Category: Jazz
-
Indofunk’s Raga Jazz Jam
When a sitar weaves around a sax solo that’s handed off to a sliding trumpet, you’ve entered the realm of Indofunk. Named for his signature musical style, Indofunk plays the firebird trumpet, a 3-valved trumpet equipped with a trombone-like slide. He hosted an open Raga Jazz Jam at the Fifth Hammer Brewing Co’s Brewside Lounge… Read more
-
Fifth Hammer Brewing Serves Up Hoppy Jazz
It’s not every night that a rubber chicken squawks in the middle of a drum solo, but anything goes when jazz bubbles in a casual setting. Long Island City’s Fifth Hammer Brewing Co offers live music in the Brewside Lounge as eclectic as the beer selection. Wednesdays see brewery owner Chris Cuzme trade in his… Read more
-
Joe Martin Quartet @ The Village Vanguard, NYC, 11/24/24
Joe Martin looked hip enough to be leading an indie rock band, but he’s a serious jazzman. The audience seemed animated enough it could’ve been a rock concert, but they were there for the jazz. As sax player Mark Turner quietly blew some warm up notes and looked down at his horn dissatisfied, Martin spoke… Read more
-
The Vortex, Brooklyn, 11/15/24
The walking bass and trumpet rumbled from a nearby window as I waited to be buzzed in. Turning right down a corridor, I was greeted by a wave of sound, warm bodies and purple light. I had entered the Vortex, a night of jazz and libations shared over a loose network of friends. “I’m surprised… Read more
-
Raven Chacon, Che Chen, C. Spencer Yeh @ The Stone, NYC, 11/9/2024
Noise is generally defined as unwanted sound. So why is there a genre called noise music? Who wants to hear the unwanted? Maybe noise isn’t unwanted but undefinable. A conventional song might express some viewpoint or emotion through verses and a chorus. Usually one melody–either a voice singing or rapping or an instrument soloing–soars over… Read more
-
Emmanuel Michael @ The Jazz Gallery, NYC, 11/1/2024
The chance to easily see up-and-coming jazz musicians as well as the big names is a privilege of living in NYC. Jazz in my understanding has never been about a final state, so it seems like an important rite for a jazz lover to observe young musicians trying out new ideas. Emmanuel Michael’s performance at… Read more