Bklyn Sounds: 1/17/2023 - 1/23/2023

Shows: David Murray Quartet / Madison McFerrin / Soul Summit / Kendraplex / Yasunao Tone + Barbara Held / "A Joyful Noise" / Sweater On Polo + Aquiles Navarro & Angel Acevedo + Johnny Panga / more...

Thanks to everyone who said “hello” during the Winter Jazzfest marathon and at last night’s “Flock Up And Fly” salute to jaimie branch. I hope you enjoyed the. music as much as I did — though leaving my best winter hat at the the very first show I attended Saturday night, left me blown-through on the cold, windy Brooklyn night.

This week’s sounds:

This week’s installment of Union Pool’s excellent “Free Tuesdays” series is an ambient affair. Top of the bill is David Moore’s wonderfully droney Bing & Ruth ensemble, but arrive early for A Space For Sound, the multidisciplinary artist Rena Anakwe, who marries spoken-word healing journeys to minimalist new-age sonics. (Tues. 1/17, 7p @ Union Pool 484 Union Ave., Williamsburg - FREE w/RSVP) 

One of my trusted musicker comrades, Gamall, introduced me to the Japanese-American conceptual artist and original Fluxus member Yasunao Tone last year, as a way of preparing me for his Artists Space retrospective, Yasunao Tone: Region of Paramedia, which opened last week. The exhibition will include numerous performances, the first one of which will feature the flautist Barbara Held for whom Tone composed pieces when he came to New York in the early 70s. Community history on full display. (Tues 1/17, 8p @ Artists’ Space 11 Cortland Alley, Manhattan - FREE w/RSVP)

Among the great freedom-minded New York musicians of the past 50 years, saxophonist David Murray is at the Vanguard this week with a quartet that is the best group of young leaders that anyone has brought together in recent memory: pianist Marta Sanchez, bassist Luke Stewart and drummer Kassa Overall. See you there — more than once, if I can afford it. (Tue 1/17 - Sun 1/22, 8p & 10p @ Village Vanguard 178 7th Ave. S, Manhattan - $40 / ltd. $30 tix for Tues-Thurs 10p shows)

Not sure if I’ve had an opportunity to shout the virtues of Benny’s 360 Record Shop in Red Hook, but in addition to being a damn good record store, it’s also a wonderful community center/ performance space. This night features full sets of improvised playing from Wrens (keyboardist Elias Stemeseder, trumpeter Ryan Easter, drummer Jason Nazary, cellist Lester St. Louis) and drummer Devin Gray’s Most Definitely, a solo rhythm and electronics project. (Thurs 1/19, 7:30p @ 360 Record Shop 360 Van Brunt St., Red Hook - $10suggested)

Three potentially incredible nights of round-robin all-star players saluting a guitarist whose work in and about improvisation is cornerstone thinking on the subject. “Improv Nights: A Tribute to Derek Bailey” will undoubtedly have massive highs. John Zorn and Bill Frisell will be there each evening, joined on occasion by Laurie Anderson, Craig Taborn, Joel Ross, Matana Robers, Caroline Davis, Immanuel Wilkins, Arturo O’Farrill, Patricia Brennan, and others.  (Thurs. 1/19 - Sat. 1/21, 8p @ Roulette 509 Atlantic Ave., Downtown Brooklyn - $25adv/$30)

I’ve been meaning to do a proper write-up of “A Joyful Noise,” Razor-N-Tape’s live disco-jazz monthly at public records, but can’t find the time. I promise I will. Suffice it to say, It’s a wonderfully unique event, with a live band featuring label co-founder, bassist JKriv, guitarist Peter Matson, and keyboardist Jason Lindner, trading off with DJs playing friendly NYCentric music, creating a dreamy, dance-floor back-and-forth. This month, the DJ is Eli Soul Clap. Quite simply, one of my favorite parties in Brooklyn at the moment. (Thurs. 1/19, 8p @ Public Records 233 Butler St, Gowanus - $30)

I am sadly underprepared to get too deep about the current uptown house and techno scene, but last summer’s Harlem New Age one-day festival was a joy, and this evening at Silvana, a Middle Eastern cafe right off Morningside Park has a few rhythm makers who are among my favorites in the city. That will include Sweater On Polo’s live techno, Johnny Panga’s house-heavy DJ set, and trumpeter Aquiles Navarro and conguero Angel Acevedo incorporating electronics into their live duo set. (Thurs 1/19, 9p @ Silvana 300 W. 116th St., Manhattan - $TBD)

Special “Artist in a Spot Too Small For Her Stature” Alert: budding superstar singer/producer Madison McFerrin returns to Cafe Erzulie, and that feels like a special night waiting to happen. Be prepared for a crowd though. (Fri 1/20, 6:30p @ Cafe Erzulie 894 Broadway, “Brooklyn Times Square” - $19)

Jersey City-born salsero Jimmy "El Trombon Criollo" Bosch was one of the many new-generation players raised on Fania Records, before joining the label’s stable and becoming a cornerstone. Over the last 40 years, he’s played with everyone from Eddie Palmieri to Ray Barreto to Celia Cruz, while also laying down brass on Nuyorican Soul records. He brings the Salsa Masters Orchestra to Lincoln Center’s free space on 62nd and Broadway for a potentially sweet descarga. (Fri. 1/20, 7:30p @ David Rubinstein Atrium 61 W. 62nd St, Manhattan - FREE) 

This show marks a record release party for Garcia Peoples guitarist Danny Arakaki. But personally, the main interest is Kendraplex, Wisconsin-based musician Kendra Amalie, a wonderful noise-psychedelic wanderer, guitarist, sometime singer, and seemingly full-time sonic weirdo. This one could go into any number of directions. (Sat 1/21, 7p @ Union Pool 484 Union Ave., Greenpoint - $16) (PS: Kendraplex will also be playing at the secret Computer Chaos space Sunday 1/22, if you feel like doing the legwork.)

One of the most heartening neighborhood aspects of last summer was the Soul Summit party’s return to Fort Greene Park. But during their wandering away from the spiritual home, the Soul Summit DJs (Sadiq Bellamy, Tabu, and Jeff Mendoza) have established a ravishing audience for their brand of New York City house music, and a Sunday residency at Nowadays. You’ve heard me speaks of how much I love late afternoons and early evenings in that space, yes? (Sun. 1/22 5p @ Nowadays 56-06 Cooper Ave., Ridgewood - $20)