SUN RA ARKESTRA
Sun Ra founded the Sun Ra Arkestra in Chicago in the mid-1950’s. Sun Ra was among the earliest pioneers of the synthesizer and the free jazz revolution of 1960’s. Sun Ra sent a strong spiritual and musical message to his Arkestra wanting them to help make the universe better through positive vibrations and music.
The Sun Ra Arkestra are known worldwide for their live shows that combine big-band swing, space-age free jazz, be-bop, singing, dancing, chanting and Afro-pageantry. The Arkestra has been at the forefront of Afro-futurism since their inception.
The Arkestra have recorded more than 100 albums. Their 2020 album “Swirling” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Big Band Jazz Ensemble recording.
After more than 60 years the band continue to circle the globe on their Inter-Galactic tour. Recent highlights include shows at the Kennedy Center with Solange, The Berlin Opera House, the Burlington Jazz Festival and a New York City show at Radio City Music Hall.
Few bands have travelled this far – cosmically and musically.
“The possible has been tried and failed. Now it’s time to try the impossible.”
Sun Ra Space is the Place!
Meshell Ndegeocello
Meshell Ndegeocello is an unassuming colossus whose body of work extends far beyond the early hits and virtuosic bass playing with which she is most associated. "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)," her taunting and funky breakout single, immediately set her apart as an instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer. Less than a year after the song entered Billboard's R&B/hip-hop, dance, and pop charts, Ndegeocello was nominated for four Grammys, including Best R&B Album for Plantation Lullabies (1993) and Best Pop Vocal Collaboration for "Wild Night," her Top Ten hit duet with John Mellencamp.
Ndegeocello has remained impossible to typecast ever since. A preternatural synthesist, she has mixed and moved across jazz, blues, soul, funk, and reggae, as well as folk and rock. As a leader, she has alternated just as freely between small combos and large ensembles, and as a session musician and featured artist has written and recorded across an even wider spectrum of styles. In addition to her lithe and melodic primary instrument and vocals encompassing authoritative raps, pensive spoken word, and ethereal choruses, Ndegeocello has played keyboards, drums, and guitar, among other instruments. Foremost among the many highlights in her catalog are three additional Grammy-nominated albums: the oft-pointed and probing Peace Beyond Passion (1996), the imaginative covers set Ventriloquism (2018), and the wide-scoped Omnichord Real Book (2023), the latter of which marked her Blue Note debut and took the first Grammy for Best Alternative Jazz Album. The following year, Ndegeocello was behind the Sun Ra tribute Red Hot & Ra: The Magic City and No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin.
Elijah Fox
Elijah Fox is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and producer based in Los Angeles, CA. He grew up in Durham, NC and began playing piano at age 11 and was mentored early on by Yusuf Salim, a pianist who had played with Charlie Parker and began performing in local jazz clubs. Fox studied piano at Oberlin Conservatory with Sullivan Fortner, Billy Hart, Dan Wall, and Gary Bartz and graduated in 2017 before moving to New York City. His piano composition “East Village” was sampled by Drake and 21 Savage on “Major Distribution” reaching number 3 on the Billboard Charts. Fox has also recorded/produced for SZA, Masego, YG, ScHoolboy Q, Denzel Curry, Tate McCrae, Musiq Soulchild, Childish Gambino, Kali Uchis, J Cole, and many others as well as releasing his own original compositions and sample packs. His impressionistic original piano composition “Wyoming” went viral on TikTok and has received over 20 million streams on Spotify. He is signed to UMPG for publishing as a writer/composer. He is also the touring keyboardist for UK drummer Yussef Dayes and has performed throughout the world. Fox has also performed his original music at sold out shows across the US and Europe. His sound blends elements of jazz, Impressionism, and psychedelic soul. Fox also releases instrumental music under the alias @SorenSostrom.
Shigeto
Shigeto releases new album, Cherry Blossom Baby, with focus track, Nothing Simple...
The Michigan-born drummer, producer and DJ's new album honors traditions in electronic, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. A celebration of scene vitality rooted in Detroit's new wave, including guests such as Zelooperz, KESSWA, Ahya Simone, Tammy Lakkis, and more.
“Cherry blossoms remind me of my mother and grandmother's steadfast nature to look towards the light and the strength in 'acting as one'. The cherry blossom trees that bloom every spring in Hiroshima are an enduring image of hope, resilience, and renewal. Even through the most turbulent of times. Cherry Blossom Baby was literally ‘impossible’ to make without every single person involved. It started in 2018 and was finished in 2024. A manifestation of our shared experiences of pain, struggle, hope and growth over the past 6 years and a true testament to the power of ‘togetherness’." - Shigeto
Cherry Blossom Baby, Shigeto's first full-length statement since 2017, sprouts out from a collective thaw, ambitious, collaborative, and fully realized. The Detroit-based, Japanese-American musician, DJ, Portage Garage Sounds label co-founder, and long-time Ghostly International artist embraces the role of producer and composer. Bold and cultivated with intention, the band-built sound honors traditions in electronic, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop, a fusion that's become his signature, now more vibrant than ever. Zach Saginaw and a group of guests and players present a snapshot in time, a celebration of self-love and an expression of vitality distinctly rooted in Detroit and informed by his family’s cultural history.
"I am a cherry blossom baby," he says. "We all are cherry blossom babies, we all are resilient, we all are growing, we all will continue to."
EBO TAYLOR FAREWELL TOUR
Unfortunately, the Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas tour will be postponed. We apologize for any frustration this may cause. There are issues obtaining visas for many travelers worldwide and believe we will have this completely sorted by the the new concert dates.
Ebo Taylor and his family have decided to make this tour his official farewell to the Americas. This will be our final opportunity to honor the legendary maestro, the pioneer of highlife and father of Afrobeat, and give him his flowers.
If you've already purchased tickets - Your current tickets remain valid for the new date, and no further action is required—just hang on to them! If you have any questions or need assistance with ticket options, feel free to reach out to your point of purchase.
If you have not yet purchased tickets, please see dates and cities below. We would love for you to join us and be a part of this very historic moment when Ebo Taylor, one of Africa's most influential, artists, says his farewell to the Americas.
Ebo Taylor Bio
Born in 1936, Ghanaian guitarist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and producer Ebo Taylor has been a vital presence in African music for more than half-a-century. During the early '60s, he was active in the influential highlife bands the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band whose singles were mainstays on national radio. In 1962 he took his Black Star Highlife Band to London and collaborated with other African musicians who were also in Britain at the time, including Fela Kuti. Back in Ghana, he worked as an influential producer, crafting recordings for Pat Thomas (his future collaborator) and C.K. Mann, among many others. During the '70s, his own musical projects combined traditional Ghanaian music with Afro-beat, jazz, and funk, creating a trademark sound as evidenced by the albums Ebo Taylor & the Pelikans (1976) and Twer Nyame (1978). In the '80s, albums such as Conflict Nkru! and Hitsville Re-Visited (co-billed to Thomas) by his Uhuru-Yenzu band delivered a rawer, more immediate sound. Over the next two decades, Taylor was a noted producer, arranger, and composer, working with Thomas, Mann, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, Kofi Yankson, and dozens of others. He returned to performing live in the early 21st century after hip-hop producers began sampling his work. Soundways Records released the compilation Ghana Special. In 2010, Strut Records released Love and Death, his first internationally distributed album, followed by a series of catalog reissues and all-new recordings including 2018's Yen Ara.
Taylor was born in Ghana and grew up on the sounds of the wartime big bands. His father nudged him into music, by encouraging his son to learn to play the family organ. He caught the music bug and began studying guitar in school, coming under the sway of the emergent highlife movement. He would soon lead his first group, an eight-piece band named the Stargazers. In 1962, he departed his native Ghana for London to study at the London Eric Gilder School of Music. He explored jazz, funk, and soul alongside fellow student Fela Kuti and future Osibisa bandmembers Teddy Osei and Sol Amarfio. They indulged in endless jam sessions in jazz clubs off Oxford Street, after which Fela would often join Taylor in his flat in Willesden Junction. They would listen to jazz records for hours, analyzing the structure and chord progressions of Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. During his time abroad, Taylor founded the Black Star Highlife Band, which showcased one of his greatest contributions to highlife: His jazz-inspired horn arrangements.
After returning to Ghana, Taylor became an in-house arranger and producer for labels like Essiebons, working with other leading Ghanaian stars including Mann and Thomas. He was paid to write for them, play guitar on sessions, and supervise recordings. From the '70s through the '80s, Taylor cut a host of his own solo albums that offered idiosyncratic but very popular fusions of traditional Ghanaian sounds, Afrobeat, jazz, soul, and funk on albums such as My Love and Music, Twer Nyame, and Me Kra Tsie. His single "Heaven" from this period stands among the most revered Ghanaian Afrobeat tunes of the era. Taylor formed Uhuru-Yenzu in 1980 and released the albums Conflict Nkru! Nsamanfo: People's Highlife, Vol. 1, and Hitsville Re-Visited (the latter co-billed to Thomas). After the album Pat Thomas & Ebo Taylor in 1984, the guitarist stopped recording and touring and focused instead on producing, arranging, and composing for dozens of other artists.
In 2008, Taylor met the Berlin-based musicians of the Berlin Afrobeat Academy, including saxophonist Ben Abarbanel-Wolff. A year later, Usher sampled "Heaven" for his hit "She Don’t Know" (feat. Ludacris). In 2010, Taylor teamed with Berlin Afrobeat Academy for Love and Death on Strut Records, his first internationally distributed album. It offered re-recordings of his highlife and Afrobeat hits. Its success prompted Strut to issue the stellar retrospective Life Stories: Highlife & Afrobeat Classics 1973-1980 in the spring of 2011. In 2012, a third Strutalbum, the deeply personal Appia Kwa Bridge, appeared and showed that at 76, Taylor was still intensely creative and forceful, mixing traditional Fante songs and chants with children's rhymes and personal matters into his own sharp vision of highlife.
