Bklyn Sounds 5/28/2025—6/3/2025
This week's events include Vision Festival (nights 1 & 2) / Mark Ernestus + Dub-Stuy / Florist / Joy Guidry 'Present Sounds' / Trap Music Orchestra / musclecars / Samantha Kochis + Tomin / much more
THIS WEEK’S SHOWS:
Great jazz drummer fronts an incredible ensemble, part 1: Perennial first-string beat-keeper for a long line of royals, Jeff “Tain” Watts brings a group he’s calling Aftermask to Matthew Garrison’s lovely but under-utilized Park Slope street-level. And…holy sh!T what a group: James Francies on piano/keys, Ravi Coltrane on saxophone, James Genus on double bass, Paul Bollenback on electric guitar, and Gregoire Maret on harmonica. Epic - and just across from the Co-Op, for all the neighborhood subscribers who’ve noticed it. (Wed 5/28, 8p @ Shapeshifter Lab, Park Slope - $15-$20)
Though it’s been around for a few years as a conceptual project (above video is from 2020), Trap Music Orchestra, the big-band led by trumpeter Ryan Easter, had its most recent coming-out at Nublu in February. The reviews and video evidence of that gig created enough of a stir that the next appearance was always gonna feel hyper-charged. Wednesday at Jazz Gallery is that appearance. Mad excited for it. (Wed 5/28, 7:30p & 9:30p @ Jazz Gallery, Manhattan - $25-$35)
Great jazz drummer fronts an incredible ensemble, part 2: Though Marcus Gilmore has been a backbeat go-to for some of the city’s great improvisers for more than 20 years, Journey To the New, the just-released live set recorded at the Vanguard, is his debut as a bandleader. It features another group of first-stringers—Morgan Guerin on EWI, Emmanuel Michael on guitar, Rahsaan Carter on bass, Burniss Travis on electronics, David Virelles on keys—almost all of whom will join Gilmore for the record release jam at Nublu. Virelles’ fill-in, Jason Lindner, ain’t bad either. (Thurs 5/28, 7p @ Nublu, Manhattan - $22)
An extraordinary musical force, composer Joy Guidry is presenting her new album, Five Prayers, at a Pique-nique-produced Present Sounds. The work continues Joy’s progression into ambient spaces, except that’s too pat; its beautiful electronics-heavy compositions don’t stop at simply holding sonic airs, too grandly melodic, cautiously romantic and full of movement. At times, this music even approaches techno. Also presenting will be Benbo, as well as Loum & Jared Pique-nique. (Thurs 5/29, 7p @ Light & Sound Design, Greenpoint - $20-$30)
West Coast percussionist, connector, vibes-developer, Carlos Niño has made a career of fostering collaboration. For more than a decade, his Carlos Niño & Friends sessions and albums (most prominently, his work with Andre 3000) have helped expand the common language around improvisation, sonically reconfiguring what audiences regard as “jazz” nowadays. (See this thing I wrote last year.) Nińo’s “friends” group is ever-expanding, and encompasses every corner of the sound multiverse. For his Roulette debut, he’ll work with longtime colleague, keyboardist Surya Botofasina, as well as saxophonist Aaron Shaw, hip-hop producer Quelle Chris, the mighty loop-maker Rena “A Space For Sound” Anakwe, and inevitable special guests. (Thurs 5/29, 8p @ Roulette, Downtown Bklyn - $25adv/$30)
Before he split for Europe ~2022, Malik Hendricks was making some of my favorite house records in Bklyn, while playing nice deep sets of distinctive Black American dance-music—the kind where you’re completely familiar with the sound, but can’t trainspot a record for hours. A few weeks back, I ran into him at L&SD and started seeing him out on the well-chosen dance-floors. Great to have him back behind the decks now too. With Booker Mitchell, one of the people behind Bridge Street Sound. (Fri 5/30, 9p @ Jupiter Disco, Bushwick - $10-$20)
