The WJF is usually very good with excellent programming and cool one-offs, but tonight's sets felt especially exceptional. Vijay + Co were mindblowing, Arooj Aftab had such a killer band providing excellent texture, and SML fucking blew me away. Holy shit, set of the night. 5.5 hours of music, 6 sets in 4 different venues. A great night of livemusic.
#nycfreaks #livemusic #brooklyn #williamsburg #wjf #nycwjf #winterjazzfest
Tonight: the NYC Winter Jazzfest Brooklyn Marathon is always a fun choose-your-own-adventure adventure. Never know what you're gonna get, but almost always worth the chilly schlepping around Williamsburg.
Already on my second set featuring the legendary Vijay Iyer, Matt Brewer, Tyshawn Sorey, Adam O'Farill at National Sawdust. Sick.
#nycfreaks #livemusic #brooklyn #williamsburg #jazz #wjf #nycwjf #winterjazzfest #vijayiyer #tyshawnsorey
A fantastic showcase from Impulse! ends with ambient magic courtesy of Shabaka Hutchings leading an ensemble that includes two (!) harps and Esperanza Spalding. Vibey.
Holy moly Brandee Younger is so special. Playing an Alice Coltrane set with her trio here and sounds so dang good.
Tonight: Winter Jazz Fest continues. Impulse! showcase at LPR, very strong lineup. This set with James Brandon Lewis joining the Messthetics is all sorts of kickass. If you don't know JBL, he's knocked me over with everything I've seen him do. Also, never seen this room this packed before. Yay! for jazz, boo! for personal comfort.
Not that my late night needed a late night show, but over the river to Nublu for a sick sick version of Dave Harrington's Merry Pranksters to close out the night. Have you ever seen Nels Cline shred unholy at 2 in the morning? Whole band is ridic and going with the deep groovejams. Yow!
Still going.. Yonatan Gat with Lidner, BenJafaar, Fox. Interdisciplinary jams in the wee hour still at Baby's All Right.
Still going strong as the hour approaches midnight, even though any semblance of an on-time schedule went out the window hours ago. The explosive Zoh Amba leading this needs-a-name band with Steve Gunn, Shahzad Ismaily, Jim White, back at Baby's All Right.