One upcoming NYC jazz festival worth immediate attention is the first annual Out Music Festival, now through February 4, on the Lower Eastside at the Theater for the New City (155 First Avenue).
It is presented by Arts for Art, the progressive nonprofit organization known for its annual Vision Festival, among other projects. “The Future is Pissed! The world is divided against itself. The earth is in jeopardy. These diverse artists are doing their best with too little support,” said AFA founder and director Patricia Nicholson. “Their voices have been marginalized. As people of conscience and as creative people, we come together to support each other as we live, create, and work for a world with peace, compassion, justice, and the arts.”
Some Out Festival musicians will include bassist Reggie Workman, the Tony Malaby Quartet, saxophonist Joe McPhee, drummers Thomas Fujiwara and Michael TA Thompson, poet Raymond Nat Turner, the duo of James Brandon Lewis/Alexis Marcelo (composer and saxophonist Lewis will perform with pianist Marcelo, who mixes genres for his colorful canvases and began his music studies at Harlem School of the Arts), pianist Angelica Sanchez, composer and electric violinist Jason Kao Hwang, and the Davalois Fearon Music & Movement.
The Fearon dance company, named after its artistic director, has been acclaimed by colleagues as “unapologetic” and by critics as “electrifying.” They are known for exploring social issues and pushing artistic boundaries.
For a complete schedule, visit the website artsforart.org/out-festival. Tickets are $25 per day and live streams $5.
The pianist, keyboardist, composer, and arranger James Francies has received impressive accolades since making his way to NYC from his hometown of Houston, Tex. He met Questlove and Roots keyboardist James Poyser a few years ago, and since then has become a resource for Quest and company, subbing for Poyser on Roots concerts and ”The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
At 24 years of age, he has played with Pat Metheny, Chris Potter, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Stefon Harris, Eric Harland, and Terrace Martin, and has extended credits in hip hop and R&B from shows with Lauryn Hill, Common, and studio time with Chance the Rapper, aside from leading his own group, Kinetic.
From February 6–11, Francies begins a residency at Blue Note jazz club (131 West Third Street) with special guests. He opens with a trio featuring bassist Burniss Travis and drummer Jeremy Dutton, with special guest Black Thought. Trumpeter/keyboardist Nicholas Payton is a special guest from February 7–8. From February 9–11, Francies leads a group featuring drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, bassist Larry Grenadier, and tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III.
For times and reservations, visit the website bluenoteuazz.com.
The first annual Unity Jazz Festival (Jazz at Lincoln Center) recently became another alternative to a busy week that already included the annual Winter JazzFest, as well and the APAP showcases at the Hilton Hotel. It wasn’t surprising to hear (from jazz participants) that all the venues were at capacity, all offering a cross-section of jazz genres. from straight ahead to Black rock to fusion, avant garde, and assorted color dimensions.
What made it so intriguing was the number of avant artists performing at the Unity/JALC. The jazz complex is noted for their straight-ahead tradition and ever-so often they venture to the edge of improvisational infinity. But these colors of avant gardism could have very well been the final offerings of Funmi Ononaiye, the center’s programming manager. We know that Funmi loved all kinds of music, whether in or out of the jazz realm. The final Unity festival evening was a tribute to Funmi—his giant screen photo was right there in the atrium, smiling over the avant happenings, saying “Yeah, I like it.” Let’s hope more avant gardism graces the jazz house.
One of the many hot tickets for the Winter JazzFest was “A Night at the East.” The short list of headliners included saxophonist/bass clarinet David Murray, trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah, flautist Nicole Mitchell, and saxophonist Gary Bartz. If you weren’t there, you just missed out on an event worthy of listings in the jazz annals of America.
This all-star celebration acknowledged icons who performed and inspired generations of musicians, including the Last Poets, Max Roach, Roy Ayers, Freddie Hubbard, Betty Carter, Sun Ra, Lee Morgan, and McCoy Tyner. Its name was included in the title of Pharoah Sanders’s “Live at the East” album (Impulse! 1972).
For jazzheads, it was a compelling weekend jazz joint. The East, founded in 1969, was revolutionary in thought, warrior activists in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy community; founded by students from the African American Student Association and Jitu Weusi. It served as a beehive of many activities; provided day care for children and evening classes for adults; and served as home for Black News and a bookstore, restaurant, catering service, and food co-op.
Donald Harrison’s Music Omniverse at Town Hall during Winter JazzFest was an explosion of the Black music diaspora. His extended ensemble covered multi genres, from James Brown’s funkster trombonist elder Fred Westley, Latin bandleader pianist and composer Arturo O’Farrell, trumpeter Charles Tolliver, guitarist Vernon Reid (Living Colour), drummer Joe Dyson, D.J. Logic, and bassist Dave Holland, among others.
Harrison took his audience on an exciting journey, visiting the roots of jazz from Sidney Bechet’s “Maple Leaf Rag” (ragtime) to Charlie Parker’s “One for Bird,” with Westley leading the ensemble on Miles Davis’s “Bye Bye Blackbird” and Donald playing John Coltrane’s 1960s “Autumn Leaves.” The funk was all in your face when Westley and the ensemble jumped into the Godfather of Soul’s “Hot Pants” and “Funky Good Time.”
Harrison’s Omniverse music is a lively performance connecting Black music from ragtime to the funk of the ’70s to Black rock of the ’90s and hip hop. Harrison played through four standing ovations that transcended into a big joyous party. The music was a fireball of burning funk, Latin, fusion, and New Orleans second-line swing. The audience instinctively jumped up to move to that hypnotic groove, Omniverse music.
For Black History Month, let’s do something different. Every week, I will present one book and album for your pleasure, knowledge, and awareness. Enjoy!
Let’s start with Nina Simone’s album, “Nina Simone in Concert” (Phillips, 1964). The book “Confirmation An Anthology of African American Women, by Amiri and Amina Baraka (William Morrow & Company, 1983). The Barakas have brought together the work of 49 Black women writers who represent a body of American literature that can always use more recognition.