Bklyn Sounds 1/10/2024—1/16/2024 | Winter Jazzfest Marathons

Two of my favorite musical days in NYC, a personal guide + Shows: Thandiswa Mazwai @ globalFEST / Meshell Ndegeocello / 'Shake!' / 'A Night at The East' / Underground Resistance / Plaid / and more

Winter Jazzfest, whose 20th annual installment begins this evening and sprawls out through next Thursday, is probably my favorite festival in New York. Some of it is definitely my closeness to WJF (full disclosure: its founder, Brice Rosenbloom, and I are long-time musicking colleagues, and I have, over the years, worked on various aspects of the festival, including its programming, marketing and editorial — this year, Dada Strain is hosting a showcase). But much of it is because of the surprises, the musical discovery, and the one-time-only thrills that WJF’s performances still offer two decades later. I think of WJF as “jazz” only in so much as contemporary arts-capital forces compel events like this into genre boxes. And to its credit WJF long ago incorporated the breadth of the Black American music continuum, music from around the globe, dance music, contemporary classical music, and other sounds into its schedule. Unlike traditional jazz festivals, WJF is driven more by rhythm and improvisation in all its guises. 

My favorite nights of WJF have always been its two “marathons,” spreading dozens of performances among a few neighborhood clubs in a single night. A marathon pass gets you into all the participating clubs, and — should you have the stamina — allows for unprecedented opportunity to see/hear a massive amount of music: legendary and new players, the hottest and the undiscovered acts, or unique pairings. Over the last couple of years, the marathons have become borough specific — Friday in Manhattan, Saturday in Bklyn — once again allowing for this club-to-club drift of running into friends, discovering new sounds to become localized and more serendipitous. Chance and socializing are major factors here. But where should you go when there are so many choices? Where to start? Well, even before I began publishing Dada Strain, I would share with friends a list of performances interesting to me, and let that be a guide — one always open to change. Last year’s first annual Dada Strain guide to the WJF marathons was a hit, but a few people asked that I get less showcase-specific, more granular (artists) and chronological (organized by the set-times). So that’s what I did below. Artist-names link to music/IG 

Note: Marathon passes are not cheap, but they are incredible value for the money, especially if you stay for an entire night’s great bill, or hit-up a few venues. Also: I have always negotiated a discount code for Dada Strain readers (please subscribe and support). Discount details are below the guide. 

Friday 1/12: Manhattan Marathon

• Bark Culture (7p @ Nublu) - Young, vibraphone-bass-drums trio from Philadelphia who’ve just recorded their first set of tunes. Traditional jazz, but with an outward-bound sonic perspective and punk spirit. (Part of a showcase by excellent Philly presenters, Ars Nova.) 

• Kalia Vandever (7:30p @ Zurcher Gallery) - Juilliard-trained trombonist (and Dada Strain fave) whose 2023 solo trombone-and-electronics album, We Fell In Turn, is a treasure, and getting year-end love. Word is getting around, so it may be crowded.

• Chiquita Magic, Ambrose Akinmusire & Justin Brown (8:15p @ Racket) - All-star trio consisting of Colombian-in-Toronto synth player/producer, alongside a trumpeter and drummer both acclaimed as two of their generation’s best. Who knows where this one goes musically. (Part of a showcase by local presenters Future X Sounds.) 

• Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones (8:30p @ Nublu Classic) - Improvising vocalist Kidambi’s long-running band is now an electronics-heavy quartet of great NYC players (also Matt Nelson, Lester St. Louis and Jason Nazary).

• Immanuel Wilkins (9:45p @ City Winery) - An alto saxophonist being anointed by conservative jazz gatekeepers, but whose breadth of musical directions and collaborations actually makes him fully deserving of the accolades.    

• Saul Williams (10:45p @ Nublu) - Poet, spoken-word artist, filmmaker, improviser, a generational voice whose musical backing (from Afropunk-rock to free-jazz) is always on-point. I wholeheartedly stan.    