In mid-May, Brandon and Craig musclecars took the next step towards world domination: they put together a band and premiered a live set of their recorded music in Berlin. That’s just one reason I keep using musclecars as paragons of Bklyn’s current DJ generation: despite hitting increased heights of popularity, they remain neither satisfied with what they got, nor too quick to jump the dance-music shark. Friday at their Nowadays residency marks their first NYC all-nighter in a minute. Remember to get a disco-nap in. Highest Recommendation. (Fri 5/30, 10p @ Nowadays, Ridgewood - $10-$30)
More than a decade on, Florist’s excessively twee indie-folk continues to beguile the senses in a way that no other band filed alongside this upstate New York quartet ever has. The music keeps receding further and further into acoustic spaces, simplicity personified; and where it once seemed plausible that singer Emily Sprague’s glorious instrumental ambient practice may one day merge with her band songs, the two remain firmly apart. What they do share, and what may be one of Florist’s secret strategies, is a perspective of resigned hopefulness, where caring is not a given but active. Especially in the face of persistent darkness. Which begs the question: is it a coincidence that Florist may be the contemporary song-oriented band I’ve reached for the most, since November 2016? Opener: Allegra Krieger. (Sat 5/31, 8p @ Bowery Ballroom, Manhattan - $25-$35)
The Please Y.S. homeys, Julia and Matteo, present another excellent house bill curated by Evan Right To Scream. This one features a solo (I think?) set by the mighty Wendy Eisenberg, plus music by Seylu (“creating sounds that seek, burrow, and breathe”) and the mysterious synthy/poppy duo (I think?) tal castle. (Sat 5/31, 8p @ RSVP for address, Crown Heights - $15-$20suggested)
Roger Clark Miller is best known as the singer-guitarist of the great early ’80s (but also early-’00s) punk band, Mission of Burma. And like many other heady sonic theorists of the blank generation, Miller’s side hustle has often been noisy, electric-guitar deconstructions. Hence the title of the evening’s program, “Dream Interpretations and Curiosity for Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble.” You know what you’re in for… (Sat 5/31, 8p @ Francis Kite Club, Manhattan - $15adv/$20)
Public Records has opened its Nursery yard-space for the season, so (weather-permitting) the Sunday afternoon parties will have an indoor-outdoor dynamic. This one will have a decidedly Dub perspective! Outdoors is the peerless Berlin dub-techno imagineer Mark Ernestus (Basic Channel/Chain Reaction, Ndagga Rhythm, Hardwax record store) DJing alongside Hardwax crew-member, Arthur. Indoor, the locals are gonna work it out with the mighty Dub-Stuy collective, showcasing UK roots vocalist Joe Yorke, and record selections by Lasai, JonnyGo Figure and EDICA. Bass champions unite. Highest Recommendation! (Sun 6/1, 3p @ Public Records, Gowanus - $20-$30)
It is young flutist Samantha Kochis’ birthday, and along with the great folks at 360 Record Shop (where you can now occasionally find Kochis behind the desk), she’s throwing herself a well-deserved show/party. Kochis will perform in a trio with the excellent bassist Kenneth Jimenez and in-house multi-instrumentalist Kevin Murray. Bonus music to be provided by the mighty Tomin (a solo set), and the duo of vocalist Judette Elliston and drummer Quinton Cain. Happy Birthday Samantha! (Sun 6/1, 7:30p @ 360 Record Shop, Red Hook - $15-$20suggested)
Queens-born vocalist Morley is a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist, weaving clear lyrical narratives with seemingly disparate folk, soul and jazz chords, into songs where structures and perspectives are never in doubt. Morley often has a next-level collaborative cast, and this time a few of them—guitarist Chris Bruce, bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, drummer Yuval Lion, keyboardist Daniel Mintseris, and vocalist Justin Hicks—will share the stage. Special guests are promised too. (Sun 6/1, 8:30p @ Joe’s Pub, Manhattan - $30+minimum)
