Alt Guitar Summit 2023 Nublu Sunday, April 23
Last week it was Max Light and Wendy Eisenberg, along with a couple ancient instruments conjuring a couple ancient spirits. This week Joel Harrison’s annual celebration of strings continues with a solo romp by Brandon Seabrook. Often fractious, usually insightful, and never not amazing on a “how’d he do that” level, Seabrook”s nuanced blowouts and refined explosions can make jaws drop. Also on the bill is David Gilmore, whose calling card is versatility – swing, funk, and freakouts are all key parts of his book, and this trio with Kyle Miles and Rudy Royston should invest in the kind of deep agility they all respect. If you’ve heard Harrison and Anthony Pirog’s recent The Great Mirage (AGS), you know that these intrepid improvisers also fit well together, sometimes waxing poignant and pretty (“There’s Never Enough Time”), sometimes conjuring skronkadelic weather patterns that wreck like a twister (“Mortgage On My Soul”). Their quartet, with Stephan Crump and Dan Reiser, has a lot to say.
David Berkman Quartet Bar Bayeux Friday, April 21
Whenever I think of the pianist I re-admire his choice of album titles from a while back: Start Here, Finish There. Improv in a nutshell. Berkman enjoys ironing out a tune’s wrinkles; I’m recalling a somewhat recent solo spin through “Moments Notice” that tapped the brakes on Trane’s roller coaster vibe and let everything breathe a bit. Flexibility is a forte, so whether employing dissonance to keep collaborators on their toes or dropping counterpoint maneuvers to underscore the zest of a performance, his group work shows how the modern jazz mainstream is proud of its leftie forebears. Tonight’s saxophonist Steve Wilson shares some of the same values, plus a wise lyricism that makes everything a tad more attractive. The rhythm section unites Adam Cruz and Vicente Archer.
Sam Bardfeld Greenwich House Wednesday, April 19
RECENTLY WROTE THIS ABOUT MR B’s LATEST ALBUM:
It takes insight and devotion to make a quaint combination of instruments seem utterly natural. Sam Bardfeld applied each to his 2017 trio outing The Great Enthusiasms, and walked away with a nugget of gold. Didn’t matter if the drums/piano/violin formation initially raised eyebrows, by album’s end it sounded like an old pal. The Brooklyn bandleader has a way of charming listeners with his strings. A folksy lilt is part of his palette, and as he goes about the intrepid improv investigations that are key to his well-rounded music, he dispenses the kind of voodoo that can get you out of sticky situations. Refuge follows suit. It boasts the same instrumentation as its predecessor, and delivers a similar mix of nu-jazz originals – curious in construction, enchanting in execution. With pianist Jacob Sacks and drummer Michael Sarin sparking these slippery tunes, Bardfeld has enough grounding to take all kind of risks. Indeed, parts of the interplay are wonderfully speculative. But that’s not the ultimate take-away. As “On The Seat of Which” flies three ways at once, it feels secure, fully organized. The melody to “Kick Me” lets the leader address a variety of moods, but its his focus that shines through. An eerie spin through Springsteen’s already haunted “Atlantic City” (Bardfeld was a key part of the Boss’s 2006 Pete Seeger ensemble) feels like a campfire noir soundtrack – the trio’s synergy finds a way to defuse its hermetic vibe while sustaining its drama. Bardfeld’s string work seems to suit plaintive passages best. On the title cut, an Andrew Hill classic, a soft wail marks the theme. This too sets an inviting mood, and brokers an almost theatrical flavor (check that Paul Simon quote in the outro). Yet another reminder that Refuge is an album rich in atmosphere(s). Bet the show brings all these flavors to the stage.
From TONE Audio magazine.
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
John Ellis’ Double Wide LunAtico Tuesday, April 18
Russ Lossing / John Hébert/Billy Mintz Mezzrow Wednesday, April 19
Tim Berne/Mark Helias/Tim Angelo Lowlands Thursday, April 20
Clark Gayton Benefit Cutting Room Thursday, April 20
Geoff Keezer/John Patitucci Mezzrow Friday, April 21 – Saturday, April 22
EJ Strickland Smoke Wednesday, April 19
Jim Campilongo 4-Tet LunAtico Thursday, April 20
Michel Gentile Flow (McGinnis/Garchik/Pavolka/Garcia) Ibeam Saturday, April 22
Chris Dingman solo 440 Gallery Sunday, April 21
Max Johnson Cerberus Quintet Barbes Saturday, April 22
Alternative Guitar Summit Drom Tuesday, April 11
Stephen Gauci Main Drag Wednesday, April 19
Erik Deutsch Band LunAtico Friday, April 21
Ben Waltzer Quartet Mezzrow Sunday, April 23
Wendy Eisenberg’s Eye Music Roulette Thursday, April 20
Peter Watrous Quintet Bar Bayeux Friday, April 21
Wayne Escoffrey Smoke Thursday, April 20 – Sunday, April 23
Kevin Sun Jazz Gallery Friday, April 2
Oscar Noriega’s Crooked Quartet Barbes Friday, April 21
Sunhyun Yoo Lowlands Tuesday, April 25
Will Greene The Stone Wednesday, April 19 – Saturday, April 22
Dayna Stephens Village Vanguard April 18 – Sunday, April 23
Adam O’Farrill Flatbush Blue: The Man From the Sea Roulette Tuesday, April 25
Lament For A Straight Line 