Referring to trumpeter and composer Marquis Hill as daring and exciting is a statement of fact. He is a musician who consistently ventures into the realm of newness (new concepts, new sounds). His most recent albums, “Rituals and Routines” (2023) and “New Gospel Revisited” (2022), both on Edition Records, demonstrate his commitment to moving the music in a multitude of directions.
On December 13–17, Smoke Jazz & Supper Club (2751 Broadway) welcomes Hill. The trumpeter will be joined by his adventurous band of cohorts, who are all innovative leaders in their own right: vibraphonist Joel Ross, pianist Michael King, bassist Junius Paul, and drummer Kendrick Scott. All are Chicago natives, with the exception of Texas-born Scott. These musicians create music as a living art with a combination of R&B, Chicago swing, and jazz tradition.
For reservations and showtimes, visit the website smokejazz.com or call 212-864-6662.
Sista’s Place in Brooklyn (456 Nostrand Avenue), where the soul of jazz speaks with a revolutionary flare, will be cookin’ on December 16, when trumpeter and composer Eddie Henderson takes to the stage with his all-star line-up, featuring pianist Pete Zac, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Mike Clark. Zac is the youngest of the quartet, while Cannon and Clark are long-time bandmates of Henderson. The latter two also recorded with Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi fusion band.
During Henderson’s six-decade career, he has established an insurmountable discography, having recorded more than 30 albums as a leader and recordings with such notables as Kenny Barron, Gary Bartz, a regular collaborator with the all-star Cookers, Benny Golson, Archie Shepp, Leon Thomas, and Butch Morris.
The repertoire will be something special, swinging, and memorable—he usual summation when Henderson holds down the stage.
Two shows. at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Call 718-398-1766 for more information.
During the late 1990s and now, Smalls Jazz Club, the cozy littlebasement room at 183 West 10th Street, remains one of my favorites. During that earlier period, it was a spot where you could check out live jazz damn near 24/7. It was the ultimate jazz hangout, without a liquor license, cover charge didn’t exist—just a modest admission.
Mitch Borden, who founded the club in 1994, is a devout jazz enthusiast, who gave the musical community priority. His openness to musicians quickly made the club a homebase for young generations looking to hone their creative craft. Some included Jason Linder, the Strickland brothers, and Claudia Acuna. On many nights, the house band included such established musicians as the great drummer Jimmy Lovelace and saxophonist Charles McPherson.
During 2007, pianist Spike Wilner and poet Lee Kostrinsky joined in a partnership with Borden (restoring the club and securing a liquor license). In recent years, the latter two partners have retired, leaving Wilner as Smalls’ sole-proprietor. Today, under Milner, Smalls represents that same eagerness to nurture new generations of talented young musicians while supporting those already established.
On December 16, Smalls presents baritone saxophonist Jason Marshall performing two sets, at 10:30 p.m. and 12 midnight. Marshall swings hard with a big, bold sound that ignited Roy Hargrove’s Big Band, RH Factor, and Sun Ra Arkestra, as well as leading his own band, Overt Negritude. He, like Hamiett Bluiett, is moving the instrument into new dimensions. On December 17, Smalls welcomes its regular guest pianist, the Sullivan Fortner Trio (featuring bassist Tyrone Allen, and drummer Kayvon Gordon), with two sets, at 10:30 p.m. and 12 midnight. The second set will be followed by an open jam session until 3 a.m.
For ticket information, visit rservations@smallslive.com or smallslive.com.
Mezzrow, established in 2014 (at 163 West 10th Street), is a piano room that boasts the perfect ambience for music lovers to have an intimate experience with the performing artists. It is owned and operated by Wilner from Smalls Jazz Club just next door, with the same goal of promoting a musical environment run by musicians for musicians.
For two nights, December 15–16, Mezzrow presents the all-star-collaborative trio of pianist George Cables, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Jerome Jennings, with two shows, at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Later that evening, the Johnny O’Neal Trio performs two sets, at 10:30 p.m. and 12 midnight. O’Neal has an extraordinary touch—he can swing or sing a ballad to stop listeners in their tracks. He is one of the most under-rated pianists in jazz. Anytime he performs, your presence is mandatory.
For a calendar and reservations, visit facebook.com. or smallslive.com.
The NiLu Gift Boutique (191 Malcolm X Blvd.) is more than a mere gift shop. Upon entering, customers step into a transcendental moment, as smooth as Miles Davis’s “Birth of the Cool,” while looking for something special like Lee Morgan on his album “Search for a New Land.” The shop has unique and intriguing gifts to purchase in the realm of cultural Blackness.
Katrina Parris and her husband Mark Pinn opened NiLu in 2015. Parris says that while attending many of the trade shows at Jacob Javits Center and others around the country, she likes working with independent sellers and artists, some of whom reside in the Harlem community. NiLu’s exclusive Romare Bearden print selection represents a partnership with the Romare Bearden Foundation and the varied book selection, from W.E.B Dubois at the Paris Exposition 1900 Black Lives to Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem: A Memoir, are a result of working with different publishers.
“I like producing NiLu’s house-branded line of prints and journals,” said Parris. “Before the shop, I made greeting cards for real life and invitations that became a great creative outlet for me and my first entrepreneurial venture.”
Julian Michael Caldwell, a salesperson at NiLu who also plays a key role in the boutique’s operation, hones his persona as JSWISS MC when not working at the shop. He operates at the intersection of jazz and hip hop, touring West Africa and Europe or working with such musicians as Nicholas Payton and Marcus Strickland. He also coordinates the shop’s music playlist, which ranges from John Coltrane to R&B chill music to Steely Dan and contemporary. “He’s all about the culture and understands what we are trying to do,” said Parris during our interview, next door at Café Latte. “Julian is NiLu—he is what’s going on in Harlem now.”
Before opening NiLu, Parris, a graduate of CCNY, owned a floral shop—Katrina Parris Flowers at 7th Avenue and 113th Street. She eventually moved the shop to its present location on Malcolm X Blvd.
“As gentrification persisted, Mark and I realized we were in a gift desert. Pop-up spaces were beginning to happen as platforms for local creative folks to sell their wares,” said Parris. “We decided to sell the florist business and convert the space into a gift shop, which is named for our sons Nigel and Luke.”
As an active member of the community, NiLu is a sponsor of Soap Box Presents, a nonprofit organization that presents live free concerts (dance, spoken word, and music) by local artists during the months of May through October at 120th Street and Malcolm X Blvd., only steps away from NiLu.
“When you think of Harlem’s totality, you have to mention jazz, the roots of Harlem,” said Parris. “The photo of ‘A Great Day’ in Harlem is Harlem.” NiLu is blocks away from the now defunct Lenox Lounge, a popular Harlem jazz club where Billie Holiday and her friend Langston Hughes often hung out.
What differentiates NiLu from most gift shops is that customers are likely to purchase gifts for themselves, as well as for others.
Parris hosts a weekly 8 p.m. Wednesday night talk show on Instagram, @shopnilu. Visit the NiLu website at shopnilu.com.