A proper, sonically diverse triple-bill that promises hardcore community vibes. Cleveland collective Mourning [A] BLKstar have spent a decade foraging “new pathways toward heart music by melding soul, blues, electronics, avant-poetics with futurist beats.” The best parts of its new album, Flowers For the Living, makes M[A]B sound like its evolving into an American version of an afrobeat ensemble. (This is a compliment!) The inimitable North Jersey rapper Fatboi Sharif, makes an appearance on Flowers, and will open the gig. Violinist-poet-organizer-polymath Bklyn musicker Yaz Lancaster is also along for the night. (Mon 6/2, 7p @ TV Eye, Ridgewood - $20)
New York’s veteran improvised music community happening, Vision Festival returns this year with a Monday-Saturday program. (So I’m splitting the write-up in two.) As is custom, opening night is dedicated to a Lifetime Achievement recipient, and this year it’s the co-founder of the AACM and the Art Ensemble of Chicago, the legendary reeds/woodwinds player Roscoe Mitchell. He’ll be playing in a quartet (with William Parker, among others) and his Space Ensemble; and will have his “Metropolis Trilogy” performed. The festival's second night will feature all bands led by women composers/improvisers, including gabby fluke-mogul's "The Thread" quartet, Amirtha Kidambi's magnificent Elder Ones group, and Nicole Mitchell’s magisterial Black Earth Ensemble, which will be (a Bklyn Sounds version of) star-studded on the night. As always, tickets ain’t cheap, but Vision and its presenting organization Arts for Art continues to foster a magnificently focused idea of rhythm, improvisation, and community better than any other presenter in the city. (Mon 6/2—Tues 6/3, 6:30p @ Roulette, Downtown Bklyn - $$$)
It’s funny to read your own shit already quoted on the web-page of a gig you are writing about, but…yeah, I’ll stand by the statement that bassist Stephan Crump and alto saxophonist Darius Jones are “not just immense players, [but] two of New York’s great creative music composers, pushing [the sound] into wondrous, unexpected yet also inviting spaces.” The last time I went to see their new Otherlands Trio project with drummer Eric McPherson, the stickman was stuck on a broken-down IRT train, so Stephan and Darius played a gorgeously supple set of duets. Interesting to hear where the three of them would take that same music. (Tues 6/3, 9p & 10:15p @ Bar LunAtico, Bed-Stuy - $10suggested)
MORE RECOMMENDED EVENTS:
Landlady (Wed 5/28, 7:30p @ Littlefield, Gowanus - $30-$35) - prog-pop polymath and great Bklyn musicker Adam Schatz celebrates the impending release of his band project’s new album, Make Up/Lost Time.
Michael Veal & Aqua Ife (Wed 5/28, 8p @ Jamaica Center For Arts & Learning, Queens - $5-$10) - The Yale academic and Fela biographer leads his 12-piece afrobeat-jazz band as part of the center’s monthly Riddim Section concert series.
JG Thirlwell presents Xordox (Thur 5/29, 7p @ TV Eye, Ridgewood - $25) - Foetus’ industrial-strength synth-trance project has a new album that sounds vaguely Mills-ian at first blush.
Axine M + Amelia Heintzelman (Thurs 5/29, 8p @ Issue Project Room, Downtown Bklyn - $15) - a release event marking electronic producer Axine M’s great new EP for Hank Jackson’s anno label (created as part of her IPP residency), alongside new work by choreographer Heintzelman.
Melissa Almaguer, David Leon, Henry Fraser & Daniel Prim (Thurs 5/29, 7:30p & 9:30p @ CloseUp, Manhattan - $20) - the magnificent tap-dancer Almaguer keeps bringing bigger and bigger bands along for her ride, with bassist Fraser now joined by saxophonist Leon and Venezuelan percussionist Prim.
