From outside, with the graffiti painting and life-sized artwork of Charlie Chaplin on the steel gray door, who would think this is the home of Nublu, one of the hippest little music venues on the Lower East Side. It lacks that bourgeoisie ambiance and large bright neon sign showing off its prosperity and jazz intellect.
For Nublu, there is no food menu (although the extensive drink list offers tasty concoctions) or extravagant view of the city. However, if you are looking for exciting music, from fusion rock to jazz that lacks total regard for boundaries, then this is the right place.
Walk through the door, open the inside door directly in front of you, move the large heavy curtain and, boom, you are in. Going in, it resembles an after-hours joint, but it’s cool inside resembles those old-school parties with red lights in the basement or housing project apartments. It’s dark with large, crazy yet hip wall paintings and a steady video stream of psychedelic configurations.
Most recently, serious jazzheads converged on the tiny mecca for the Nublu Jazz Festival, which became an annual event in 2011. The festival brought together the young and established musicians playing on the periphery and outer limits of the jazz sea.
On the evening of my visit, it kicked off with Nasheet Wait’s Equlity featuring the bassist Mark Helias, the exiting Cuban pianist Aruan Ortiz, the alto saxophonist Darius Jones and the drummer, arranger and composer Waits.
The majority of their repertoire came from a yet untitled CD with an estimated release date in 2016. Waits says he loves the vibe with this union. “Together we are stretching the shape of the music,” said Waits. Their hard-hitting, free spirited music is entrenched in the blues. A memorable ballad opened with Ortiz’s beautiful piano solo, as Darius’ alto cried in the haunting night like a lonely nightingale.
They were followed by Jason Linder’s Super Future Griot, a dynamic trio with the pianist composing explorer playing a Moog Voyager, a Prophet 12, and a Yamaha DX Reface. Yayo Serka played drums, electronic drum pads and samples, with Gilmar Gomes on percussions, vocals and electronic hand percussion.
The music was deep in African rhythms, with hypnotic electric fusion chords that burned the inner soul. “The idea of super future griot is history with future,” said Linder. “Most electronic music is cold and non-human by its nature. We want to be supernatural and strive to invite the musical ancestral spirit to expand consciousness for a positive future.”
Linder was followed by the drummer Marcus Gilmore, a young man who has taken off since arriving on the scene while still attending LaGuardia High School. He appeared with his own group—something he doesn’t do that often as an A-list on-call drummer.
Gilmore’s band included David Virelles on a Fender Rhodes; keyboardist David Bryant, guitarist Rafiq and the bassist Burniss Travis. The group sounds so unique without horns. “I had these specific musicians in mind that focused on inspirations that inspired the music,” said Gilmore. “As a Black man in this sociopolitical realm, I’ve been inspired by a vast array of current and historical events that are not limited to Black folks in this country.”
Their sound extends past the earlier memorable explorations of Weather Report and Return to Forever, taking that vibe a bit farther out to their musical perspective.
“I appreciate the open spirit that I’ve always received from the people at Nublu,” stated Gilmore. “It’s also a venue that I feel very comfortable playing sonically.”
Musicians often like to hang here when they are not playing. Norah Jones celebrated a birthday at this spot. The dynamic bassist Juini Booth was also present this evening, noting he had played earlier in the festival and was on hand to check the youngsters do their thing.
The saxophonist and keyboard player Ilhan Ersahin joins the musicians John Zorn (the Stone) and Richard bona (Club Bonafide) who own jazz clubs in Manhattan. The club reflects Ersahin’s background and approach to music. He says the name is meant to evoke forward-looking music in a blues framework, but the programming philosophy obviously represents much more.
Ersahin founded Nublu in 2002. It is right around the corner from the now defunct but famous (or infamous, depending on your frame of reference) Slugs.
“We bought the building, three friends together, back when it was still affordable,” Ersahin stated. “Otherwise it would have been difficult to keep this scene going. But it’s my dream to move the club into a larger space nearby and then make Nublu into a recording studio. That’s what we need to be even more productive.”