• Shabaka & Quartetto Fantastico (11p @ City Winery) - Shabaka (formerly Shabaka Hutchings) is this year’s WJF artist-in-residence, playing numerous shows during the festival, his first since retiring his tenor saxophonist and the great bands, Sons of Kemet and The Comet is Coming. Here he teams up with a LA-based string quartet led by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson.

• The Jazz Passengers Celebrate Curtis Fowlkes (11p @ Bowery Ballroom) - Co-founder of the Passengers, trombonist Fowlkes passed away in August. He and the band were key players in the city’s downtown improvised music scene during the 1980s and ‘90s, and this set (part of an all-Marc Ribot bill) is primed for local guests from that heyday. 

• Jason Lindner 'Moment Machine' (11p @ Nublu Classic) - Keyboardist Lindner’s long-term dedication to synthesizers, electronics, beats and improvisation is unique in NYC. This set will feature a cross-section of players/producers, who are great at generating dance-floor momentum including Currency Audio, Domenica, Maiya Blaney, Salami Rose Joe Louis, Toribio, Yuka C Honda, Photay, and others.

• Nduduzo Makhathini (12:15a @ City Winery) - Like many improvising musicians of his homeland, South African pianist Makhathini embraces the American jazz tradition but also brings the Mzansi melodies. He is also an exceptional free player.  

• The Harvest Time Project: Tribute to Pharoah Sanders (12:30a @ Le Poisson Rouge) - A live show to commemorate and celebrate the reissue of Sanders’ self-titled 1977 album, led by bassist/guembri player Joshua Abrams and guitarist Tisziji Muñoz (who played on the original recording). It was phenomenal at National Sawdust in October, and there will be two different all-star line-ups of this idea at both WJF marathon nights. Tonight’s will include James Brandon Lewis, Chad Taylor, Surya Botofasina, Carlos Niño, and Nate Mercereau. Will be packed - plan accordingly. 

• Craig Taborn, Ches Smith & Tomeka Reid (1:45a @ Le Poisson Rouge) - Another all-star trio, featuring cellist Reid, drummer Smith and keyboardist/pianist Taborn. Three of the best we got, who can do pretty much anything you can musically imagine, better than you can imagine it.   

Saturday 1/13: Bklyn Marathon

I would be remiss if I didn’t first point out (again) that Dada Strain is hosting a showcase on Saturday, which is also part of the marathon. I think it is one of the best bills on offer. But music is not a competition, and the more options the better. So here is what I’d be up for if I wasn’t at Union Pool on Saturday night.

• Laraaji (4:30p @ Superior Ingredients Rooftop) - One of New York’s great musical mystics offers up an introduction to the evening’s sounds, with a rooftop sunset meditation.

• Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber (7:30p @ Brooklyn Bowl) - Annual WJF appearance by the sprawling electric free blues-rock-funk-jazz big-band founded by the late Greg Tate, with guest conduction by the mighty Vernon Reid, and guest scratches from DJ Logic.   

• Caroline Davis ‘Alula‘ (8:15p @ Superior Ingredients Rooftop) - Saxophonist Davis calls Alula her “protest band.” The Captivity album she recorded with members of tonight’s all-star quartet (feat. Qasim Naqvi, Tyshawn Sorey and Chris Tordini) is one of my favorites of 2023.    

• Shabaka, Jason Moran, Carlos Niño & Saul Williams (9p @ Music Hall of Williamsburg) - One-time-only festival pairings do not get any more all-star than this quartet: artist-in-residence Shabaka, piano all-timer Moran, master-planner/vibes-creator Niño and wordsmith Saul. Some magic comes out of this, for sure. Gutted to miss this one.   

• Cisco Swank (9:30p @ Baby's All Right) - Bklyn-born keyboardist/rap vocalist plays the music some folks still call jazz, but as informed by Glasper and Hargrove, Kassa and Dilla. Contemporary improvised soul sounds.  

• Matana Roberts (9:45p @ Superior Ingredients) - By my take, composer/many-horns player Roberts should have achieved the stature of a great contemporary griot, telling historical tales using traditional and futurist sounds (but also visual art). Modern AACM shiz at its finest. 