Tiananmen 36th Anniversary Commemoration: Fuck Facism (Fri 5/30, 8p @ 360 Record Shop, red Hook - $20suggested) - multi-instrumentalist (and Tiananmen Square protest survivor) Rose Tang has put together a remembrance night, featuring, among others, trumpeter Kwami Winfield, and the Jaimie Branch Tribute Band, helmed by Chris Branch on drums.
Ethan Iverson Trio with Buster Williams & Billy Hart (Fri 5/30 - Sun 6/1, 7:30p & 9:30p @ Birdland, Manhattan - $35-$45) - an all-star jazz piano-bass-drums set-up, with each musicians very good at listening, leading and co-ordinating unexpected attacks.
FILM + TALK: Ash Moniz Speaks with the Gazan rock band Osprey V (Sat 5/31, 3p @ Giorno Poetry Systems, Manhattan - $20notaflof) - film-maker Moniz will screen his documentary [Inaudible] about the group attempting to record music under siege, then speak to members of the band.
Ricardo Villalobos + Señor Coconut + Craig Richards + O.BEE + Tomas Station (Sat 5/31, 3p @ Under the K Bridge Park, Greenpoint - $$$) - ReSOLUTE reconvenes the cult of Villalobos, among the most mercurial and (for some, including me) magical DJs on the planet; and tries to once again pair him with Uwe Schimidt, (aka the Señor) another German-Chilean electronic music wizard. Logistics Note: Schimidt never made it last year, whereas Ricardo came on around 1a.
Jean Carla Rodea, Kirin McElwain & Marta Sanchez Trio + Jon Wilson, Caroline Morton, Ayumi Ishito, Daniel Carter & Keenan Ruffin Quintet + Miriam Parker & Trae Crudup Duo + Selendis Sebastian Alexander Johnson Big Band (Sat 5/31, 6p @ Intercom, Ridgewood - TK 0.00%↑ ) - a big old free-jazz bill at one of the best new DIY spots in Ridgewood.
Continuum Culture & Arts presents S(O)UPERF(&SO)UND feat. Allium + Bathtub + A.B.E.L.A. + Flose + Untitled Noise Night (Sat 5/31, 6p @ Living Gallery, Broadway & Myrtle - $10-$30notaflof) - this next, mostly DIY-noise installment of Andrew Drury’s Soup & Sound was supposed to take place alongside Newtown Creek but has now been moved to Living Gallery. S/O A.B.E.L.A. playing their fourth gig of the month.
Bloc Party (Sat 5/31, 6p @ Forest Hills Stadium, Queens - $$$) - 20 years ago, when Silent Alarm first dropped, no one called it “indie sleaze” — now it’s one of the classics of the form.
Peer Pressure 6th Anniversary (Sat 5/31, 10:30p @ C’Mon Everybody, Bed-Stuy - $10-$15) - That Matt’s great dance party celebrates a birthday, with special guest, the exemplary dance-music media archive queen (and bang-on DJ) There Is No Planet Earth.
Sally C + Bradley Zero / Tom of England + Hidden Spheres / Benji B (Sat 5/31, 11p @ Public Records, Gowanus - $22-$30) - a three-room, disco-house-jazzy-breakbeat takeover so big that one of BBC’s cornerstone DJs is playing records upstairs.
Peter Manheim + Imal Gnawa + Ty.000 (Sun 6/1, 7p @ Sultan Room, Bushwick - $20) - a celebration of Resavoir drummer/producer’s debut solo album, the electric-jazz-meets-bossa Early Waves, with bonus music from a new gnawa duo, and Tyrone Allen’s experimental ambient project.
Beyondo Band (Mon 6/2, 8p @ Lowlands, Gowanus - $uggested) - trumpeter Eric Biondo leads a soul-jazz-kitchen-sink octet in the back of Gowanus’ free-jazz neighborhood-bar — exemplary music and vibe, among my favorite monthly residencies in the city.
Excellent! Loved Marcus Gilmore at the Village Vanguard. What a trip.