That record marked the beginning of a popular renaissance for Taylor around the world. Early singles and other tracks appeared on several compilations over the next few years, and in 2015, his rarest album, Ebo Taylor & the Pelikans, got the grand reissue treatment. His early hit, the Ghana funk anthem "Come Along," made DJ playlists globally. In February 2016, at age 80, he opened the MOGO Festival's Nights with Music Greats. The gig proved to be a precursor for the deluxe reissue of his 1975 album, My Love and Music, on Mr. Bongo. In 2018, Taylor issued the album Yen Ara that saw him translating various strains of Fante music through contemporary Ghanaian highlife and experimenting with new rhythmic forms through horn-dominated compositions. At age 82, he supported it with a world tour. The following year, Mr. Bongo reissued Hitsville Re-Visited in May, while BBE Music released the Palaver album in September, that contained five unissued tracks from a (previously unknown) lost 1980 session. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
Pat Thomas Bio
Pat Thomas is a Ghanaian vocalist and songwriter famed for his work in the highlife bands of Ebo Taylor and his own recordings of Afrobeat and Afro-pop.
Born in Agona, in the Ashanti region, Thomas had music almost literally in his DNA, his father was a music theory instructor and his mother a bandleader. In the 1970s, he moved to Accra to join Ebo Taylor's legendary highlife band The Blue Monks; their residency at the Tip Toe Night Club is an important part of modern Ghanaian cultural history. In the later years he moved to the Ivory Coast and produced various records in Afro-beat, Afro-Latin sounds and reggae melded to funky African disco.
In 1982, he moved to London, U.K and recorded Hitsville Revisited with Taylor and the guitarist's band, Uhuru Yenzu. Thomas's first hit outside Africa was 'Asanteman' in 1985. He followed it with Highlife Greats Mbrepa a year later. In June 2015, the U.K. label Strut released his first recording in over a decade. Dubbed Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band, it was recorded in Accra. It placed the singer in the company of a band assembled by multi-instrumentalist Kwame Yeboah and saxophonist Ben Abarbanel-Wolff. Other musicians included drummer Tony Allen, Noble Kings' bassist Ralph Karikari, and a host of younger players including Thomas' daughter Nanaaya, a celebrated vocalist in her own right.
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley
For the first time in the US, Gyedu Blay Ambolley will be performing his 1975 debut album Simigwa in its entirety! Bringing his 8 piece band from Ghana, they will perform the pioneering masterpiece.
Gyedu Blay Ambolley is a musical luminary hailing from Ghana, West Africa, with a staggering 29 albums under his belt. Known affectionately as the "Simigwa Do Man,” Ambolley’s musical journey began in the vibrant port city of Sekondi-Takoradi, in the Western Region of Ghana. His early fascination with music blossomed into a lifelong passion. From mastering his father’s flute at the tender age of eight, to honing his guitar skills under the mentorship of “Uncle Bonku”, Sammy Lartey and Ebo Taylor, Ambolley’s musical odyssey has been nothing short of extraordinary. This all led to Ambolley becoming a musical life force and exploding on the scene in 1973 with a jazzy highlife sound called 'SIMIGWA-DO'. His name has become synonymous with Simigwa music and dance.
Coming of age amidst the zenith of Ghana’s highlife era, Ambolley emerged as a pivotal figure in its evolution, lending his talents to esteemed bands such as Houghas Extraordinaires, Meridians Of Tema and Ghana Broadcasting Band. It was during this time that he caught the attention of his compatriot and friend, Ebo Taylor, who recruited Ambolley to be a member of the Uhuru Dance Band. This all lead to a transformative journey to Nigeria in 1973, where they shared the stage with the legendary Fela Kuti at his renowned Shrine venue.
1975 Debut Album Simigwa:
Gyedu Blay Ambolley’s groundbreaking debut solo album, released in 1975, stands as a cornerstone of Ghanaian music history - with one of the most iconic album covers! Simigwa stands as Ambolley’s magnum opus, a masterpiece fusing together the rich tapestry of highlife, afrobeat, folk and funk. The album is a true testament to Ambolley’s unparalleled artistry written and produced in collaboration with the legend Ebo Taylor.
Ambolley not only embraces his musical roots but also pioneers the fusion of Ghanaian highlife with soul and funk influences from across the Atlantic. With Simigwa, Ambolley seized the opportunity to showcase his own musical prowess and embark on a journey of experimentation. A main inspiration for this album was the work of the mighty Mr. James Brown, something that is evident from the rhythm section, horns, vocal stabs and percussion breaks throughout the record.
APIFERA
Apifera – Nitai Hershkovits, Yuvi Havkin, Amir Bresler and Yonatan Albalak – bring a melting pot of influences and experience to their second album Keep the Outside Open. When these different musicians come together, the effect is like switching between radio stations: a dash of prog, a twist of post-rock, and a heavy dose of psychedelia, with the members’ shared background in jazz tying it all together.
Keep the Outside Open came about organically, arising from the friends’ hangouts at Yuvi’s studio culminating in late-night smoke sessions spent laughing at dad jokes, goofy names for demos, and made-up words: “Bazooka” when the music is happy, “sweating at the gig” when the arrangement isn’t tight, and “slug” if things aren’t clicking.
Apifera’s Stones Throw debut Overstand was instrumental, but when it came to recording Keep The Outside Open,they felt closer than ever and ready to try a more intimate approach. They let their imaginations run wild, wrapping personal stories from everyday life within fantasy and fictional characters.
“Theodor Marmalade” tells the story of a curious fellow who escapes humanity in search of nature, only to find he now misses the energy of society. The band says: “We all grew up in cities and at some point got tired of them. There’s always a dream of leaving to some secluded spot, but once you’re there, you feel detached from society, however fucked up it is.” Other songs tell of encounters with talking machines (“Mr. Pullman”), searching for a cat called Iris who’s chasing a bat named Neil (“Iris Is Neil"), and childhood fear of the dark (“The Curious Wild”). Threaded throughout is Apifera’s belief in the healing power of nature: “life, even when it’s weird, somewhere there’s a tree I can hug”.
The band’s members all have deep roots in their musical community: Yuvi releases electronic jazz as Rejoicer; Yonatan is frontman for post-rock/psych jazz band Geshem; Amir’s group Liquid Saloon blends afrobeat with jazz funk; and Nitai is best known for his solo piano records, with a 2023 album on ECM (spot the nod to the label in Keep The Outside Open’s tracklist). They call on their friend, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, for the album’s closing track, “Sera Sam”.
Apifera’s new album title surfaced after “we’re closing the outside” was yelled after shows at their favorite local jazz club. They decided to give the words a “surreal twist” for the record: “Over the last few years, we’ve felt the walls closing on our everyday lives, our culture and music. Keep The Outside Open is a call for the world to be open. To return to its free and wild state.” Mindful that this is a heartbreaking time of violence and war, the band adds, “We do not support violence of any kind and can’t fathom how the world today could choose anything other than peace, but until such a time comes when humanity can transcend boundaries and conflicts, we are dedicated to the unifying power of music.”
Bilal Tour
Bilal Sayeed Oliver is a truly independent artist. A singer, songwriter, and producer who has always been ahead of his time - blending jazz, afro-futurism, classic soul, alternative r&b, rock, and even classical in his vocals and music. He's known for his wide vocal range, work across multiple genres, and magnetic live performances. Philip Bailey said Bilal is the rare singer who uses his voice like an instrument.
Interscope Records signed Bilal to a major label recording deal fresh out of college, after studying jazz composition and opera at The New School in NYC. His debut album, “First Born Second," showcased a range from the emotionally charged fan-favorite, "Soul Sista," which peaked at No. 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, to the political viewpoints of "Fast Lane" and "Second Child”.
Bilal quickly developed a sizable following at his live shows which were known for being emotional and elecrifying. He received great acclaim from his peers, who noted his range and ability to sing in a freeform style and his classically trained falsetto. The soulful feel of the album caused Bilal to be labeled as "neo-soul,” but throughout his career his expansion in music and pushing of boundaries has proved his point that he is much more than that.
Playing jazz venues and recording more progressive soul music in the following years, Bilal has commercially released four albums to critical success. His unreleased but widely leaked second album “Love for Sale” found wide acclaim among critics and listeners. It features collabs with Dr. Dre and J Dilla and was built around Bilal’s own musicianship, included live instrumentation and had a vibe completely new and different from its predecessor. Interscope shelved the album indefinitely. It still received over half a million downloads and Bilal began touring even though there was no proper release of the album.
As a member of the Soulquarians, an experimental collective that was active from the late 1990s to early 2000s, Bilal has been culturally and musicially influencial on a whole new generation of musicians and producers. His extensive list of collaborations includes Kendrick Lamar, Common, Erykah Badu, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Guru, Kimbra, J Dilla, Adrian Younge, Robert Glasper, and The Roots.
"Airtight's Revenge,” his experimental 2011 album, blends jazz, hip-hop, electronic, rock, soul, and blues into one raw, genuine collection of music. The album's single, "Little One", earned Bilal a 2011 Grammy Award nomination in the category of Best Urban/Alternative Performance. That year, he was also on the Roots' Grammy-nominated album Undun (2011) and the Robert Glasper Experiment's Grammy-winning Black Radio (2012).
