ve seen him do: re-tune his drums in the middle of a live set. It’s fascinating stuff if you like to dive deep into the music.
To be sure, there are some issues to think about here, especially considering the cost of producing these things and availability of the platform: an artist with barely enough money to produce a full release that fits their vision as is will be hard pressed to also pay someone to professionally do a video and it also takes a certain amount of media savvy to pull all of this off. So there’s a possibility that promo videos like this will widen the existing gaps between artists.
But they’re a lot of fun to watch and you’ll get some behind the scenes action as well. So just watch it right now if you haven’t seen it yet. Even if you already have a copy of Break Stuff, you’ll probably get something from hearing Iyer, Crump, and Gilmore talk about it. If not, it might make you want to hear more, which, happily, you can.
We’re due to bring Iyer back for a full interview on the radio show and hope to make that happen soon. Of course, we’ll let you know when that happens.
Meanwhile, I have to settle down and give the album itself some undivided attention.
Have you given Break Stuff a good listen? What are your thoughts on it or the video? 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 Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Suga in My Bowl radio presents a new weekly feature, On The Bandstand where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests.
Program note: Suga’ in My Bowl has changed to a biweekly schedule on WBAI Radio and now alternates Sunday nights with Sports Qualified at our usual 11 PM -1 AM time period. You’ll get the same great show; just every other week! So mark your calendars or just keep up with us via our Facebook page, the blog here, or our main website and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
This week’s guest on Suga’ in My Bowl is saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. You can catch him at the Jazz Standard from February 3-8. We’ll also have a ticket giveaway during the show! Tune in for a chance to win. If you missed it, be sure to scroll down the page for our coverage of the Winter Jazz Fest and the Charlie Haden Memorial. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at some upcoming gigs.
Pianist Vijay Iyer wraps up his residency at The Stone on 25th with various guests sitting in each night. Legendary bassist Reggie Workman joins for the finale.
The Arts for Art organization’s (promoters of the annual Vision Fest) artist response to the Black Lives Matter movement continues through the 30th at Clemente Soto Velez Center on the Lower East Side. Dancer Patricia Nicholson Parker and trombonist Dick Griffin (who will be showing his visual art) will be among the many artists and performers there.
Pianist Marc Cary‘s 5-week residency at the Cell Theatre continues on January 31st, running on Saturday evenings through February.
Looking ahead, you have a rare opportunity to catch multi-instrumentalist Charles Gayle on saxophone, bass, and piano with guitarist Marc Ribot at The Stone on January 28th.
Looking further ahead, saxophonist Pharoah Sanders will be at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club from January 29th to February 1st.
Saxophonist Oliver Lake will be at Roulette in Brooklyn on January 30th.
The Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen has a free show at the Sugarcube pop-up performance space at South St. Seaport on January 31st. Admission is free but you can reserve a spot at their website.
Finally, looking even further ahead, Blues vocalist Alexis P. Suter will be at Treme in Islip, LI on January 31st.
That’s all for now. With our biweekly schedule, Suga’ in My Bowl is off the airwaves next week, but back on WBAI February 8th. 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 Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
After the 2015 Winter Jazz Fest wrapped up Saturday night I was left with 2 thoughts: damn am I tired and I can’t wait until next year.
The WJF, now in its 11th year has settled into a groove of being a welcome outpost of music in an otherwise dark month. The shows are an insanely good deal for the amount of top-notch music to be had and it offers a jazz overload over the course of their two main “marathon” days on Saturday and Sunday nights: January 9th and 10th.
I covered some festival logistics in a First Look and a guide to a few highlights in a Cheat Sheet and more or less stuck to the plan. The cheat sheet has an outline of some key acts to look forward to – including some I knew I wouldn’t catch and aren’t reviewed here. The plan was to see a few key groups and minimize venue changes.
I suggested earlier that the WJF is a victim of its own success. It now has to balance support for clubs that feature jazz year-round with the need for larger venues for the more popular acts. Gaining the historic Judson Memorial Church–back this year and home of event registration—as a venue has helped immensely. It’s one of the larger spaces and an excellent event space. Indeed, Arts for Art’s annual Vision Festival moves to Judson this July as well.
Gone was the Groove Lounge, which was almost comically small for saxophonist Gary Bartz’s set last year, and added to the mix were a few new spaces, including Subculture, the Players Theater, and the Minetta Lane Theater. Zinc Bar is still on the program and was still pretty much a no-go unless you got there before daily events started and stayed there. Minetta provided a much-needed larger space, in addition to Judson and Le Poisson Rouge, which returned as a cornerstone venue.
