On Sunday, May 28, the eve of the 22nd annual Vision Festival, and within a challenging political climate that has certainly affected all artists, the back room of Williamsburg’s quiet Legion Bar was packed in anticipation of two brass-heavy ad hoc quartets. Fire Music at Legion has been a going concern since last fall, taking
On Sunday, May 28, the eve of the 22nd annual Vision Festival, and within a challenging political climate that has certainly affected all artists, the back room of Williamsburg’s quiet Legion Bar was packed in anticipation of two brass-heavy ad hoc quartets. Fire Music at Legion has been a going concern since last fall, taking
No matter how many times flutist, composer, and educator Nicole Mitchell plays in New York, it is never enough. As one of the foremost visionaries of creative music today, Prof. Mitchell has already crafted an incredible body of work and received considerable praise. Her work is at once deeply developed, interdisciplinary, and socially relevant, while
The James Brandon Lewis Trio had a performance for the ages last night at the Cell Theatre. Drawing from their new, aptly-titled record, No Filter, released on BNS Records in October, the band played a set of superb original works. Lewis, who in recent years has been steadily establishing himself as one of the most
Guitarist Ava Mendoza has been part of the Brooklyn creative music scene since relocating east from the Bay Area in 2013, and rapidly became a vital part of a sub-category of musicians blurring the lines between rigorous composition, oddball rock and free music (think: drummers Weasel Walter and Nick Podgurski, bassist Tim Dahl, etc.). The
Earth Tongues, a trio consisting of Joe Moffett (trumpet, other objects), Dan Peck (tuba, bells, tape), and Carlo Costa (percussion, other objects) released their second record, the double-disc Ohio, at the art gallery Happy Lucky no. 1, on Thursday night. All three members of the band displayed their sensitivity as listeners, their imaginative abilities as
One of multi-instrumentalist and composer Taylor Ho Bynum‘s great talents is picking the right people to work together in an ensemble such as his long-standing sextet or his ambitious PlusTet. With Rank Sentimentalist, he has done it again–bringing cellist Marika Hughes, guitarist Evan Patrick (previously working under the name Evan O’Reilly, from Bynum’s first sextet
Fay Victor’s monthly performance at 55Bar is one of the most happening things in New York City these days. Full of soulful energy and crisp with fresh ideas, Victor picks the audience up and carries them along on a delectable journey. On July 28, the voice artist led her band on a special night that
On Saturday, July 16, as part of a week-long residency, Matthew Shipp led two fully improvised trios at the Stone. Each set went in a decisively different direction, showing the diverse capabilities of Shipp as an improviser. Shipp, one of the premier pianists of our time, emerged to prominence working the downtown scene in the
Lindsey Wilson headed up an eclectic night of music at the Shrine on Thursday night in Harlem. In a number of varied formations, Wilson (voice, guitar) led her group, Human Hearts Trio, with drummer Reggie Sylvester and bassist Michael Trotman. Wilson is a singer-songwriter whose lyrics offer biting commentary on many of the great issues