With the release of his next album, “A Love Surreal,” Bilal immediately achieved commercial success, debuting at No. 1 on iTunes' R&B Chart. On Billboard, the album debuted at No. 17 on the Independent Albums Chart, No. 19 on the R&B Albums Chart, and No. 103 on the Billboard 200. The album received shining reviews, including an 8/10 from SPIN magazine,4.5/5 stars from Allmusic, and 4/4 stars from USA Today.
In an essay on the Soulquarians, Michael A. Gonzales traces the collective's impact to Bilal's contemporary contributions: "Listening to Kendrick Lamar's newest album “To Pimp a Butterfly”, “Bilal has transformed himself for the post-Soulquarian generation that includes Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding and now Kendrick.”
In August 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, Bilal wrote and recorded his first EP, Voyage-19, over the course of three days and in collaboration with various musicians in remote experimental sessions, which were streamed live on YouTube. The resulting three-track EP was released digitally the following month, with revenues of its sale and accompanying donations given to the participating artists, many of whom had been struggling financially due to the pandemic.
He is working on new music and currently splits his time between the US and Morocco, where he paints and writes music.
Shintaro Sakamoto
Shintaro Sakamoto Bio
Shintaro Sakamoto is a Japanese music composer, producer, writer and singer based in Tokyo.He began his career in 1989 as a member of the rock band “Yura Yura Teikoku”, where he played guitar and sang. YYT released 10 albums over the course of 21 years, disbanding in 2010. After 20+years with psych legends Yura Yura Teikoku, in 2011, Shintaro launched a solo career and started his own record label, “zelone records.” He released his debut solo album “How To Live With A Phantom” to critical acclaim in Japan in 2011, and Other Music Recording & Co. licensed the album for US/EU/UK release in 2012.In 2014, Shintaro released a split 7-inch single with Mayer Hawthorne for Record Store Day, and then released his 2nd solo album “Let’s Dance Raw.” Once again, Other Music Recording & Co. licensed the album for US/EU/UK release (and it reached #2 on Billboard’s “World Chart” in October, 2014).
Shintaro’s 3rd solo album “Love If Possible” was released in Japan in 2016, and “Love If Possible” was released digitally worldwide on January 2017.
Mesh-Key Records NYC issued an LP of “Love If Possible” for US/EU/UK in September 2017 and a split 7-inch single with Devendra Banhart was also released in Germany. Shintaro gave his first solo live performance with his band at the WEEK-END FES in Cologne Germany. In 2018, he had went to live peformance in China (tour), Netherlands (Le Guess Who? Fes), London and Mexico (Tropico Fes.). In 2019, he joined a song "Volta e meia” with Devendra Banhert on the Brazilian rock band, O Terno's new album "atrás/além”. In the same year, he succeeded US headliner tours (SF, SR, Chicago and NY). And in 2022, 6 years since his last album, Love If Possible, Shintaro has completed his fourth solo album, "Like A Fable". From this album, digital and physical distribution to the global except Japan will be Secretly Distribution, and LP vinyl will be released worldwide in 2023.
In 2023, Shintaro performed at the RISING festival in Melbourne, Australia, and this year, he headlined the first day of JOYLAND 2024 in Bali, Indonesia.
Bobby Oroza Bio
After years of grinding as a sideman in the Finnish music scene, Bobby Oroza has stepped up to make his voice heard. Always with an air of crude romanticism, Bobby pushes towards an expression transcending the borders of soul and rock balladry. His dark and intimate debut single ”This Love” didn’t take long to reach the ears and hearts of a worldwide soul music community and is already a proper classic amongst the lowrider and soul collector scenes. Bobby was born in Helsinki, Finland into a family of musicians and artists. During frequent family parties Bobby ́s Bolivian grandfather would pick up a guitar and sing Latin canciones and Cuban classics. Bobby ́s mother is a singer and his father a gypsy-style jazz guitarist. All his siblings work in show business and music. As a kid, Bobby was lucky to grow up surrounded by his parents’ record collection which included early jazz and blues, Motown hits, gospel ensembles, and doo-wop groups like The Drifters and The Clovers. The Soul records were balanced out by Brazilian ones, African ones, his mother’s collection of North and South American folk songs, and Nuyorican Salsa albums. All of these influences show up in Bobby’s music.
Bobby started working professionally as a musician in his early teens. His main instruments are guitar and percussion. Before finishing high school Bobby decided he needed to experience the rhythmic source that had inspired him the most, and travelled to Santiago, Cuba. There he studied percussion and singing intensively for months. Since his return he’s been producing, recording and performing music to make a living for his family. Teaming up with the Timmion Records house band Cold Diamond & Mink, led by Jukka Sarapää, Sami Kantelinen, and guitarist/composer Seppo Salmi, he has a tight quartet of musicians to support his vision. With his instant classic, debut album “This Love” Oroza has shared his strange and unique shade of Soul with the world, creating a cult-like following for his sound from Finland to sunny Southern California and beyond.
Boogarins
In 2024 Boogarins have shown that their creative flourish got to a more mature but not less intense mood. After a US tour in the first semester celebrating the 10th anniversary of their first record the band took this tour to their home country and also kept doing some concerts with the set “Boogarins Toca Clube da Esquina'', a special homage where they show their true deep influences and infuse the band sound into brazilian classics from artists that are in this specific scene of 70’s Brazilian Music, like Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges, Beto Guedes and others. The band are now coming back for their second North America trip of the year, this time hitting up new cities and acclaimed festivals like Desert Daze, Levitation and Hipnosis in Mexico. For this second round, Boogarins promises a new record till December and concerts with new songs and their unforgettable vibrant stage energy.
Initially a lo-fi project from Goiânia, land of the Sertanejo (Brazil’s country music), Boogarins have become one of the most celebrated Brazilian rock acts internationally: charming audiences around the world with intense performances where their beautiful songs are immersed in sonic textures and improvisations that transcend the language barrier. The group began its journey in 2013 on the underground stages of their hometown Goiânia, when they released their first EP As Plantas Que Curam. It caught the ear of US label Fat Possum/Other Music who re-released the group’s home-recorded debut later that year, earning positive reviews in the New York Times, Pitchfork, Chicago Tribune and paving the way for greater recognition of the band in Brazil. The following year the band toured through Europe and the United States supporting acts like The Clean, Of Montreal, Guided By Voices and Neutral Milk Hotel. During those tours, Boogarins produced their second album, Latin Grammy nominee Manual (2015). Between 2016 and 2018, the band was based in Austin, Texas, and recorded extensively between tours, ultimately resulting in their next two albums, the conceptual Lá Vem a Morte (2017) and Sombrou Dúvida (2019), which took them to major festivals around the world such as Coachella, Desert Daze Rock In Rio, Paredes de Coura and their first performance in South Africa.
During Pandemic times, they got very active with digital releases, partnerships with new brazilian artists and music production workshops, releasing a two volume b-side compilation (Manchaca) and also presenting a six episode visual experience of their Sessões De Cura e Libertação (Healing and Liberation Sessions) – what the band call their free improvisation sets, sometimes presented as a compliment to their actual sets.
CÉU
Recorded in the USA, the album features musical production by the artist, Pupillo, and Adrian Younge.
Céu discovered herself as a songwriter during a season in the Lower East Side of New York. In the early 2000s, influenced by the performances of black and Puerto Rican MCs on the neighborhood's streets, the budding interpreter was seized by an extreme freedom to express herself through her own music. This boldness is evident in her debut album, "Céu" (2005), a record nominated for both the Grammy Awards and the Latin Grammy Awards, featured on various charts worldwide and on Billboard, becoming one of the best-selling Brazilian albums in the history of the United States. This audacity continues to guide her unique transnational journey, acclaimed with renowned awards and, no less importantly, recognition from audiences who deeply resonate with her.
In 2023, Céu returned to the USA, this time to the West Coast, where she conceived "Novela" (Urban Jungle/ONErpm), her sixth album of unreleased songs in her career, set to be released on digital platforms on April 26th. Recorded at Linear Labs Studio in Los Angeles, the production is signed by the São Paulo-born artist, the musician and producer from Pernambuco, Pupillo – former drummer of Nação Zumbi, co-responsible for "Tropix" (2016) and "APKÁ!" (2019), both by Céu, winners of three Latin Grammy Awards, and a producer for Gal Costa and Erasmo Carlos - and by the American multi-instrumentalist and arranger Adrian Younge, owner of Linear Labs, known for albums such as "Something About April" (2011), and for projects with Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, The Delfonics, and Wu Tang Clan, as well as co-directing the multimedia initiative Jazz Is Dead.
As is customary in Adrian's work, the album was captured live, without the technological gadgets of today. Recorded on tape, in a dynamic moment that demands total presence. An old-fashioned approach that harkens back to the beginnings of character-forming record recordings. Interestingly, a futuristic experience that, according to Céu, requires a lot of emotional intelligence and no artificiality. "Nothing vintage," she assures. In the studio, the band consisted of Pupillo (on percussion, programming, and drums), Younge (on keyboards, guitar, bass - in "Reescreve" -, arrangements, and conducting strings and winds), and Lucas Martins (on bass - in virtually all tracks -, guitar, and co-authorship of three of the 12 tracks on the album).
