8PM Okazaki-Weiss Duo
Miles Okazaki, Guitar
Dan Weiss, Drums
Guitarist Miles Okazaki and Drummer Dan Weiss have been developing a rhythmic language for over a dozen years. They create textures and rhythmic structures by weaving together material from a wide variety of sources – a recent performance was described by Ben Ratliff in The New York Times as demonstrating “the new jazz musician’s inexhaustible options as they fit ideas together without stopping.” Their work together is documented on four recordings.
One of the world’s top five jazz drummers (The New York Times), Dan Weiss’ innovative style and forward thinking compositions have been pushing musical limits for more than a decade. Whether performing with his trio, critically acclaimed for its unique song structures and endless creative improvisation; his 16-piece ensemble, whose recording Fourteen made The Times’s Top 10 recordings of 2014; playing classical tabla, both as a soloist, as well as with legendary Indian classical artists like Ashish Khan and Ramesh Misra; or as sideman on countless tours and albums with artists including Lee Konitz, Rudresh Mahanthappa and Miguel Zeonnonlist, Weiss is “a drummer with ambition and range” (PopMatters).
Miles Okazaki started gigging by 13, he continued working as a musician even as he studied English at Harvard. In 1997 he began graduate work at the Manhattan School of Music (he holds degrees from Harvard, MSM and Juilliard), where his studies introduced him to drummer Dan Weiss. Based in NYC, Miles has released three albums of original compositions; a fourth, called Trickster, will be released this year. He also published the book, Fundamentals of Guitar. As a sideman, he has worked with Steve Coleman, Kenny Barron, Jonathan Finlayson, Amir El Saffar, Dan Weiss, Stanley Turrentine, Darcy James Argue, Jane Monheit, Mary Halvorson, Jen Shyu, Rajna Swaminatham, Matt Mitchell, and many others. He teaches at the University of Michigan.
10PM Rajna Swaminathan
Rajna Swaminathan – Rajas
Rajna Swaminathan- mridangam
Anjna Swaminathan, violin
Stephan Crump, bass
Rajna Swaminathan is a distinguished mridangam artist, notable as one of the few women to play this South Indian percussion instrument professionally. She has performed with numerous esteemed Indian classical musicians, including her mentor and vocalist T.M. Krishna. Rajna has showcased her talent at prestigious venues and festivals such as the Smithsonian and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Asia Society and Lincoln Center in New York City, Walker Art Center in Minnesota, Music Academy in Chennai, Shanmukhananda Hall in Mumbai, and The Esplanade in Singapore.
Since 2011, Rajna has been exploring new musical horizons in New York’s jazz and creative music scene, collaborating with artists like Vijay Iyer, Steve Coleman, Miles Okazaki, and Amir ElSaffar. Drawing on her experiences, she founded the ensemble RAJAS, which blends experimental and polyrhythmic methods with diverse musical traditions. RAJAS has performed at notable venues including the Lincoln Center Atrium, The Jazz Gallery, The Met Breuer, and Alwan for the Arts. The ensemble often features artists such as Miles Okazaki, Stephan Crump, Anjna Swaminathan, Maria Grand, Amir ElSaffar, Aakash Mittal, Rafiq Bhatia, Arun Ramamurthy, Ganavya Doraiswamy, Guy Mintus, and Roopa Mahadevan.
In addition to her musical pursuits, Rajna is an active composer and performer for dance and theater. She has toured extensively with the acclaimed Ragamala Dance Company and choreographer Mythili Prakash. Rajna also collaborated with playwright and actress Anu Yadav on the solo show “Meena’s Dream,” composing its music alongside Anjna Swaminathan and Sam McCormally. The soundtrack, titled The Worry Machine (2015), was released as an album. Her most recent project with Anu Yadav, “Storytellers,” combines music performed by RAJAS with narratives addressing themes of racism, sexism, colonial trauma, and diasporic identity.
June 16
6PM Myk Freedman & the Mykfreedmans
tbd-trumpet
Patrick Breiner-sax/clarinet
Jason Vance-banjo
Adam Hopkins-bass
Carlo Costa-drums
Myk Freedman-lap steel/tunesNostalgic for a time that honestly wasn’t very nice, Myk Freedman and the Mykfreedmans search for equilibrium. Rent parties, salons, NYC lofts, brothels, squeals and honks, musical feels, romantic melodicism – evocative beauty that can be neither denied nor ignored. This band, led by Canadian lap steel player Myk Freedman, is in love with the memories of memories, but it is 2017. People have been playing guitars using their kids’ broken dental appliances for decades. The music must take that into account, but Coleman Hawkins! Therein lies the circular mentality of the Mykfreedmans: they move forward, they move backward. They let a song out of their hearts, they scream down a well, think in cut-time, think out of time, joyfully get lost in the murk of innuendo. Sticking their fingers in the warm pleasure centers of the mind, they caress with lush ballads, oblique genre gestures, Klezmer melodicism, sounds of elsewhere – and not so gently with wails and whirls from the most non-idiomatic lap steel player from the North and a band ready to lead from the wings honking and squealing in tandem.
8PM Jessica Lurie Instant Light Quartet
Jessica Lurie – saxophone, flute, voice
Will Bernard – guitar
Rene Hart – bass
Allison Miller – drums
Multi-instrumentalist Jessica Lurie’s distinct voice was formed from the richly diverse and eclectic Seattle music scene. As a leader, side-person, composer and collaborator, Jessica is a regular fixture on jazz, new music and jam band scenes and has toured extensively in the US and Europe. She is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser, performing on saxophones, flute, voice, accordion and electronics. Her unique sound melds “lyrical pop, stinging rock, rhythmic Eastern European folk music and improvisation-heavy jazz with a dose of funky free-wheeling avant-groove-meets-grind” (Dan Oulette).