The WJF boosted the number of venues this year to 10 on both Friday and Saturday nights, which points to the event’s robust appeal. It wasn’t enough and tickets still sold out on Saturday. Festival organizers put the total headcount at 6,500 total over the 3 festival days (there were 2 standalone concerts on Thursday) with the bulk—5,500—split between Friday and Saturday nights. Also new this year was a very handy webapp that let you do a quick online check of crowds and space in a venue. Very cool! Unfortunately, it was sometimes the bearer of bad news and you often got the message you see below. Still, it’s a huge step forward and could be the deciding factor for someone trying to decide whether or not to leave and see an act in a different location.
Event registration/check-in still had its woes. Lines snaked down the block and around the corner to enter Judson’s basement where it was housed, but volunteers were cheerful and efficient once one got inside.
If there’s one lesson to be learned, that’s that you have to stay up (relatively) late to catch some of the good stuff.
If there’s one lesson to be learned, that’s that you have to stay up (relatively) late to catch some of the good stuff. That was my experience last year and I expected the same this year and was not disappointed.
Friday Highlights
I made the decision early on to focus on the acts at Minetta Lane: to get a close look at a few specific artists and catch all of David Murray’s shows, as our Suga’ in My Bowl radio show did a show on him. It’s one of the wonderful (and sometimes frustrating) decisions to be made: who do I see? Of course it is a dilemma because there are often overlapping shows that are appealing, which is the type of problem a lot of festivals would dream of having.
Saxophonist David Murray was all over the festival this year and anchored back-to-back sets at Minetta Lane, first with his Clarinet Summit and then what they dubbed the “Geri, David, and Terri” show with drummer Teri Lyne Carrington and pianist Geri Allen.
Murray’s Clarinet Summit featured Murray himself and Don Byron on sax and clarinet, veteran sax player Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, David Krakauer on clarinet, bassist Jaribu Shahid, and drummer Nasheet Waits. Waits and Shahid would also join Murray the next day as part of his Infinity Quartet.
Murray dedicated a new composition titled ” The Long March to Freedom” to the late Amiri Baraka
Murray dedicated a new composition titled ” The Long March to Freedom” to the late Amiri Baraka, who he described as “a great leader of our people”, noting the one year anniversary of Baraka’s death and that it’s also the title of Nelson Mandela’s book, which Murray said he “read 3 times until it fell apart”.
Baraka’s absence will still be felt in a lot of spaces on the avant-garde New York jazz scene this year. Murray and Baraka collaborated on the New Music-New Poetry (1982, India) release as well as Baraka’s play Primitive World. More to the point, Baraka, in addition to being a writer and critic of the music, could often be seen at performances even if he wasn’t scheduled to read himself, hanging out in the background and digging the music.
The Clarinet Summit also performed a song composed by the late Butch Morris (another figure whose absence is notable), punctuated by Krakauer hitting–and holding–an impossibility high note for an incredibly long time. Nasheet Waits ably held down the rhythm section with a smoking performance on the drums.
Murray’s second set of the evening was a trio with Allen and Carrington. Allen and Carrington have collaborated a fair amount and some of the most satisfying parts of the set came from their interplay, which often developed into long improvisational grooves with Allen starting a theme and Carrington responding on the drums or vice-versa. Allen’s delicate touch on the piano perfectly complemented Carrington’s drumming.
Displaying the confidence that comes from experience, Murray was content to watch the magic unfold as he listened, waiting for the right space to add his voice to the mixture.
Murray displayed another side of his personality and ability as a leader. Displaying the confidence that comes from experience, Murray was content to watch the magic unfold as he listened, waiting for the right space to add his voice to the mixture.
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Saxophonist Oliver Lake, drummer Andrew Cyrille, and bassist Reggie Workman have been performing together as TRIO 3 for 2 decades now. The amazing thing is that they manage to return to the format with the numerous other projects that they all have going on. Nevertheless, they do and that’s a good thing.
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Vijay Iyer joined the veteran trio on piano for the set, reprising his guest role on their 2014 Wiring release. Iyer was in the odd spot of being the junior member of an ensemble. It’s a role he easily slipped into, however, adding color with his staccato and slightly angular style, which complemented the work of the main trio well. It was also an interesting counterpoint to Geri Allen–who has also held the TRIO 3 guest spot—but has a much different style on the piano.