"Dawned in your lucky color/ Chant your mantra and go/ Singing/ Living is for the brave," says the lyrics of "Raiou," which opens "Novela." American MC and songwriter, LadyBug Mecca, from Digable Planets, whose parents are Brazilian, shares vocals with Céu. In "Gerando na alta," it's the turn of anaiis, a Franco-Senegalese singer and songwriter, based in London, England, to exchange impressions about sisterhood. Loren Oden and Jensine Benitez, singers from the USA, feature on "Into my Novela," a collaboration between Céu and Lucas Martins, the informal title track of the album, which talks about the teledrama of everyday life, where there are no TV cameras recording actions, nor predefined scripts. "I am the protagonist of my Novela/ So good, yeah baby/ I want to learn how you want me/ To love you."
There are other significant characters in the plot. Frankie Reyes, an American DJ and producer of Puerto Rican descent, contributes to the harmony of the track "Buá Buá," where Céu, the owner of the melody and lyrics, says: "Cry all the tears that one day/ You refused to cry/ Cry because you recognize/ That you won't find one of these." Hervé Salters, a French artist and leader of General Elektriks, co-producer of "Tropix," appears on "High na Cachú," whose verses by Céu say: "Cold sweet water makes me reborn/ While the stone calls me back to sit/ Retaining all the heat it kept from the sun/ I settle like a flower pollinating." Marcos Valle, a national treasure from Rio de Janeiro, co-wrote "Reescreve" with the São Paulo-born artist, which, at the end of the affectionate session, questions the perspective of colonizers in Brazilian history textbooks. "What was there/ I never believed in/ Every page I read/ Just made me more sleepy/ Since the peoples who were silenced/ The embers came to burn/ The truth comes to light/ It's too much material to work with." Before that, "Corpo e colo," the only track by third parties, is the result of the encounter between Nando Reis and Kleber Lucas. Recently, on social media, the award-winning gospel artist and pastor of Igreja Batista Soul, in Rio, celebrated the fact. "Another beauty coming. Beautiful partnership I made with my bro Nando Reis. I just received a preview of him singing and I am simply ecstatic," he said.
In "Novela," ancient technologies, healing, creaminess, bolero, polished stars, echoes of soul music, things of the earth, rap, and whispers to guides emerge. Throughout the record, there is a reaffirmation of the author's fearlessness, committed to her time, in the complexity and beauty of creative work. Always keeping the diversity of Brazilian music on the horizon. Stay tuned for exciting scenes from the next chapters.
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio
DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO—or as it is sometimes referred to, DLO3—specializes in the lost art of “feel-good music.” The precise sequence of music chosen by Delvon is unique in itself, as he creates an experience for each show based on the vibe and feel of that audience. This includes the 1960s organ jazz stylings of Jimmy Smith and Baby Face Willette, a tweak of the snappy soul strut of Booker T. & The M.G.’s, and The Meters. It teases you with Motown, Stax Records, Blues, and many other styles that may surprise you. It’s a concoction that goes straight to your heart and soul, leaving you emotionally connected on a whole new level.
The band features organist Delvon Lamarr, a self-taught virtuosic musician with perfect pitch who taught himself jazz and has effortlessly been able to play many instruments. The trio is formed by collecting a unique blend of guitarists and drummers worldwide. They leave you with a feeling of wonder caused by seeing something surprisingly beautiful and unforgettable for their fans at every show.
DLO3 was formed from the ground up by Delvon’s wife and manager, Amy Novo, together they created feel-good music to heal the world. The trio started from humble beginnings in 2015 and has since released several Billboard charting albums and toured the world to sold-out venues. Today, the power couple has taken the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio beyond their wildest dreams through her tireless work ethic and his bottomless talent.
The trio started from humble beginnings in 2015, but since then has released several Billboard charting albums and toured the world to sold-out venues. Not to mention, Congratulations to Delvon Lamarr on being named the Rising Star Critics Choice for Organist of the Year! Check out the 70th Annual Downbeat Critics Poll.
KIEFER TRIO
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 17TH @ 10A PST.
To hear Kiefer live is to hear him in his element, and to hear that dynamic with his trio creates a whole new atmosphere for anyone lucky enough to witness.Something For Real, Kiefer’s first official live album, features audio captured during an intimate show in Los Angeles back in April of 2023. The show was recorded in secret, per Kiefer’s request– thus capturing a natural electricity between him and his trio, consisting of collaborators Luke Titus and Pera Krstajic. The project includes one brand new song in title track “Something For Real,” along with originals from Kiefer’s catalog and a stirring rendition of Bobby Hutcherson’s “Montara”. This live album was conceived as a project without rules: “three friends playing for each other, for fun. With friends, for friends. Something for real!”
The album follows the release of Kiefer’s triumphant NPR Tiny Desk on May 6th– with support from his trio (Luke Titus, Pera Krstajic), and surprise guest appearances by supremely talented friends Charlie Hunter, Nate Smith, CARRTOONS, and Theo Croker.
Kiefer’s first release with Stones Throw was the 2016 album Happysad. His most recent album was last year’s It’s Ok, B U – a record that saw Kiefer return to his beat-making roots. In addition to his solo work, Kiefer has produced, played, and written for artists including Drake and Anderson .Paak, winning a Grammy for his work with the latter.
Kiefer recently completed two sold out nights with this trio at the famed Blue Note NYC, and will tour Asia this summer. He’ll also accompany Nate Smith and CARRTOONS across the US in May.
JAZZ ESTÁ MORTO: Celebrating 80 Years of MARCOS VALLE
Marcos Valle is the Renaissance man of Brazilian pop, a singer/songwriter/producer who has straddled the music world from the early days of the bossa nova craze well into the fusion-soaked sound of '80s MPB and into the 21st century. His second album, 1965's O Compositor e o Cantor, is widely considered among the era's most important. Its hit single, "Samba de Verão," is one of the most covered songs in Brazilian music history.
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1943, Valle studied classical music as a child but listened to many different types of music, especially jazz. He began writing songs with his brother Paulo Sérgio; Marcos was the tune writer, Paulo the lyricist. In the early '60s, and after Tamba Triohad a hit with his "Sonho de Maria," Valle was named Brazil's Leading Composer of the Year at the age of 19. A recording contract soon followed, and in 1964 he released his first album, Samba Demais, for EMI Brazil. A tour with Sergio Mendes & Brasil '65 the following year got him his first show business connections in America (via Merv Griffin), and in 1966, Walter Wanderley took Valle's song "So Nice (Summer Samba)" into the U.S. Top 40. Valle soon earned his own American contract, and in 1967, Warner Bros. released the instrumentals album Braziliance! One year later, his Verve debut, Samba '68, became a Brazilian classic thanks to simple, infectious pop songs like "Batucada," "Chup, Chup, I Got Away," and "Crickets Sing for Anamaria" (all of which featured spot-on harmony vocals by his wife Anamaria).
Despite the incredible promise revealed by Samba '68, it was his last American album to date. That same year, the Brazilian-only Viola Enluarada became a big hit in South America, thanks in part to the title track (with vocals by a young Milton Nascimento). The rock & roll era that had already influenced tropicalistas like Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso, and Gilberto Gil soon began inspiring Valle as well. With albums like the irresistible 1971 classic Garra, he moved away from native Brazilian forms like the bossa nova and samba and into a rock-influenced sound that played up groove-heavy bass and smooth funk even while courting his amazing melodic sense.
During the late '80s, the rare-groove craze centered in London resurrected and relentlessly compiled dozens of crucial, overlooked tracks from the '60s and '70s, including Valle's "Crickets Sing for Anamaria." In 1995, the British Mr. Bongo label released a two-volume series (The Essential Marcos Valle) dedicated to his work. One year later, Valle appeared on the jam session compilation Friends from Rio, and in 1998 he returned with a new album, Nova Bossa Nova. In 2018 Far Outremastered and reissued Nova Bossa Nova in a 20th anniversary edition. In June of 2019 at age 76, Valle released Sempre for Far Out. Its sound was a retro mix of boogie, disco, cosmic samba, and smooth jazz-funk grafted onto socially conscious lyrics that recalled the lyric style of his progressive early-'70s recordings. Guests on the date included Azymuth's bassist Alex Malheiros, trumpeter Jesse Sadoc, and percussionist Armando Marcal.
Valle returned to the studio almost immediately and released Cinzento in March of 2020 for Deck in Brazil and Light in the Attic in the U.S. It featured collaborations with Moreno Veloso ("Redescobrir"), Bem Gil ("Protect Yourself"), Kassin ("Distant Places"), Zélia Duncan ("Rastros Raros"), Domênico Lancelotti ("Pelo Sim, Pelo Não"), and rapper Emicid on the title track. Also appearing that spring, this time from English label Far Out, was a 2020 reissue of Valle's 1972 soundtrack Fly Cruzeiro, for which he was backed by Brazilian jazz-funk fusion trio Azymuth (who took their name from one of his songs) in a set that mixed bossa, samba, synth-driven funk, and jazz fusion.
In 2019, Valle and his wife, singer Patricia Alvi, traveled to Los Angeles to work with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad for their Jazz Is Dead label project. Though Valle had lived and worked there decades earlier, he had never recorded his own music. Using his catalog as a production guide, collaborators encouraged an album of new songs that crisscrossed his career-long obsessions with samba, bossa, MPB, and psychedelic funk. Valle arrived with a briefcase full of original material; he composed even more on the spot in the recording studio. Using vintage instruments and keyboards, the sessions plotted a 21st century overview of Valle's musical evolution. It included a duet with Alvi on the breezy "Viajando por Aí." In keeping with the Jazz Is Dead label's cataloging aesthetic, the set was titled Marcos Valle JID 003, and issued in August of 2020. A 2021 single saw Valle collaborating with Ivan Lins and Joyce on the gentle "Casa Que Era Minha." ~ John Bush
JOSÉ JAMES PRESENTS 1978
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY MARCH 29TH @ 7AM!
