The Jazz Gallery, that small jazz club where big sounds are made by daring musicians, those iconoclasts, who keep the music interesting and stimulating. On Sept. 15, the trumpeter, cornetist and composer Graham Haynes, and Adam Rudolph, percussionist and composer will perform one night only two sets at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Haynes is an inventive force constantly seeking new musical terrain. He discovered drum ‘n’ bass, a fusion of drum ‘n’ bass beats while working with DJ Submerged. Haynes has studied African, Arabic and South Asian Music that he incorporates into his music with traditional jazz rhythms. He was featured on pianist Vijay Iyer’s “Far From Over” (ECM 2017) and in 2021 released “Echolocation,” a collaboration with electronic musician Submerged (DJ). He has collaborated with Roy Haynes (his father), Vernon Reid, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Ed Blackwell.
Rudolph like Haynes is a creative source in both the traditional sounds of jazz and in the world of avant garde. He is best known for his many collaborative years with flutist Yusef Lateef. He has recorded with Sam Rivers, Omar Sosa, and Wadada Leo Smith. Together Haynes & Rudolph will bring out colorful rhythms, textures and melodies that will cross and combine a variety of genres.
On Sept. 16 and 17, music continues with The Jazz Gallery Fellowship Commission presenting Dezron Douglas “The Not Too Suite.” As the 2022 recipient of the Fellowship, the bassist, composer and educator Douglas will debut his commissioned work.
Douglas’ bass playing represents what was, the now and the coming future. His sound may include anything from traditional hard bop to the extended jazz shores and his favorite sounds of Philly, R&B soul. For this Commission debut Douglas will be joined by pianist Glenn Zaleski, trumpeter Akili Bradley, tenor saxophonist Chris Lewis, drummer Jonathan Blake (2022 JJA Award Drummer of the Year) and vocalist Sachal Vasandani.
Douglas is a protégé of inventive saxophonist Jackie McLean. Having performed on over 100 albums, he has worked with outstanding saxophonists such as Pharoah Sanders and David Murray and pianists George Cables Eric Reed and Mulgrew Miller. His 2020 duo album “Force Majeure” (International Anthem Records), during the height of the pandemic recorded at home with harpist Brandee Younger was one of the best albums of the year. His most current album was released earlier this year “Meditations on Faith,” a collection of spirited solo improvisations.
Douglas is always expanding the boundaries of this music so we can only expect something new, fresh and exhilarating from his upcoming appearance at The Jazz Gallery.
For tickets visit the website jazzgallery.org. The Jazz Gallery is located at 1160 Broadway in New York City.
The pianist and composer Omar Sosa has toured the world with rave reviews and while living in Spain, he has graced Gotham’s jazz stages on many occasions but this will be his premier engagement at Dizzy’s Jazz Club (60th Street Columbus Circle) Sept. 16-18. Two sets each night at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
For his debut appearance Sosa will introduce his new Quarteto Americanos, featuring Bay area artists drummer Josh Jones; on saxophones, flute and percussion Peter Apfelbaum; and bassist Ernesto Mazar Kindelan.
“I am so happy to be coming into Dizzy’s. With this new band I get to play with old friends, who I haven’t played with in 20 years,” said Sosa. “This band is more free, we have room to interact with more conversation and that’s what jazz is all about. For the show we will play many of my original compositions.”
Sosa’s music has always been a source of ancestral relevance. He traces the diaspora from Africa to his native home of Cuba to Brazil and Central America to Ecuador’s African-descent communities. His music is rooted in the spiritual-ness of Santeria but is entrenched in groove and soul.
Sosa’s most recent album is a collaboration with Seckou Keita recorded in the midst of the pandemic entitled “SUBA” (OTA Records 2021), which means “sunrise” in Keita’s native language Mandinka. The two musicians met at the Fattoria Musica, in Germany and completed the album in 10 days with the help of Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles, cellist Jaques Morelenbaum and flutist Dramane Dembele. “The concept of the album is peace, hope and unity. In this moment we are living when everything is falling apart little by little,” shared Sosa. “We try to give hope through our music and tell people that we can be together.”
For reservations visit the website jazz.org. or call 212-259-9595.
Drummer and composer Lenny White, part of the younger generation of Queens natives, now carries the torch from his peers from the ole’ hood—a host of jazz legends who resided in Queens such as Roy Haynes Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea and Ella Fitzgerald. White, a three-time Grammy winning drummer, composer and educator, started his music career in Queens; he wasn’t a transplant, he was born and raised in Jamaica, Queens.
White, a self-taught drummer, began his career playing in Queens and the Manhattan jazz scene. He played regularly with saxophonist Jackie McLean in the late 1960s. His reputation as a young creative drummer landed him with Miles Davis on his recording of “Bitches Brew” (Columbia 1970); he went on to become an original member of another groundbreaking jazz rock group Return to Forever led by Chick Corea (1973-76). White was a co-founding member the 1980s Queens-based funk group The Jamaica Boys with guitarist Spaceman Patterson, bassist Marcus Miller and keyboardist Bernard Wright with singer Dinky Bingham.