Friday evening’s highlight of was arguably guitarist Marc Ribot and the Young Philadelphians with strings. Ribot’s a familiar face on the NYC jazz scene and on the WJF stage: indeed, his collaboration with guitarist Mary Halvorson a memorable moment at last year’s festival. The Young Philadelphians ensemble also played the WJF in 2012 with a slightly different line-up: a performance that can be seen on YouTube.
This time they were back in a set in a main venue to cap off the evening. The 400-seat Minetta Lane Theater, which had largely emptied after the David Murray and TRIO 3 sets, had again filled and was taken on a quick tour of 1970s soul, funk, and even—gasp—disco by the blistering set.
Ribot, bassist Jamaladeen Tacuma, and drummer G. Calvin Weston, and frequent Ribot co-conspirator guitarist Mary Halvorson were joined by a string section of Christina Courtin on viola, Christopher Hoffman on cello, and Dana Lyn on violin.
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While they don’t have any official releases, they’ve been touring and performing for a few years now in slightly different lineups. The group describes itself as melding “[t]he mind-blowing harmolodic punk-funk of Ornette Coleman’s first Prime Time band and the sweet, optimistic pulse of 1970s Philly Soul”. The task is helped along by PrimeTime alumni Tacuma and Weston, both steeped in the groundbreaking saxophonist’s harmolodic tradition – one Ribot is a serious fan of himself, as witnessed by his recent City Winery show with fellow Harmolodic guitar disciple and Coleman alum, James Blood Ulmer.
The Young Philadelphians dug deep into the 1970s funk, soul, and disco crates with covers of People’s Choice’s “Do it Any Way You Wanna”, Silver Convention’s “Fly Robin Fly”, Gamble and Huff’s “TSOP” (better known as the theme to Soul Train), Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster”, and Van McCoy’s “The Hustle”.
The songs would start with slow intros, then build into a frenzy as the melody kicked in and Ribot and Halvorson spit fire from their instruments, shredding whatever fatigue might’ve been in your body. Tacuma’s bass held the center, allowing Ribot and Halvorson to go on their various excursions. The strings generally mirrored the string lines in the original songs while Weston’s drumming anchored the entire affair.
The original lyrics were similarly disembodied and re-assembled – themselves stripped down to the bare essentials and brilliantly re-imagined as chants inside the Philadelphians’ postmodern reconstruction.
If you were a Ribot fan, you might have left wondering if there is anything the guy can’t do on the guitar
If you were a Ribot fan, you might have left wondering if there is anything the guy can’t do on the guitar, especially with the collaborators his keen ear draws toward his orbit. If you somehow entered expecting traditional jazz—whatever that might mean—you might be sorely disappointed unless you just surrendered to the Young Philadelphians’ commands: “Let’s get it on / it’s time to get down!”
Toward the end of the set, a small breeze came from somewhere. Inside what was a comfortably warm theater before the set—and on the coldest night of the year outside–it felt good.
Saturday Night Highlights
Saturday’s strategy was a similarly targeted one: to see a few specific artists. On the list was the sets of Oliver Lake’s Organ Quartet, David Murray’s Infinity Quartet, and Harriet Tubman.
Lake’s Organ Quartet took the stage at around 6:15 at The Bitter End, returning again as a WJF venue. The venerable spot is still a great place to catch music and, while space in front is at a premium, one can usually squeeze in in the back of the club.
For this date, Lake was joined by Jared Gold on the organ, Josh Evans on the trumpet and Gene Lake on the drums. The quartet had no problem keeping the attention of the near-capacity crowd engaged.
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As with Murray, the different ensemble offered a more expansive view of Oliver Lake’s talent and creative process. While his approach to the instrument itself doesn’t change much, the interplay with other members is obviously different, especially as Lake is the leader and senior member of the group. It also allows him to play off of Gold’s contributions on organ and the brightness of the trumpet adds to the different sound. Lake’s voice is also much more prominent in the compositions.
Lake, whose restlessly creative mind extends beyond different ensembles to visual art and poetry, again did not disappoint.
Later on the evening, David Murray got on stage for his final performance of the festival, this time with the Infinity Quartet, which featured spoken word artist and actor Saul Williams (no relation to this writer) along with bassist Jaribu Shahid, drummer Nasheet Waits, and pianist Orrin Evans.
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Murray mentioned at the beginning of the set that the material the ensemble presented is still in somewhat of a workshop mode. They had premiered it on a European tour and were still fine-tuning the concept.