José James – the forward-looking, genre-defying Jazz singer for the hip-hop generation – has done it again. “1978” (his 12th studio album since 2008’s “The Dreamer”) announces an instant classic, combining James’ deep love of jazz and hip-hop with songwriting and production nods to R&B heroes Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Leon Ware.
“I had a writing session with Leon Ware back in 2009 in LA at his house in Marina Del Rey. He rolled one and we talked for hours about jazz, Motown and Marvin. At one point in the middle of working on a song he said ‘you remind me of me.’ That stayed with me. Of course I asked him a million questions because ‘I Want You’ is my all-time favorite album. I wanted 1978 to feel like he and J Dilla made an album for me.”
Produced by James and featuring an all-star ensemble including Grammy nominees Pedrito Martinez (Camilla Cabello, Eric Clapton), Marcus Machado (Daniel Ceasar, Pharoahe Monch) and David Ginyard (Solange, Blood Orange), “1978” pulsates with the socially conscious feel-good vibes of Marvin Gaye, Prince and Stevie Wonder. James also skillfully explores the boundaries of Black music beyond his own backyard, featuring Brazillian rising star and recent Latin Grammy nominee Xenia França as well as the Congolese-Belgian rapper/filmmaker Baloji.
AZYMUTH US TOUR
Responsible for carving out an entirely new sound, fusing jazz-funk with samba to create their own unique genre, referred to as ‘samba doido’, Azymuth are one of Brazil’s most influential bands and surely one of the world’s longest running.
They have played with just about everyone throughout Brazil’s golden era of MPB, jazz, soul and funk, including Jorge Ben, Milton Nascimento, Tim Maia, Elis Regina and Marcos Valle to name just a few. It was Marcos Valle who gave Azymuth their name in 1973 during the recordings of his soundtrack for the film O Fabuloso Fittipaldi. In that same year, Azymuth began recording their now critically acclaimed Demos (1973-75) which sat in their archives until 2019 when they were released by London based label Far Out Recordings.
50 years since they began, Azymuth have released over thirty albums and are still going as strong as ever, writing, recording and performing with the same energy and enthusiasm as when they started out.
As well as their influence on jazz and funk, Azymuth’s contribution to electronic music around the globe is unquestioned, and they’ve collaborated with the likes of 4hero, Madlib and Jazzanova, and been remixed by Theo Parrish, Ron Trent, Global Communication and Daniel Maunick amongst others.
Since the passing of keyboard maestro Jose Roberto Bertrami in 2012 and drummer Ivan Conti in early 2023, remaining original member Alex Malheiros has worked tirelessly to keep the spirit of Azymuth alive, enlisting keyboardist Kiko Continentino (Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Djavan), who co-wrote and recorded Azymuth’s critically acclaimed 2016 album Fenix, and drummer Renato Massa (Marcos Valle, Ed Motta).
An Azymuth live show is a journey through the full spectrum of their brilliantly coloured expressionist funk, with all the cosmic energy and masterful musicianship you’d expect from the world's greatest three-man orchestra.
Mizell Brothers
At a night at The Ford in Los Angeles, a stellar lineup awaits, featuring jazz luminaries like Gary Bartz and members of the Blackbyrds alongside rising talents Melanie Charles and Katalyst. Among the esteemed performers gracing the stage is Larry Mizell, one half of the legendary Mizell brothers who reshaped the landscape of jazz-funk with their innovative productions under Sky High Productions. Hailing from Englewood, New Jersey, Larry and Alphonso “Fonce” Mizell embarked on a musical journey rooted in their adolescence, eventually leaving an indelible mark on the music industry with their fusion of jazz and R&B. From their early days mimicking horn lines to their collaborations with Motown and jazz icons like Donald Byrd, the Mizell brothers' influence continues to resonate, shaping the soundscape of contemporary music and earning them a well-deserved place among the pantheon of musical innovators.
The Mizell brothers, Larry and Alphonso “Fonce” Mizell, are iconic figures who revolutionized jazz-funk with their innovative productions under Sky High Productions. Together the duo produced tracks for Bobbi Humphrey, Donald Byrd, Johnny Hammond, The Jackson 5, Edwin Starr, Gary Bartz, Mary Wells, A Taste of Honey and more.
Born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, their musical journey began in their adolescence, mimicking horn lines from their parents' records and eventually forming the jazz-harmony quartet the Vanlords during their time at Howard University. After graduating, Larry worked briefly as an engineer while Fonce and their friend Freddie Perren made their mark in Los Angeles, eventually joining Motown as staff songwriters. Their collaboration with Motown, including writing and producing hits for the Jackson 5, propelled them to fame. However, disillusioned with Motown's constraints, they ventured into jazz with Donald Byrd, releasing groundbreaking albums like "Black Byrd" and "Street Lady," which defined their signature fusion of jazz and R&B. Throughout the 1970s, they continued to produce influential works across genres, leaving an enduring legacy in music. Despite a hiatus in the 1980s, their productions remain influential, particularly in hip-hop, and their contributions were celebrated with a compilation release by Blue Note Records in 2005.
Takuya Kuroda
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 4/26/24 @ 10A MT.
A highly-respected trumpeter born in Kobe, Japan, Takuya Kuroda is a forward-thinking musician that has developed a unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop music.
After following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz & contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid- noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the ‘Blackmagic’ and ‘No Beginning No End’ projects.
Following graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier’s BADDER band (also including acclaimed bass player, Brady Watt). Premier said “The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I’ve known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, ‘What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He’s got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…”
Takuya Kuroda is already incredibly prolific, releasing five albums in the past decade and fortifying a solid reputation in the global jazz scene. 2011 saw the release of Takuya’s independently-produced debut album, ‘Edge’, followed by ‘Bitter and High’ the following year and ‘Six Aces’ on P-Vine in 2013. Takuya was signed to the legendary Blue Note Records in 2014 for his album ‘Rising Son’, as well as appearing on their 2019 cover versions project, ‘Blue Note Voyage’. He released his 5th album ‘Zigzagger’ on Concord in 2016, which also featured Antibalas on a reimagining of the Donald Byrd classic ‘Think Twice’.
Late Summer 2020, Takuya Kuroda returns with his sixth album ‘Fly Moon Die Soon’. In his words, “this album is about the irony between the greatness of nature and the beautiful obsceneness of humanity. Melodies and grooves fly back and forth from being spiritual to being vulgar.”
Irreversible Entanglements
Tickets go on sale Friday, May 3rd!
Irreversible Entanglements (IE) is a free-jazz quintet with an experimental punk mentality, that consists of poet/vocalist Camae Ayewa (often known as Moor Mother), bassist Luke Stewart, trumpeter Aquiles Navarro, saxophonist Keir Neuringer, and drummer Tcheser Holmes.
It is a community band playing deeply improvised, rhythm music full of love and social commitment. IE came together spontaneously, organically, in April of 2015 at "Musicians Against Police Brutality," a day of protest sound and discussion in Brooklyn. All were artists and activists of varying degrees: Philadelphia-based Ayewa and Neuringer, and D.C.-based Stewart as veterans of the Mid-Atlantic noisehardcore-experimental scene, while Holmes and Navarro as recent New England Conservatory grads Each of the studio albums that followed — 2020's Who Sent You? and 2021's Open The Gates — developed this legend further.
In 2023, IE signed to the fabled Impulse! Records, and released its most accomplished work to date, Protect Your Light, on September 8, 2023, primarily recorded at New Jersey's historic Van Gelder Studios. It features eight examples of how IE's collaborative composition strategies and Ayewa's in-communion verses result in some of the most potent music being made in the third decade of the 21st century, music with communal light and love at its heart. Get to that love on time — don't force history to guide you.
Giacomo Turra
Giacomo Turra is an Italian musician born in 1997. Intrigued byf his father’s vinyl record collection, Giacomo started playing guitar at the age of 13, learning by jamming on his favorite artists like Stevie Wonder, George Benson and Herbie Hancock.
In 2018, he started his solo musical project, exploring R&B, Funk and Jazz and releasing his first singles under the name JMT between 2019 and 2020. In March 2020, during the pandemic lockdown, Giacomo started posting video performances on his Instagram account, soon becoming an Artist for D'Angelico Guitars and gaining hundreds of thousands of followers.
In July 2021, Giacomo released "The Groove Sessions", a compilation of Funk and R&B covers recorded with renowned musicians and singers from all over the world like Brandon "TAZ" Niederauer, Phoebe Katis, Jessica Burdeaux, George Collins and Augie Bello.
In February 2023, Giacomo announced the release of his signature Envelope Filter pedal in collaboration with Canadian brand SolidgoldFX. Later that month, Giacomo and his band played two sold out shows at The Zone in Tel Aviv, Israel and through the next months of the same year, he has been invited to perform at the famous JavaJazz Festival in Indonesia, as one of the very few international acts to perform there. Last but not least Giacomo and his band toured for over a month in North America where he collected several sold-out shows before coming back to Europe to launch his first European Tour ever.
Sister Nancy
MUST BE AGE 21+ FOR ADMISSION.
There is no wrong time to play 'Bam Bam.' Every summer belongs to 'Bam Bam.'... A perfect song. The New Yorker In the words of her iconic 1982 single Bam Bam, Sister Nancy is one inna three million, an artist whose talents truly come from creation. Regarded as the first female star in the male-dominated world of Jamaican dancehall, Sister Nancy continues to blaze new trails 35 years after the release of her first and only album. Recently recognized by Pitchfork as The Best Dancehall Song of All-Time, Bam Bam has been sampled, quoted and referenced in tracks by Lauryn Hill, Wiz Khalifa, Too Short, Kanye West and Jay-Z.
