This is the first of a multi-part preview of Tomas Fujiwara & the Hook Up’s new release, After All Is Said, set to be out on 482 Music, April 21. This record comes on the heels of the band’s two highly-regarded earlier albums, Actionspeak (2010) and The Air Is Different (2012). Headed by consummate drummer and
I sat down with the three members of VAX (pronounced fasjh) at Ninth Street Espresso in Gowanus on Sunday evening to talk about their upcoming residency at New Revolution Arts (7 Stanhope Street, Bushwick-Brooklyn). The band is comprised of Trix (tenor saxophone), Biz (keyboards), and Vone (drums). In their own words, “VAX is not a band. VAX
Rooted in the contemporary avant-garde jazz scene, with this project saxophonist and composer Yoni Kretzmer takes a daring step towards integrating chamber music and jazz. New Dilemma’s unique instrumentation alone brings to mind a multitude of associations, from early baroque to contemporary free jazz. The compositions aim to blur the gap between written and improvised
On November 17, 2014, legendary bassist William Parker invited me to his apartment on the Lower East Side to talk about his musical philosophy. I had approached him about an interview after a gig he did in Brooklyn the previous month, introducing myself as a writer who focuses on “young and emerging artists.” He had
Max Johnson is one of the most active young bassists on the Brooklyn scene. He has played in a number of different genres with a great number of musicians and at the age of just 24, he has already released five records under his own name. In 2014 alone, he released the second record by
Fresh off a cracking European tour, drummer and composer Harris Eisenstadt‘s Canada Day will unveil its latest music at Greenwich House Music School this coming Thursday, December 11, at 8 pm. The performance is also a lead-up to a January recording session for the band’s fourth record. In an age in which few bands record
Vocalist Fay Victor has been at the center of a number of interesting and innovative musical groups since returning to New York City in 2003. Her longstanding Fay Victor Ensemble has released a series of acclaimed albums, most recently Absinthe & Vermouth (2013). Her previous release, Freesong Suite (2009), remains one of the most forward-looking
Sean Ali has emerged onto the New York scene over the past five years playing bass with a number of figures such as David Grollman, Carlo Costa, Flin van Hemmen, Lathan Hardy, and Pascal Niggenkemper. He prefers to work in collaborative contexts and has co-led many groups including Fester, Natura Morta, Hag, PascAli, Oracles, and
Drummer Ches Smith has been a part of a number of cutting-edge ensembles in New York since coming to the city in 2008. He is known for his eclectic style and his ability to play a part in a diverse range of musics. Most notably, he has led his band Ches Smith and These Arches,
The exciting and fiery alto saxophonist Jim Hobbs is playing four nights at Douglass Street Music Collective starting Wednesday, August 20. Having developed a take-no-prisoners reputation with his playing and composing among numerous groups in Boston, this groundbreaking artist remains under-appreciated on the New York scene. Having led the Fully Celebrated for a number of