Williams is well known for his spoken word prowess in the poetry Slam world, appearance on the Broadway run of Def Poetry Jam, and leading role in the recently closed Broadway musical loosely based on Tupac Shakur Holler if You Hear Me. As mentioned earlier, Murray has some experience adding spoken word to his pieces thanks to his Baraka collaborations.
Williams’s strength is richly complex wordplay, delivered in a smooth, nearly effortless flow and timed to a staccato beat. While there was still some tinkering going on, Murray comfortably slipped in and out of the flow with his angular playing punctuating Williams’s words in key places or driving the pace of pieces with his solos while Williams stood on the side.
Harriet Tubman took the stage on Saturday evening at Subculture, a new WJF venue. Tubman consists of guitarist Brandon Ross, bassist Melvin Gibbs, and drummer J.T. Lewis. They got a little extra exposure last year with a set in Prospect Park’s “Celebrate Brooklyn” Festival and at the Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors Festival, the latter done with vocalist Cassandra Wilson, whom Tubman has been collaborating with recently.
Tubman’s set started out blazing. Ross took the duties of group intro usually handled by Gibbs, playfully warning anyone “in need of a defibrillator to please call out” for assistance. It wasn’t far from the truth and the audience was hit with the full force of Tubman’s assault from the beginning song, “Wayne’s Worldwide”, dedicated to Wayne Shorter.
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Tubman’s set and sound is far from chaos, though: it’s a supremely well-oiled machine, with members intensely listening to each other and responding with the type of give and take that only a band truly comfortable with itself can achieve. With a trio consisting of a lead electric guitar and bass and players unafraid to push the limits of their instruments and add just a little distortion to the mix, the machine operates at high volume. The group, which pulls from influences as diverse as blues, free jazz, fusion, and heavy metal exemplifies the type of experimental, expansive, and indeed fearless definition of jazz that the festival fosters.
Tubman’s set and sound is far from chaos, though: it’s a supremely well-oiled machine, with members intensely listening to each other and responding with the type of give and take that only a band truly comfortable with itself can achieve.
Tubman’s name functions as a metaphor for how they approach music, as they dip deep into the recesses of the jazz and blues tradition for their ideas which are given a modern spin and unique sound.
The Gibbs-composed “Wadmala”, for example, takes its name from a South Carolina island in the area famous for the Gullah language and Black cultural traditions.
The bluesy “Can’t Tarry”–the only composition performed with vocals (by Ross)—was appropriately dedicated to the late blues legend R.L. Burnside and began with a long Gibbs bass solo setting the tone for the piece.
The set ended—all too soon for this listener—with “Where We Stand”, dedicated to the late Alice Coltrane.
Through it all, drummer J.T. Lewis is very much the center of things, providing the propulsive heartbeat of the group and visibly listening intently, ready to react (even if subtly) to any change in the dynamic or new musical idea introduced by other members of the band.
In the middle of the set, Gibbs approached the mic during a pause to get a few things straight for the audience. The name Harriet Tubman, he pointed out, was “even more resonant than it was” when they founded the group. Indeed his point seems relevant in the wake of continuing protests over police killings of unarmed Black people.
Gibbs expanded the point, however, and tied it back to the music and the dual nature of free jazz, which has generally functioned not just as freedom of musical form but also had secondary meanings of general freedom. “If Duke Ellington were alive today”, Gibbs suggested, “he’d be using electronics and synthesizers” too, pointedly making the connection between the roots of the music and looking toward the future.
Lewis said via email that the WJF “was enjoyable [and] we were happy to present our music to a new crowd”, adding “we love the look on peoples faces when they hear what we’re doing”. Tubman has a (still untitled) new recording that they’re putting the finishing touches on for a spring 2015 Sunnyside Records release with Wadada Leo Smith as guest artist.
I opted to skip the after-hours sets (the festival’s last scheduled set was a bleary-eyed 2 AM performance at Zinc Bar), confident that even though there was still good music to be had, I’d ended the festival on a high note.
Although predictions of jazz’s demise still abound, the festival proves that there is indeed still a strong creative impulse and no shortage of people woodshedding and willing to both explore the traditions and push the boundaries.
While the finances of promoting jazz are always an exercise in dexterity, audience participation and enthusiasm clearly remains strong for the right mix of artists presented in an appealing setting. Another encouraging trend (although admittedly an anecdotal one) is that the festival seems to succeed at attracting younger audiences, even for the less party-oriented acts.
There was quite a lot of risk-taking and jazz that didn’t sound like jazz—or maybe just not the jazz we’re used to—over the weekend. That’s a good thing.