Born Ophlin Russell, Nancy grew up in Kingston, Jamaica Papine district, in a large family that included dancehall pioneeR&Brigadier Jerry. Her familial ties afforded her an opportunity granted few, if any, Jamaican girls at the time: To deejay (or chat) songs on sound Systems, the local DJ crews that form the backbone of dancehall culture. After learning of her talents from artist General Echo, Winston Riley of Kingston storied Techniques Records label brought her into the studio to record her first single, Papa Dean, in 1979. Returning to the studio to complete what would be her first and only album, One Two, in 1982, Nancy lent her voice to a haunting, minimalist version of Riley Stalag riddim, a popular instrumental track voiced by countless artists since 1973. Co-opting a lyrical refrain (Bam bam bi lam, bam bam, what a bam bam) from Toots the Maytals identically-named 1966 hit, Nancy created an anth of female powerment, repurposing the skepticism she encountered as the lone woman on the sound syst circuit into a supremely-confident mission statement. One Two, the title cut from her album, would become her signature hit in Jamaica, leading to international tours and collaborations with dancehall then-reigning king, Yellowman. Little heard at the time of its release, Bam Bam would find its audience in New York, first in the city Caribbean Diaspora and then in hip-hop.
In the early 1990s, it was sampled by golden-era rap acts Main Source and Pete Rock CL Smooth, and r ixed into a hip-hop version by legendary radio DJ Stretch Armstrong. It wasnt until Nancy herself relocated to New Jersey, where she would take a job as a bank accountant, later in the decade that she became aware of her song and her own iconic stateside status. Hype Williams 1998 film Belly c ented Nancy place in the pop culture canon, in an unforgettable scene in which Bam Bam soundtracks the movements of the stunning Jamaican feme fatale, Chiquita. That same year, Lauryn Hill echoed Nancy Bam Bam chorus on Lost Ones, from her Grammy-winning and career-defining album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, passing Nancy patois inflections on to a new generation of listeners. Since then, the samples, covers and plac ents including a 2014 Reebok TV campaign featuring model Miranda Kerr have become ever more frequent. In 2016, Nancy received the ultimate co-sign, or at least some really great exposure, when Kanye West used Bam Bam prominently on Famous, arguably the most controversial song and video of his always-provocative career. The New Yorkers Carrie Battan went so far as to dub Bam Bam the Song of the Summer for 2016, describing it as a perfect song and a reggae classic that only grows more lustrous with age.
GHOST-NOTE
GHOST-NOTE IS AN EXPLOSION OF SOUND. HEADED BY SNARKY PUPPY’S MULTI-GRAMMY–WINNING PERCUSSION DUO OF ROBERT “SPUT” SEARIGHT AND NATE WERTH, FEATURING AN EXPANSIVE ROSTER OF NEXT-LEVEL MUSICIANS — REPRESENTING MEMBERS OF PRINCE, SNOOP DOGG, ERYKAH BADU, HERBIE HANCOCK, KENDRICK LAMAR, MARCUS MILLER, TOTO, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, AND MORE—THE BAND IS PUSHING FUNK MUSIC INTO THE FUTURE, BUILDING ON THE PIONEERING FOUNDATIONS LAID OUT BY THE LIKES OF JAMES BROWN AND SLY & THE FAMILY STONE AND INFUSING THEIR FRESH TAKE WITH AFROBEAT, HIP-HOP, PSYCHEDELIA, WORLD FOLKLORE, AND MORE.
WITH THE RELEASE OF 2018’S SWAGISM, GHOST-NOTE MADE THEIR MISSION CLEAR. THE ALBUM PUT RHYTHM AT THE FOREFRONT, WITH IRRESISTIBLE, HEAVY-HITTING BEATS UNDERLYING THE GROUP’S WILD, RICH MUSIC. FEATURING NUMEROUS GUEST COLLABORATORS, INCLUDING KAMASI WASHINGTON, KARL DENSON, BOBBY SPARKS, NIGEL HALL, TAZ, AND OTHERS, SWAGISM SHOWCASED THE BAND’S STUNNING ABILITY TO MELD AND AMPLIFY SOUNDS, ULTIMATELY ADDING TO GHOST-NOTE’S SHARP, COMPLEX COLLABORATIONS.
THE BAND EASILY TRANSLATES THIS ADVENTUROUSNESS IN A LIVE SETTING. GHOST-NOTE’S LIVE PERFORMANCES ARE BOLD AND IN YOUR FACE, WITH THE GROUP OFFERING UP NONE OF THE TIGHT-LACED PRETENSES FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE BAND’S JAZZ ROOTS. FOCUSED ON CREATING SEDUCTIVE DANCEABLE GROOVES AND A CONTAGIOUS FEEL-GOOD ENERGY, EACH SHOW IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LET LOOSE AND CONNECT, FOR BOTH FANS AND THE MUSICIANS ALIKE.
AFTER FORMING IN 2015, GHOST-NOTE HAS ALREADY TAKEN THE WORLD BY STORM. THE GROUP’S TWO STUDIO ALBUMS—2018’S SWAGISM AND 2015’S FORTIFIED—HAVE EARNED CRITICAL ACCLAIM AND POPULAR SUCCESS AROUND THE GLOBE, WITH BOTH ALBUMS HITTING THE #1 SPOT ON THE ITUNES JAZZ CHARTS. FURTHERMORE, THE EVER-GROWING FAMILY OF MUSICIANS HAS MOUNTED SUCCESSFUL HEADLINING TOURS IN THE UNITED STATES, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, AND JAPAN AND PERFORMED AT HIGH-PROFILE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVALS AND EVENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE.
THEIR NEXT ALBUM WILL BE OUT IN 2024, AND THEY WILL BE TOURING TO SUPPORT THE RELEASE.
Cortex
There is hardly any comparison for the first time one hears the legendary French Jazz-Funk band, Cortex. Like tearing a sports car down the Côte d'Azur, their crisp bass lines and seductive piano stabs conjure fantasies of playful hedonism, sun-drenched luxury, and escape. Among the numerous European groups that absorbed American Funk and Jazz influences during the 1970s, few are as celebrated, or as mysterious. Over the years, their music has made its way to global audiences through Hip-Hop. As it stands, Cortex is one of the most sampled artists from France, appearing in tracks from Tyler The Creator, Flying Lotus, Conway The Machine, and most notably MF DOOM & Madlib. Join Jazz Is Dead as we welcome the iconic group back to US and Canada. Listen to their holy grail album TROUPEAU BLEU here.
There is little information available online about Cortex’s elusive founding member, Alain Mion. Born in Casablanca shortly after World War II, Mion was raised in Paris. By the late 1960s, he had formed his own trio, and was regularly gigging in Parisian nightclubs, as well as sitting in with visiting Americans such as Hank Mobley and Philly Joe Jones. In 1974, Mion founded Cortex with drummer Alain Gandolfini, and recruited talented session musicians, as well the singer Mirelle Dalbray to round out the group. Their first two albums, Troupeau Bleu and Vol. 2, brought them great attention across Europe from TV and radio stations and remain their most well-known works.
Today, their impact among instrumental acts remains stronger than ever. Groups like High Pulp, Hiatus Kaiyote, and many others are descended from the group’s psychedelic blend of Funk and Jazz. Though they were only briefly active, the music of Cortex shaped tastes and for future generations while remaining an impenetrable mystery. Now, as they make their way to American soil, join us in what is sure to be one of Jazz Is Dead’s most unforgettable concerts.
Mulatu Astatke
TICKETS GO ON SALE TUESDAY, MARCH 19TH AT 10A.
Mulatu Astatke (born 1943) is an Ethiopian musician and arranger best known as the father of Ethio-jazz. Born in the western Ethiopian city of Jimma, Mulatu trained in London, New York City, and Boston where he combined his jazz and Latin music interests with traditional Ethiopian music and became the first African student to enroll at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music from where he received an honourary degree in 2012. Astatke led his band while playing vibraphone and conga drums—instruments that he introduced into Ethiopian popular music— other percussion instruments, keyboards and organ. His albums focus primarily on instrumental music, and Astatke appears on all three known albums of instrumentals that were released during Ethiopia’s Golden ’70s. He collaborated with many notable artists in both countries, arranging and playing on recordings by Mahmoud Ahmed, and appearing as a special guest with Duke Ellington during a tour of Ethiopia in 1973. His Western audience expanded even further when the 2005 Jim Jarmusch film Broken Flowers featured seven of Astatke’s songs. Hip hop artists have also sampled Astatke’s songs extensively, for example in the works of Nas, Damian Marley, Kanye West, Cut Chemist, and Knaan. He toured with US band Either/ Orchestra in 2006 and in 2008 recorded an album with the Heliocentrics and completed a Radcliffe Institute Fellowship at Harvard University, where he worked on modernizations of traditional Ethiopian instruments and premiered a portion of a new opera, The Yared Opera.
Emmet Cohen
Multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is one of his generation's pivotal figures in music and the related arts. Leader of the Emmet Cohen Trio and creator of the Masters Legacy Series, he is an internationally acclaimed jazz artist, a dedicated educator, the winner of the 2019 American Pianists Awards, and a finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition. Cohen headlines regularly at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Village Vanguard, and Birdland, and has appeared at the Newport, Monterey, and North Sea jazz festivals. His artistry has taken him to venues and festivals in over 30 countries. Cohen's entrepreneurial energies led to his developing "Live From Emmet's Place," a live-streamed "Harlem rent party" that unites a worldwide audience via tens of millions of internet views.