• Zoh Amba, Shahzad Ismaily, Jim White & Steve Gunn (10:45p @ Baby's All Right) - One of the best bands in New York City at this moment, this quartet — tenor saxophonist/guitarist/vocalist Amba, guitarist Gunn, bassist/Moog player Ismaily and drummer White — plays a music at the intersection of free jazz and roots rock. Serious Wow!

• Intercity Sound Ensemble: Mark de Clive-Lowe, Melanie Charles & Shigeto (11p @ Superior Ingredients) - Another massive all-star group, Bklyn vocalist/flutist Charles, LA-based keyboardist dC-L and Detroit drummer/producer Shigeto are all about the electronic free jazz vibes. But also song-oriented. When they lock in, the results are stunning. 

• Toribio (11p @ Jolene Soundroom) - WJF has finally added a late-night DJ option to the marathon. Our man Cesar Toribio is part of a classic “end the night right!” bill.  

• The Harvest Time Project: Tribute to Pharoah Sanders (11:30p @ Music Hall of Williamsburg) - Bklyn version of the Harvest Time celebration (see above) is once again helmed by Abrams and Muñoz, but this time, the others are some of my favorite musicians on Earth, Irreversible Entanglements. (I expect there will be other guests too.) 

• Kahil El Zabar’s ‘Ethnic Heritage Ensemble’ (12:15a @ Superior Ingredients) - As Pharoah is being saluted at MHOW, one of his great collaborators, the Chicago drummer/percussionist El Zabar, is leading a version of his own spiritually minded ensemble into the future. All of Kahil’s NYC shows in recent years have been beautiful rhythmic experiences — expect the same here.   

• Rich Medina (1a @ Jolene Soundroom) - A great way to finish the marathon is by dancing to one of the best DJs in all the land (originally of Philly). The man can play anything, but I do hope he takes the “DJing at a jazz festival” thing to heart, because then the selections may be even more spectacular.   

• Damon Locks & Rob Mazurek 'New Future City Radio' (1:30a @ Superior Ingredients) - Another great way to finish your night is to get deep with this  Chicago-centric duo, featuring the words and electronics of Black Monument Ensemble mastermind Locks, and the trumpet, percussion and machines of the mighty Mazurek. Collage visions!

As you can see, a lot of good shiz for everybody. And thanks to the folks at WJF and their support of Dada Strain, a little less expensive than it has to be. Dada Strain/Bklyn Sounds readers can use the code DADA to get 20% off any WJF Marathon tickets. Go HERE for tickets.  

This Week’s Other Shows:

RESCHEDULED FROM DECEMBER: I tend not to write about rock bands here because I think most rock forms have run out of things to say to the world, or interesting ways to say ‘em. Bklyn’s Bodega is a favorite exception, not because its anti-capitalist screeds + post-punk propulsion is in any way “new” — this sound would’ve fit Williamsburg two decades ago, much less late-’70s UK — but that the group’s laser-focused songwriting and dynamics are fierce. It just announced a new album too. Also: Big Bliss (Wed 1/10, 8p @ TV Eye, Ridgewood - $15)

Two years running now, the incomparable Meshell Ndegeocello has moved into the Blue Note for a week-long stand. But if last year’s was a matter of generally celebrating the bass guitarist/singer’s artistry, this year there’s the added bonus of potentially hearing her play music from 2023 monumental The Omnichord Real Book (one of Dada Strain’s AOTY) with some of the many musicians who helped her produce it, and who are in town for WJF. This somehow feels epic, and — despite the club’s exorbitant charges — worth every penny. Highest Recommendation! (Additionally, on Friday and Saturday, Ndegeocello “presents” a late-night program called Monologues, which will also feature saxophonist Josh Johnson, drummer/producer Abe Rounds and singer-songwriter Jake Sherman.) (Wed 1/10 - Sun 1/14, 8p & 10:30p @ Blue Note. Manhattan - $40-$60 + $20min)