Harriet Tubman’s set and their Shorter reference, however, seemed well timed. In a round of interviews for his 2013 Without a Net release, Shorter embraced an expansive definition of the music called jazz, telling National Public Radio that it “shouldn’t have any mandates”, and “is not supposed to be something that’s required to sound like jazz.” In an frequently referenced quote, Shorter argued that for him “the word ‘jazz’ means ‘I dare you’”. And there was quite a lot of risk-taking and jazz that didn’t sound like jazz—or maybe just not the jazz we’re used to—over the weekend. That’s a good thing. With the diversity of ages in the audience and on the bandstand, the WJF proves that it’s definitely an exciting time in the music.
With a brisk walk to the subway in the chilly night air ahead, it was a warming and comforting thought.
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. Follow/find him on Twitter: @streetgriot
Suga in My Bowl radio presents a new weekly feature, On The Bandstand where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests.
Program note: Suga’ in My Bowl has changed to a biweekly schedule on WBAI Radio and now alternates Sunday nights with Sports Qualified at our usual 11 PM -1 AM time period. You’ll get the same great show; just every other week! So mark your calendars or just keep up with us via our Facebook page, the blog here, or our main website and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
Suga’ in My Bowl is off the air this week. Join us on air next Sunday. To get your fix until then, check out our our audio archives and scroll down the page for our coverage of the Charlie Haden Memorial in NYC. And check back later on for our review of this year’s Winter Jazz Fest. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at some upcoming gigs.
Pianist Vijay Iyer has a residency at The Stone from January 20-25th with various guests sitting in each night. Legendary bassist Reggie Workman joins him on the 20th and 25th.
The Arts for Art organization (promoters of the annual Vision Fest) will have an artist response to the Black Lives Matter movement from the 23rd to 30th at Clemente Soto Velez Center on the Lower East Side. Dancer Patricia Nicholson Parker and trombonist Dick Griffin (who will be showing his visual art) will be among the many artists and performers there.
Pianist Marc Cary leads his Focus Trio at Harlem’s Ginny’s Supper Club on January 23rd and 24th. They continue a 5-week residency at the Cell Theatre on January 31st, running through February.
Looking ahead, you have a rare opportunity to catch multi-instrumentalist Charles Gayle on saxophone, bass, and piano with guitarist Marc Ribot at The Stone on January 28th.
Looking further ahead, saxophonist Pharoah Sanders will be at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club from January 29th to February 1st.
Saxophonist Oliver Lake will be at Roulette in Brooklyn on January 30th.
Finally, looking even further ahead, Blues vocalist Alexis P. Suter will be at Treme in Islip, LI on January 31st.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI next week, January 25th. We’ll have another edition of “On the Bandstand” on air and 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 Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Suga in My Bowl radio presents a new weekly feature, On The Bandstand where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests.
Program note: Suga’ in My Bowl has changed to a biweekly schedule on WBAI Radio and now alternates Sunday nights with Sports Qualified at our usual 11 PM -1 AM time period. You’ll get the same great show; just every other week! So mark your calendars or just keep up with us via our Facebook page, the blog here, or our main website and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
This week’s show features an interview with pianist Geri Allen done by special guest co-host Columbia University’s Dr. Farah Jasmine Griffin. See her this week at the memorial for bassist Charlie Haden (details below). This (nearly) wraps up our coverage on the 2015 Winter Jazz Fest. Check back later this week for a review and scroll down the page for our cheat sheet and preview of the festival. And we have other live music this week.
Dr. Leonard Jeffries will have a birthday celebration on the 18th at Harlem’s National Black Theater from 4-9 PM. Admission’s free, but be prepared to make a donation. Call 201-837-1355 for details and or see the event’s poster (opens as a photo) on Facebook.
Pianist Vijay Iyer has a residency at The Stone from January 20-25th with various guests sitting in each night. Legendary bassist Reggie Workman joins him on the 20th and 25th.
The Arts for Art organization (promoters of the annual Vision Fest) will have an artist response to the Black Lives Matter movement from the 23rd to 30th at Clemente Soto Velez Center on the Lower East Side. Dancer Patricia Nicholson Parker will be among the many artists and performers there.
Looking ahead, you have a rare opportunity to catch multi-instrumentalist Charles Gayle on saxophone, bass, and piano with guitarist Marc Ribot at The Stone on January 28th.
Finally, looking even further ahead, saxophonist Pharoah Sanders will be at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club from January 29th to February 1st.