“When Cohen is in full flight, with Poole slamming the kit around the room behind him, he reminds me of Ahmad Jamal: not the genteel Jamal you hear on record, but the wall-banging, holy-shit Jamal I saw in concert a few years ago, who rolled across the keyboard like a thunderstorm.” — PHIL FREEMAN, STEREOGUM
Nate Smith
Nate Smith is a drummer, composer, & producer from Chesapeake, Virginia. His visceral, instinctive, and deep-rooted style of drumming has led to three GRAMMY® nominations and work with esteemed artists, including: Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Brittany Howar’d, Van Hunt, The Fearless Flyers, Norah Jones, and Somi. Smith fuses his original compositions with an eclectic mix of music, including everything from jazz to R&B to hip-hop to pop. His latest album, Kinfolk 2: See The Birds (released September 2021 on Edition Records) is the highly- anticipated follow up to his 2017 GRAMMY® Award-nominated album, Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere. In recent years, Smith’s viral videos have been viewed by millions of people, underscoring his popularity as one of the most influential drummers of his generation.
This will be Nate’s second time performing live at Jazz Is Dead and we can’t wait to see what he brings to the stage this time around!
O Terno
O Terno's presents fourth album arrives three years after 'Melhor do Que Parece' and is the first to feature guest appearances in its tracks. At a time when albums are sliced single by single in multiple releases, O Terno releases a unique work in thematic unit that needs to be perceived from various perspectives. “<atrás data-preserve-html-node="true"/além>” is a work to be listened to carefully, read as a book, watched as a movie and looked at as a painting.
As much as a release, this text serves to put into words the artistic dimension that the group from São Paulo reached in their fourth album, with more refined and grandiose orchestral arrangements than in previous works, reaching a music that runs everywhere. That is, it surpasses expected and known boundaries, be it jazz, indie, MPB, classical music or rock.
Thus, the sound becomes universal, within the full spectrum of pop's possibilities, with production, arrangement, mixing and, of course, composition under the signature of Tim Bernardes.
Let's start with the sound. While the first album, "66" (2012), showed a lot of O Terno dressed in sixties' pantsuits, the second one - "O Terno" (2014) - traced a more psychedelic curve - and the following work, "Melhor do Que Parece” (from 2016), touched Tropicalismo and MPB. In “<atrás data-preserve-html-node="true"/além>" orchestration, refined arrangements, brass and strings often make the trio sound more like a support group than a protagonist. Music itself 'speaks louder’ than Tim Bernardes' guitar and vocals, Guilherme d'Almeida's bass and / or Biel Basile's drums.
"It's an attempt to expand and not get stuck with a formula. Something like the ’n’ in the equation“, says Tim. The concept of openness and creative freedom begins with the cover, with a touch of concrete poetry in the geometric aspect linked to art, the conceptual white creating a boundless horizon and the three spheres in primary colors representing three paths that unite - their sum solving the equation.
The division of the band's name in three reinforces the concept, in which “O”(’the’) symbolizes the individual, the subject; “Ter” (‘have’) refers to the 'baggage' you carry, and “No”(in) to the situation: where you are, where to go and where you came from.
"It brings this character of assimilated references - and not premeditation - to the making (of the album)," suggests the singer and songwriter.
Ibrahim Malouf
Born in Beirut in 1980, Ibrahim Maalouf is currently a popular instrumentalist in the French music scene and one of the most recognized internationally. His genre-crossing work has led him to fill Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena, sell out the Lincoln Jazz Center in New York, or perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and travel to over 40 countries around the world.
In 2016, he became the first jazz musician in history to fill France’s largest concert hall, the Paris Bercy Arena, selling out 8 months in advance for a historic show. “The virtuoso” according to The New York Times, has received 2 “Victoires du Jazz”, 2 “Victoires de la Musique” (making him the first and only instrumentalist to be awarded in the history of this ceremony), an “Echo Jazz” in Germany, a “César for Best Film Music”, a “Prix Lumières” for Best Film Music, as well as honorary awards of Knight of the Order of Merit and Knight of Arts and Letters.
As a teenager, Ibrahim was already winning major international classical music competitions and starting a solo career. In the 2000s, he became essential in pop, jazz as well as the “World” music scene. Sting, Salif Keita, Amadou & Mariam, Tryo, Matthieu Chédid, Lhasa de Sela, and many artists of very diverse styles call on him.
Between 2007 and 2023, Ibrahim produced, composed, arranged, and directed more than 20 albums for himself and other artists. He also composed more than 10 symphonic pieces and twenty movie scores.
In 2017, Quincy Jones Productions became his representative in the United States, and his North American career took off anew. The American Media’s reviews of his album “Queen of Sheba” – in a duet with the Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo – are rapturous. “The most interesting album of the year” according to the legendary magazine Spin, “Without a doubt one of the most important world music albums of the year” according to Glide Magazine, another leading American music magazine.
In 2022, Ibrahim composed the soundtrack for “Reste un peu” by Gad Elmaleh. One of the greatest French directors, Claude Lelouch, offered him to compose the music for his 51st feature film.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim has never stopped expressing his love for the trumpet and improvisation. In 2022, he relaunched after 17 years of absence, and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Maurice André International Trumpet Competition, thus putting the name of the man who was his father’s teacher and a true mentor, at the center of French cultural media interest.
In 2021, Ibrahim released a book entitled “Petite philosophie de l’improvisation” and initiated “Improbox”, a radio program on TSF Jazz that highlights the importance and place of improvisation in all professions. He sees himself as an activist for the reintegration of improvisation into musical learning as well as national education.
Ibrahim Maalouf is an artist who is committed. He was present alongside Sting during the reopening of The Bataclan, as well as the funeral of Tignous, one of the cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo, and composed a tribute song in tribute to the victims of the 2015 attacks, sung by Louane, written by his uncle Amin Maalouf, and performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
On July 15, 2021, Ibrahim performed a personalized version of La Marseillaise in front of 6 million viewers and 500,000 people gathered on the Champs de Mars. He also stays close to his country of origin, Lebanon. In 2020, he organized a major fundraising concert at the Olympia, broadcasted on France 2 and all Lebanese television channels to help Lebanon after the explosion at the port of Beirut. Donations exceeded 2 million euros.
TAkuya Koruda
A highly-respected trumpeter born in Kobe, Japan, Takuya Kuroda is a forward-thinking musician that has developed a unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop music.
After following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz & contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid- noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the ‘Blackmagic’ and ‘No Beginning No End’ projects.
Following graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier’s BADDER band (also including acclaimed bass player, Brady Watt). Premier said “The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I’ve known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, ‘What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He’s got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…”
Takuya Kuroda is already incredibly prolific, releasing five albums in the past decade and fortifying a solid reputation in the global jazz scene. 2011 saw the release of Takuya’s independently-produced debut album, ‘Edge’, followed by ‘Bitter and High’ the following year and ‘Six Aces’ on P-Vine in 2013. Takuya was signed to the legendary Blue Note Records in 2014 for his album ‘Rising Son’, as well as appearing on their 2019 cover versions project, ‘Blue Note Voyage’. He released his 5th album ‘Zigzagger’ on Concord in 2016, which also featured Antibalas on a reimagining of the Donald Byrd classic ‘Think Twice’.
Late Summer 2020, Takuya Kuroda returns with his sixth album ‘Fly Moon Die Soon’. In his words, “this album is about the irony between the greatness of nature and the beautiful obsceneness of humanity. Melodies and grooves fly back and forth from being spiritual to being vulgar.”
BALTHVS
BALTHVS, the Bogota, Colombia based psychedelic funk trio was formed in the countryside while the group waited out the 2020 pandemic. The band was escaping the city during uncertain times and according to Balthazar Aguirre “we wanted the music to meld with the peaceful environment surrounding us at that moment”. AlongsideAguirre (Guitar, Vocals) the band consists of Johanna Mercuriana (Bass, Vocals), and Santiago Lizcano (Drums, Vocals).
Their genre-defying sound blends Cumbia, Surf Rock, funk and Turkish musical influences. The music is comprised of lyrics in English, Spanish and plenty of instrumentals that meld mysticism and psychedelics. “Colombia is very psychedelic, there's plenty of availability and a lot of traditional medicine involving entheogens and plant medicine around.” The result is a captivating sonic tapestry that transcends conventional boundaries, captivating listeners with its multifaceted influences.
Known for their dynamic and electrifying live performances, BALTHVS has become synonymous with energetic shows and captivating improvisations. Since their inception, the band has embarked on a prolific creative journey, releasing an impressive catalog featuring over 34 singles and 3 full-length albums. Their music has resonated globally, amassing over 6.8 million streams worldwide, establishing BALTHVS as a formidable presence in the music industry.
While BALTHVS has conquered their home turf, gracing the stage at Colombia's largest music festival, Rock al Parque, they have also taken their infectious sound to international audiences. With three performances at SXSW in Austin, TX, a successful USA tour, and a triumphant inaugural Europe tour in 2024, the band is poised for even greater heights with a new full length LP set to release on Mixto Records in the fall. Eager to continue their sonic exploration, BALTHVS is set to enchant audiences worldwide with their innovative and boundary-pushing approach to music.
BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20TH.
Bassekou Kouyate was born in Garana, a small and multi-ethnic village 60 km from Segou located at the banks of the Niger river. He is descended from a long line of griots on both sides.
