Every time I see Patrick Breiner perform, it makes me believe in something again. His music grabs hold of me as a listener and speaks, “You are alive! This is the moment. Breathe. See. Hear.” Maybe it is the growing cold and dark of the season. Or the drudgery of daily life. Or the cultural
Polish pianist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist Kuba Cichocki debuted a new project at Spectrum Tuesday night which proved to be an interesting and wild ride. Cichocki is an artist that seems to be bursting with ideas and is capable of weaving diffuse methods and narrative structures into a cohesive whole. There is also a certain
Abstract (adj.): Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence. Tangible (adj.): Perceptible by touch Tenor saxophonist Patrick Breiner‘s music is not abstract, yet tangible, it is very strongly both of those things simultaneously. Last night, as with every time I listen to any of Breiner’s groundbreaking groups,
Alto saxophonist and storyteller Matana Roberts played the latest installment of Coin Coin last night at 61 Local. This one, a solo set, is intended as one of the bookends to an ambitious 12-part project that weaves together stories, history, and myths passed down in Roberts’ own family. This is an artist with a rare
On a weekly, and often daily, basis, I have conversations with friends, email exchanges, or Facebook interactions about the decline and inevitable death of the New York new jazz scene. Many of the concerns people raise are very real: fewer opportunities to play live (and fewer that pay well), eroding audience numbers, venues closing, gentrification
Fresh off a European tour to Italy, France, and Slovenia, Eivind Opsvik‘s band Overseas played with a “take no prisoners” attitude at Greenwich House Music School last night. The music they performed was deep with interwoven textures and exploded with rich, shifting flavors each set in generous, though not overwhelming proportions. At the center, Opsvik’s
Premoticon, a collaborative duo between reeds player Patrick Breiner and bassist Will McEvoy, released their second album to a sold-out crowd at Douglass Street Music Collective last night. I have never seen the space on Douglass so energized and filled with an array of artists and non-musicians. But this should not come as a surprise.
JACK, on Waverly Avenue in Clinton Hill, is really establishing itself as one of the most forward-looking, exciting places to see music in Brooklyn today. Last night, master percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani played two extraordinary sets. The first was a highly energized solo set that featured him in front of a drum kit while employing a
Yoni Kretzmer has put together a very interesting group with his Double Bass Quartet. Listening to him play is like a history lesson, at times, and at others, an expose of how “the tradition” continues to evolve and take on new shapes in our post-modern moment. Kretzmer can reference many of the great tenor players
Fearless is the first word that comes to mind when I think about Ingrid Laubrock‘s music. Also, intrepid. Bold. Daring. Decisive. The bandleader remarked after the performance, “there’s nothing like performing new music with people who are up for taking risks … and these guys are not timid.” The band, which consists of Tim Berne
