Wallace Roney Jr. says that having legendary artistic parents — pianist/composer Geri Allen and trumpeter/composer Wallace Roney — doesn’t give you a free pass to stardom. “I don’t think I’ve been treated any differently than any other musician because of my mom or dad,” said Roney during a recent interview with Hot House Jazz magazine. “You have to earn your stripes. It may have gotten my foot in the door but if I couldn’t play, that door would close very fast. Respect comes from playing. There’s nothing to hide from once I hit the stage, so I am happy to share the room to learn and grow.”
At age 29, Roney’s musical tastes cover a broad spectrum. “I’m fascinated by music of the world, incorporating as many musical cultural styles into my music and not just American styles,” he said.
On May 22–24, the Wallace Roney Jr. Quartet lights up Jazzcultural for two sets each night at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. His able working quartet features pianist Victor Gould, bassist Tom DiCarlo, and drummer Miguel Russell. He has a varied repertoire that includes originals, his parents’ material, and standards before, as he said, “we stretch out.”
For tickets, visit jazzcultural.com.
Jazzcultural’s late night 10:30 p.m. sets on May 22–23 feature pianist and composer Willerm Delisfort. His music is a boundless flow evolving in unchartered territory. His creative ensemble features trumpeter Josh Evans, saxophonist Joseph Miller, bassist Jonathan Muir-Cotton, and drummer Chrisitan McGhee, along with vocalist Alexa Barchini.
Soon after graduating from FAMU, Delisfort made his way to Chicago, where he encountered one of his most eye-opening experiences: working with the AACM and Ernest Dawkins. “This was my introduction to a side of music and myself I had yet to explore,” he said. “Dawkins always had this beautiful, intense approach that always demanded the best from you.” Delisfort’s performance with the AACM took place at Fred Andersobn’s Velvet Lounge [in Chicago]. “I distinctively remember [that] after my first set, I stepped outside to try and process all that had transpired during the set of music. It was astonishing.”
For this weekend engagement, the pianist will perform a series of original music from various suites he’s written, in addition to some of the songs on his latest album, “Black Element(s).”
For reservations, visit jazzcultural.com.
For more than 20 years, Negril Village (70 West 3rd Street) has served authentic Jamaican food in the heart of Greenwich Village. In the midst of NYC’s hip hustle-bustle crowd, founder Marva Layne has set the standard in Caribbean cuisine and dining.
On May 21, trumpeter and composer Duke Jones brings his brand of jazz to Negril Village. He appears with his quartet featuring drummer John Inuzzi, pianist John Weiss, vocalist T.C. III (known for venturing in new directions like his predecessors Eddie Jefferson and Babs Gonzales), and special guest saxophonist/multi-reed player Chip Shelton.
Real music heads may recall Duke from his early days as a founding member of the popular R&B group Atlantic Starr. In the late ’70s, Duke studied traditional island rhythms, calypso, and soca at the University of Virgin Islands with then Professor Larry McClellan. He has since performed with such names as Angela Bofill, Larry Coryell, and Marion Meadows, and has collaborated and recorded with August Darnell of Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and drummer-producer Norman Connors, serving as an original member of his Starship Orchestra.
Duke says his repertoire swings through traditional jazz, contemporary, and his originals.
Two shows, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. For reservations, visit negrilvillage.com or call 212-477-2804.
Jazz is genius, genius is jazz, jazz is life, life is jazz — it moves, swings, rides on experience, day-to-day improvisations making it work, getting by, hitting new notes, bending old melodies into hip sounds in new realities.
On May 21–23, Jazz Genius (151 Essex Street) presents the David Kikoski Trio in two shows each night, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
During the 1980s, Kikoski was an integral part of the NEA Jazz Master and multi-Grammy Award-winner drummer Roy Haynes ensemble. Roy offered him an opportunity to soar. The pianist plays in a state of immersed energy — his entire body grooves with every note he strikes. “Dave has so much feeling. He can play anything. I can depend on him for so much,” said Haynes during an interview.
Kikoski earned a Grammy nomination (2001) with Haynes for the album “Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker.” It’s worth highlighting that the Mingus Big Band, with Kikoski as a vital contributor, received a 2024 Grammy nomination for the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in recognition of their outstanding performance in “The Charles Mingus Centennial Session.”
For tickets, visit jazzgenius.com.
Alto saxophonist, arranger, and composer Kenny Garrett doesn’t perform in NYC enough — it seems he’s in and out like a blink of an eye; faster than the sun can set, he’s gone. Quick, he returns to the Blue Note jazz club on May 22–24.
From my perspective, Garrett isn’t getting his props although he plays the well-known U.S. clubs and major international jazz festivals. Every time I listen to one of his albums, it’s like ‘Damn, Kenny is a bad cat, what’s up.’ Okay, he’s an NEA Jazz Master, but from my perspective, his name should be in bold neon lights. For more than three decades, Garrett’s horn has been blazing rhythms like flying bullets from the Wild Wild West. Kenny plays Kenny — original compositions beyond the ordinary jazz scope. He swings with the creative insight of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders. His early inventiveness caught the attention of Miles, which garnered a five-year collaboration.
He has more than 20 recordings as a leader, as well as appearing on more than 230 as a sideman. For this Blue Note outing, he will be joined by percussionist Rudy Bird, bassist Corcoran Holt, acoustic and electric pianist Keith Brown, and TBA on drums.
Two shows each night at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Make haste and visit bluenotejazz.com/nyc/.
Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, rapper, composer, and deliberate genre bender as a jazz musician and hip-hop producer Terrance Martin continues his residency at the Blue Note (131 West Third Street), May 26–30. His inventive ensemble features keyboardist and vocalist Taylor McFerrin; keyboards, bass, and vocals Phoenix; drummer Marcus Gilmore, with Martin on keyboards and saxophone. Together, they play through unexplored terrain, taking exciting leaps and swinging turns; flavored notes with sharp hip-hop melodies, funky chords, and jazzy rhythms that tap the inner soul.
Under his many hats, Martin is known as a multi-faceted producer, a fusion master working with the likes of Snoop, Lalah, Robert Glasper, Herbie Hancock, Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder, Thundercat, YG, and SZA. The creative force took a deep dive into the music business as founder, president, and producer of his own independent imprint, Sounds of Crenshaw Records.
“I’m not really preaching to the musicians and the other artists. I do music for the person that’s nine months late on their rent [and] ain’t got no job but got two kids,” Martin said in an NPR interview. “I love where all my music goes, but I’m not preaching to the choir. I wanted to use my music as vehicles to say certain words and slogans that I believe could help people.”
Two shows at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. For more info or reservations, visit bluenotejazz.com/nyc/.