That’s all for now. Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI next week, January 11th. We’ll have another edition of “On the Bandstand” on air and 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 Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
If you’re a jazz fan in NYC (or just very curious about the music), then the 11th annual Winter Jazz Fest should be squarely on your radar. If it is, good! You’re likely gearing up to push through the cold snap that’s hit us.
So far, I’ve done a first look with some basic logistics of the festival. In this post, I’ll dive into a few of the acts that you should keep an eye out for. Full disclosure, it’s weighted toward past guests from our Suga’ in My Bowl radio show, but I’ll also mention a few others at the end.
There are a lot of acts to choose from over the festival’s 2 main evenings (Friday and Saturday: Thursday has a lighter schedule), so hopefully this will give you a head start on who to see.
Friday January 9th
If the festival gave out an MVP award, saxophonist David Murray would certainly be in the running. He’s at the Minetta Lane Theater with his Clarinet Summit at 7:30 and with drummer Teri Lyne Carrington and pianist Geri Allen at 8:45.
We just profiled Murray in December, so I’ll point you to that show for more details. But, needless to say, Murray’s a standout artist and incredibly versatile player. He’s capable of playing as far out as anyone, yet has the skill to drop back into more introspective playing that leans as much on finesse as sheer technical virtuosity. While Suga’ host Joyce Jones won’t (yet) get her wish of a reunion of the World Saxophone Summit, catching the “Clarinet Summit”, his collaboration with Carrington and Allen, or his Saturday set leading his own Infinity Quartet ought to give you as rounded a view of Murray as you’ll ever get.
We’re looking to see a highly charged set with some experimental stuff thrown in with the Clarinet Summit, which has Don Byron and Hamiett Bluiett providing backup. Count on a more straight-ahead set with Carrington and Allen.
Terri Lyne Carrington has developed into a solid presence in jazz drumming. Her all-female Mosaic Project (which featured WJF collaborator Geri Allen) was much more than just a concept album to showcase women in jazz: it was a solid release in its own right. Her 2013 remake of the classic Money Jungle deservedly got high praise as well. Head to our audio archives for a deeper look at her work.
Similarly, pianist Geri Allen is sought after as both a leader and in side projects. Whether she’s heading up her own Timeline group or in collaboration with others (she’s also worked with TRIO 3, though won’t be at this year’s WJF), her percussive style is a joy to listen to. It won’t be the first Allen-Carrington collaboration and their comfort working together should translate into a solid rhythm section for the set with David Murray.
See both of them in this 2013 clip of “Unconditional Love” along with bassist Esperanza Spaulding.
Harpist Brandee Younger has seemingly taken the task of upholding the work of the late, underappreciated harpist Dorothy Ashby as her mission. You’ll likely get fully up to speed on where she is with this project at her “Afro Harping” Ashby tribute to the latter’s classic album of the same name at the Bitter End on Bleecker Street at 8:45. See Younger’s take on Ashby’s “Respected Destroyer”, recorded live in 2014.
Drummer Will Calhoun has come a long way since his days with Living Colour – a trip that’s come full circle, as the group reunited for a world tour in 2014 to support their Synesthesia release and even took a few days off to put the finishing touches on another release, Shade, scheduled for spring 2015. In the middle of all that, he’s grown into a respected leader in the jazz world as well, with a style that pulls equally from his prowess as a rock drummer and the finesse he’s gained at jazz styles and African percussion. Expect a meeting of all those worlds as he joins forces with Living Colour bandmate, bassist Doug Wimbish, and Vinx, who lends vocals and electronic loops and samples for the “Jungle Funk” collaboration at Bowery Electric at 9 PM. Jungle Funk leans more toward Living Colour’s end of the spectrum than Calhoun’s more standard jazz work. Here’s a sample of what you might hear, recorded live in Poland in 2013. For a longer listen, you can check out our 2013 Calhoun profile.
Saxophonist Oliver Lake and bassist Reggie Workman join forces with drummer Andrew Cyrille and special guest Vijay Iyer for TRIO 3 at Minetta Lane at 10 PM. All are incredibly accomplished players and Workman has nearly legendary status. TRIO 3’s shows are always extremely satisfying. Lake is as comfortable playing “out” and pushing the limits of the saxophone as he is using finesse honed from many years on the instrument. Iyer is scarily talented and adapts well to almost any setting. Below is a clip from the 2012 Vision Fest and for a much deeper dive into Lake, you can check out our December 2014 profile of him or our 2009 Workman and 2010 Iyer profiles, which live on in our audio archives, too.