In the mid eighties Bassekou started playing the traditional sumu circuit, which soon put him in touch with another extraordinary musician such as the kora player Toumani Diabate. At the end of the 1980s, Bassekou became a founding member of Toumani Diabate’s Symmetric Orchestra, which then included among others a young Habib Koite as lead singer. It was the Symmetric Trio that brought Bassekou to Europe for the first time to play at the festival in Dranouter in Belgium in 1990.
Later that same year, Bassekou made his first trip to the USA, where he met the African American blues musician, Taj Mahal.
In the mid 1990s Bassekou married Amy Sacko, a fine griot singer originally from northwest Mali. As a couple, they produced a number of popular cassettes and were in constant demand on the wedding circuit and on Mali television, where Amy was nicknamed “the Tina Turner of Mali”.
In 2005 Bassekou was invited by Mali’s “desert bluesman” Ali Farka Touré to play on his album ‘Savane’ and to join Ali on stage for his final tour in the summer of 2005. In the same year Bassekou decided to create his band Ngoni ba. a quartet of different sized ngonis. It was a novel idea, but it was also very old – the rulers of precolonial Segu sometimes had bands of up to 30 or 40 ngoni players, all playing together.
Since than Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba have toured the world playing 100rds of shows from NY Central Park to the Royal Albert Hall in London, from Roskilde to Glastonbury.
Lately he performed with Africa Express and charged stages with musicians like Sir Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones, Damon Albarn and many more.
Blue Note 85th Anniversary
Jazz Is Dead is proud to come together with the legendary Blue Note Records to celebrate the label’s 85thAnniversary! The Finest in Jazz Since 1939, Blue Note Records is the most respected and longest-running jazz label in the world.
Jazz Is Dead will be hosting The Blue Note Quintet, a group brought together to honor the label’s rich history, on this west-coast tour. Gerald Clayton leads the band as Musical Director and Pianist: “Gerald Clayton is one of the most accomplished, distinctive, and innovative pianists performing today” says Don Was, the label’s President. Rounding out the group is vibraphonist Joel Ross, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, drummer Kendrick Scott, and bassist Matt Brewer.
Pianist and band leader Gerald Clayton is a six-time Grammy Award nominee. Collaborating over the years with such distinctive artists as Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, Dianne Reeves, Terence Blanchard, John Scofield, Terri Lyne Carrington, and legendary band leader Charles Lloyd. Clayton currently serves as Director of Next Generation Jazz Orchestra following service as Musical Director for Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour.
Joel Ross, vibraphonist-composer, continues refining an expression that’s true to his sound and his generation. In 2019, he issued his anticipated Blue Note debut, Edison Award-winning record KingMaker, to eruptive critical acclaim.
The music of saxophonist-composer Immanuel Wilkins is filled with empathy and conviction, bonding arcs of melody and lamentation to pluming gestures of space and breath. Listeners were introduced to this riveting sound with his acclaimed debut album Omega, which was named the #1 Jazz Album of 2020 by The New York Times. s.
Drummer Kendrick Scott has toured with Herbie Hancock, Charles Lloyd, The Crusaders, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kurt Elling, and Terence Blanchard.
Bassist Matt Brewer has traveled the world playing in the bands of Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Greg Osby, Steve Coleman, Dave Binney, Ben Wendel, Aaron Parks, Vijay Iyer among many others.
BUTCHER BROWN
Miles Davis once quipped, “I’ll play it first and tell you what it is later.” Butcher Brown has released forward-thinking and expansive hybrids of jazz and hip-hop since 2013. Today, they have an apt descriptor for their songs: solar music. Drawing inspiration from every sound under the sun, the Richmond, VA band adds elements of funk, soul, and rock to their foundational mix. The result is a Southern-leaning, sometimes psychedelic fusion that feels fresh yet familiar. Simultaneously working within and defying genre conventions, Butcher Brown is a jazz festival mainstay that could tour with Tyler, the Creator as easily as Khruangbin.
“We get daps from the jazz cats, the rap scene, the indie scene, and everyone else,” says drummer Corey Fonville. Every Butcher Brown album, show, and improvisational leap therein stems from the synergy, vision, and inexhaustible musical curiosity of him and his bandmates: producer/multi-instrumentalist DJ Harrison; bassist/composer Andrew Randazzo; trumpeter/saxophonist/MC Marcus “Tennishu” Tenney; and guitarist Morgan Burrs.
AJA MONET
Surrealist blues poet and community organizer aja monet has announced her debut album when the poems do what they do. As previewed by the recently released piece “the devil you know,” and the newly shared “castaway,” the album’s thematic origins center around Black resistance, love, and the inexhaustible quest for joy. She is joined on her journey by a potent roster of esteemed musicians, including Chief Xian aTunde AdjuahFKA Christian Scott (trumpet), Samora Pinderhughes (piano), Elena Pinderhughes (flute), Luques Curtis (bass), Weedie Braimah (percussion), and Marcus Gilmore (drums). Featuring additional vocals by bluesman Lonnie Holley, soul singer Eryn Allen Kane, DJ & host Novena Carmel and more. The songs throughout are insistent and unrelenting, with some reminiscent of jazz club virtuosity and melee while others act as a healing balm in gilead, moving like that of the call to intercessory prayer. The album is a potent demonstration of her indefatigable commitment to speak, her poems manifesting as a work of gravity that move constantly between origin and outcome, allowing them to exist in converse.
As a community organizer, poet, and teacher aja monet moves between mediums, each one an element to her writing. Organizing and activism manifest as part of a process toward liberation, with the poems, the music, and the art serving as the scribe of the time. Building off oratorical traditions, aja is the conduit for her predecessors to channel through. At any given time you’ll find the revolutionary spirit of Audre Lorde and the Last Poets, you’ll feel June Jordan, Amiri Baraka, Jayne Cortez and even the expressive ephemerality of a passing blue note. She has been a poet since youth, “I started writing when I was 8 or 9 — [but] I think I was a poet before I wrote my first poem.” She cut her teeth within the walls of the legendary Nuyorican Poets Café, where she won the title of Grand Slam Champion in 2007 at age 19, making her the youngest Grand Slam Champion in the venue’s history. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and living briefly in Paris, aja co-edited Chorus: A Literary Mixtape alongside poet-actor-director Saul Williams and published her first full length book of poetry called My Mother was A Freedom Fighter with Haymarket Books.
On when the poems do what they do aja monet appears as a woman of letters and storm, her poems do not roar in pentameter – but rather in storm surge because, “Who’s got time for poems when the world is on fire?!.” aja monet is a griot, a storyteller, a chronicler, and your grandmother telling you about her first love all at once. These aren’t poems for poets, but poems for everyone. When you reach the end of this album, you are left with a similar feeling you get when heartbroken, the gravity of barrelling back down to earth, sopping wet with tears, out of breath, overcome with love, despair, hope, and all too aware that all of this, is over far too soon. When the poems do what they do, they do absolutely everything.
Theon Cross & Jamael Dean
TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY AUGUST 11TH!
Theon Cross is one of those rare musicians whose vision has redefined their instrument. His unique approach to the tuba has expanded the instrument’s sonic possibilities in revolutionary fashion, restoring it to a long-forgotten prominence as a crucial part of the contemporary jazz ensemble. Through his combination of technical mastery, studio smarts, deep musical knowledge and expansive vision, the power and originality of Theon’s playing has reinvented the tuba’s place in modern music.
His most recent album, Intra-I (meaning ‘Within Self’) released in 2021 synthesizes the diversity of his musical art and experience to deliver an essential message to a world gripped by tribulation. Across ten sonically divergent and bass-rich tracks, Intra-I explores themes of self-reliance, origins, identity and more. Since its release he has contributed a version of Monk’s Epistrophy for Blue Note Re:Imagined II, been a core part of Miles Davis channeling collective London Brew and featured on Matthew Herbert’s single The Horse Has A Voice. He has also released his first 7” single Wings b/w a version of Aswad’s Back to Africa.
He completed his first tour of North America in October 2022 with a combination of headline shows and supports for Makaya McCraven. This year will see him play multiple live dates in solo, duo and band configurations across the UK, Europe, North and South America.
Pianist and producer Jamael Dean is a harmonically sophisticated pianist with a bent toward expansive, boundary-pushing jazz and hip-hop. A gifted player since his teens, he emerged in the 2010s in Los Angeles, playing with Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, and his grandfather, drummer Donald Dean, before issuing his 2019 Stones Throw debut, Black Space Tapes.
Born in 1998 in Bakersfield, California, Dean was introduced to music at a young age and initially started out on violin while in the third grade. At age nine, he was given a keyboard and soon began teaching himself how to play by ear. Under the guidance of Les McCann and Yusef Lateef drummer Donald Dean, he became interested in jazz and spent much of his adolescence mentoring and playing gigs with the elder Dean. His talent also caught the attention of players on the greater Los Angeles jazz scene, including saxophonist Kamasi Washington and bassist/singer Thundercat; both of whom took him on tour while he was still in high school. He began expanding his interests, crafting electronic beats on his computer and merging jazz, funk, and hip-hop. Following high school, he enrolled as a Jazz Performance major at the New School in New York City. In 2019, he released his debut album, the genre-bending Black Space Tapes on Stones Throw.
SoHo House Chicago: Brain Jackson & Adrian Younge
Excited to be coming back to the great city of #Chicago, with Brian Jacksonand Adrian Younge in partnership with our friends at Stone Island, Victory Journal & Soho House Chicago.
If you're a #SoHoHouse member, be sure to arrive early for the discussion between #AdrianYounge & #BrianJackson. Following the discussion Brian & his trio will be performing for an intimate audience followed by an Adrian Younge DJ set.
This an invite only event and tickets are extremely limited. Hope to see you there!