Jessica will be joined by a fabulous line up for the June 16th concert, including some of the most in demand players in NYC: grammy nominated guitarist Will Bernard, the dynamic and lyrical Rene Hart on acoustic bass, and the expansive and unstoppable Allison Miller on drums.
This promises to be an electrifying evening of idiosyncratic, soulful and refreshing music!
Currently Jessica performs with her Megaphone Heart Band and Instant Light Quartet, as well as the Tiptons Saxophone Quartet & Drums, Living Daylights Trio, Sofie Salonika, Jewish Afro-Beat Zion80, Far Cry Flutes, Great Small Works and Circus Amok. She is also a part of several improvisation-based groove ensembles including TEPHRA SOUNDS with Helen Gillet, Nikki Glaspie and Brian Haas; Slingshot Songs with Beth Fleenor and Heather Bentley; and Seattle-based Full Fathom Five with saxophonist Skerik. She has performed or recorded with Fred Frith, Billy Martin, Skerik, John Zorn, David Amram, Pauline Oliveros, Cyro Baptista, Nikki Glaspie, Helen Gillet, OU, Allison Miller, Todd Sickafoose, Charlie Hunter, David Krakauer, Bill Frisell, Henry Butler, Jenny Scheinman, Chuck D, Parliament, The Indigo Girls, Mark Ribot, Eyvind Kang, Karl Denson, Frank London, Allison Miller, Vinicio Caposella, Nels Cline, Jacob Fred Jazz Odessy, Kenny Wolleson, Sleater Kinney, Bernie Worrell and Ivan Neville among others. Jessica’s 8th album as a leader will be released in Fall 2017.
10PM Marc Ribot
The enigmatic guitarist Marc Ribot has released six diverse solo guitar albums, including “John Zorn’s Book of Heads,” “Plays the Works of Frantz Casseus,” “Saints,” “Don’t Blame Me,” “Exercises in Futility,” and his latest, “Silent Movies” (Pi Recording, 2010). This latest work has been hailed as a “down-in-the-mouth-near masterpiece” by the Village Voice and has appeared on several “Best of 2010” lists, including those of the LA Times, earning critical acclaim across the board. Ribot’s live solo performances are known for their unpredictability, drawing from a wide range of influences to create a unique sonic experience filled with memory, free improvisation, and a touch of the unexpected, always keeping listeners on the edge of their seats.
In a review of his 2015 residency at Cafe Oto, London Jazz News praised Ribot’s ability to captivate an audience, noting that his intense and heartfelt commitment invited close listening and allowed a glimpse into his technical mastery, offering both a visual spectacle and a rare, transportive musical experience.
John Garratt and Will Layman of PopMatters highlighted Ribot’s album “Silent Movies,” noting his ability to astonish with technique, beauty, and surprise, even in a simple solo performance. Grayson Haver Currin emphasized that discussing Marc Ribot’s career is more about what he has not done than what he has accomplished. Over four decades, Ribot’s work has spanned genres from smooth soul and gnarled blues to blaring no wave and elegant film scores, as well as supporting roles with artists like Tom Waits. In his solo work, Ribot favors intricate improvisations around standards, which he subtly reinterprets, showcasing his mastery of timing, tone, and taste. Each performance is a master lesson in navigating music with a vast and varied bank of experience.
June 17
8PM Dena ElSaffar and Salaam
Salaam has delighted audiences for years with its expansive repertoire of Middle Eastern and North African music. Salaam is true to the traditions, informing the uninitiated, and evoking nostalgia in listeners who are familiar with the art form. What sets Salaam apart is the versatility of its musicians, whose deep knowledge of Eastern and Western styles gives them the flexibility to move effortlessly between genres. Iraqi-American band leader Dena El Saffar’s compositions take advantage her own eclectic musical upbringing to create a sound rooted in maqam (the modal system used throughout the Middle East), with tasteful forays into Latin, African, Balkan, Rock, Blues, and Classical styles . It is satisfying to bring this original material to the stage alongside lush compositions of Mohammed Abdel Wahab and the Rahbani Brothers, historic Ottoman Empire-era Peshrevs, anonymous Iraqi songs, and folkloric melodies from Upper Egypt. Salaam, whose name means peace in Arabic, is a musical ambassador for peaceful coexistence.
“Salaam…subtly transposes a genre of music few Americans are even aware of into a sonic realm that feels enchanting and exotic, while still strangely familiar.” – Banning Eyre, NPR
10 PM Tareq Abboushi
Multi-instrumentalist, composer & bandleader. Graduated with honors from William Paterson University in New Jersey- Jazz Piano Performance degree.
Abboushi has been playing Buzuq since 1997, performing all over the world with such notable musicians as Souad Massi, Simon Shaheen, Lotfi Bouchnak, Sonia M’barek, & Billy Drewes.
His discography includes two albums with his group SHUSMO, four albums with Dan Zanes, four with Amir ElSaffar, & numerous film soundtracks including “Man From Plains,” & the Oscar-nominated “Rachel Getting Married,” directed by Jonathan Demme.
His teaching career involves lectures at Columbia University, NYU, & Juilliard in the US, as well as Agder University in Norway. Abboushi served as Head of the Arabic Music Department at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine, and is currently the director of the Ramallah branch.
Among the awards he has received is the Palestinian National Music Competition award for his composition “Pickles,” and the United States’ Artist of Extra-Ordinary Ability, for which he was granted citizenship.