Saturday January 10th
Saxophonist Oliver Lake returns with a show at The Bitter End on Bleecker Street with his Organ Quartet at 6:15 PM. Here they are performing at the Jazz Standard. Hammond B3 fans will be in for a treat with organist Jared Gold shoring up the rhythm section.
Saxophonist Billy Harper is at Minetta Lane Theater with The Cookers at 8:45 PM. Last year, The Cookers were one of the WJF highlights for me. Harper’s comfortable in the “free jazz” end of the sax spectrum (which I’ll admit I’m partial to), but as part of the collective he contributes to a hard driving straight ahead sound that’s accessible yet adventurous. Expect them to live up to their name. Here they are at the 2014 Nisville Jazz Festival. For a closer look at Harper, see our 2011 show on him.
Saxophonist David Murray makes a final appearance at Le Poisson Rouge with his Infinity Quartet at 9 PM. Keep an eye out for the spoken word of Saul Williams with Saturday night’s Infinity Quartet show. Here they are in a 2014 show.
Vocalist Catherine Russell, who’s been getting solid reviews for her 2014 Bring it Back release, is at the Greenwich House Music School on Barrow St. at 10 PM. Fans of the more traditional jazz vocals should be sure to catch Russell’s set. Her exposure on the popular Boardwalk Empire series has gained her some additional notoriety and her work is fresh and innovative, while still connecting to the jazz tradition. See her perform live in 2013 below or check out our 2014 show for a deeper dive into her work.
Drummer J.T. Lewis will be at Subculture on Bleecker Street with Harriet Tubman at 10 PM. I missed Tubman a few years ago when they were on at an ungodly late hour: not so this time! Tubman describes itself as an “avant metal jazz band” which is a description that I’d be hard pressed to improve upon. If you’re open to electronics in jazz, crossovers into fusion, and aren’t afraid of electric guitars, then this is your set. This clip from a 2010 show at NYC’s The Stone gives a good sense of the type of long, funky, ambient grooves they specialize in. For a longer look at Lewis, see our 2014 show focused on him.
Honorable Mentions
I’ll be honest: that’s an unfair header for this section, since there are so many fantastic acts to choose from. But you have to start somewhere, so here’s who else I’d catch in an ideal world—and just might in this one if I can manage to finagle the schedule just right.
I’ve never seen vibraphonist Joe Locke perform live, but I’d really like to. He’s at the Players Theater at 7 PM on Friday.
I’m a sucker for the electric guitar. Chalk it up to 1980s heavy metal. Still, Marc Ribot’s playing is always fantastic. Team him up with frequent collaborator and fellow guitarist Mary Halvorson for the “Young Philadelphians”? Yes, please! Halvorson’s an up-and-coming name on the scene and she played the WJF last year with both her own ensemble and as a guest with Ribot’s group and the result was a blistering set that I still remember and want to see again and again. Strong incentive to stick around for an 11:15 PM Friday set at Minetta Lane.
Suga’ host Joyce Jones and I were just talking about how Wallace Roney seemed to be the go-to person older trumpeters looked to for backup very early in his career. Both Miles Davis (whose influence is clear) and Freddie Hubbard tapped Roney’s talents. You can’t ask for a better pedigree than that. But he’s taken those lessons and developed his own unique voice on the trumpet. Hmm, 6:15 Saturday at the Bitter End? I just might make it.
Lionel Loueke’s Trio is 8:30 on Saturday at Subculture. Guitar and African rhythms? It makes me really wish I could be in two places at the same time. But you can catch them! And you should!
Lastly, I’ll point you to the full performance schedule. They also have a handy guide to full group line-ups, which you can check to see if a favorite musician is on the list somewhere. Finally, there’s a map of the various venues, but you will get all that at the check-in site at Judson Memorial Church.
So that’s it. That’s a lot of acts! But they’re all really good. Find who’s to your liking and take some time to see someone you haven’t—you might become a fan of a new group. I’ll likely be wiped out after it’s wrapped up, but it’s good training for the week-long Vision Fest, which has moved to July this year. We’ll have some coverage of that, but before then, I’ll check in with a WJF wrap-up.
Shameless self-promotion time: if you’re not already a listener, check out our show that airs alternate Sunday nights from 11 PM – 1 AM on WBAI Radio and streams online. This week, we’ll feature an interview with Geri Allen on January 11th, which should be a good way to wrap up the weekend.
Are you going? Anyone in particular you’re looking forward to seeing? Let me 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 Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York. Find him on Twitter: @streetgriot
Suga in My Bowl radio presents a new weekly feature, On The Bandstand where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests.
Program note: Suga’ in My Bowl has changed to a biweekly schedule on WBAI Radio and now alternates Sunday nights with Sports Qualified at our usual 11 PM -1 AM time period. You’ll get the same great show; just every other week! So mark your calendars or just keep up with us via our Facebook page, the blog here, or our main website and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
This week’s guest is saxophonist Oliver Lake. You can see him live with Trio 3 and his Organ Quartet at the 2015 Winter Jazz Fest on January 9th and 10th and check back here for our own preview and festival coverage on the blog. And we have the usual line-up of live music this week.
Pianist Randy Weston will be the master of ceremonies for a tribute to saxophonist Rene McLean at the Schomburg Center on December 16th. Details are on the Sista’s Place website.
Saxophonist Gary Bartz leads a quartet at Smoke from the 19th to 22nd as part of their John Coltrane festival.
Low Brass Specialist on tuba and trombone Joe Daley, returns at Terra Blues on Bleecker Street with Hazmat Modine on December 20th.
Vocalist Carol Maillard and the legendary Sweet Honey in the Rock return to the area for their annual holiday concerts. You can catch them at at NJPAC in Newark on the 20th.
That’s all for now. With our new biweekly schedule, Suga’ in My Bowl is off the airwaves next week, but back on WBAI December 14th. 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 Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Suga in My Bowl radio presents a new weekly feature, On The Bandstand where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests.
Program note: Suga’ in My Bowl has changed to a biweekly schedule on WBAI Radio and will now alternate Sunday nights with Sports Qualified at our usual 11 PM -1 AM time period. You’ll get the same great show; just every other week! So mark your calendars or just keep up with us via our Facebook page, the blog here, or our main website and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
Suga’ in My Bowl is off the air this week. To get your fix until then, our audio archives have several years worth of shows: more than enough to keep you occupied for Sunday brunch or while doing laundry, housecleaning, or a good workout. Until then, here’s what other Suga’ guests are doing in the area.
Guitarist Pat Metheny and his Unity Group wraps up a rare week of sets to end their world tour at the Blue Note on December 7th.
Bassist Christian McBride finishes a week at the Village Vanguard with his Inside Straight ensemble on December 7th. He returns with a trio from the 9th to 14th.
Bassist Reggie Workman will be at the Jazz Standard with saxophonist Azar Lawrence’s Quartet for celebration of Coltrane’s A Love Supreme on December 9th to 10th.
UPenn professor Dr. Guthrie Ramsey will be at HarlemStage on the City College of NY campus on December 11th for a free roundtable discussion on the current state of Black music.
Pianist and vocalist Andy Bey will be at Minton’s in Harlem on the 12th and 13th.
Drummer Michael Carvin will be at Kitano on December 12th to 13th with a release party for his new Flash Forward CD.
Pianist Randy Weston will be the master of ceremonies for a tribute to saxophonist Rene McLean at the Schomburg Center on December 16th. Details are on the Sista’s Place website.
That’s all for now. With our new biweekly schedule, Suga’ in My Bowl is off the airwaves next week, but back on WBAI December 14th. 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 Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Suga in My Bowl radio presents a new weekly feature, On The Bandstand where we collect upcoming NYC area shows from current and past Suga’ guests.
Program note: Suga’ in My Bowl has changed to a biweekly schedule on WBAI Radio and will now alternate Sunday nights with Sports Qualified at our usual 11-1 AM time period. You’ll get the same great show; just every other week! So mark your calendars or just keep up with us via our Facebook page, the blog here, or our main website and we’ll keep track of the schedule for you.
We’re off the airwaves this week: catch us next Sunday. Until then, why not check out a show you missed from our archives? There’s also still time to pledge for for our Black Arts Movement premium with a gift to WBAI. You can also support WBAI (and our show) by donating as little as $5 online and we’re grateful for those of you who keep the station rolling along. And there are opportunities to see Suga’ guests in action this week.
Trombonist Craig Harris will be at Rendall Memorial Presbyterian Church in Harlem on November 11th. Call the church for details at 212-283-2928 or check their Facebook page.
That’s all for now. With our new biweekly schedule, Suga’ in My Bowl is back on WBAI next week, November 16th. We’ll have another edition of “On the Bandstand” on air and 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 Hunter and Lehman Colleges and The City College of New York.
Photo Credit: Hank Williams
We’re off the airwaves this week: catch us next Sunday. Until then, why not check out a show you missed 
Behind the Mic 