Live From Philadelphia
Geno Thackara reports on the month's best live shows from the City of Brotherly Love.
Bruce Hornsby and yMusic at the Merriam Theater
by Geno Thackara
Bruce Hornsby and yMusic The Merriam Theater Philadelphia, PAMarch 4, 2020 “It's, what, our fourth show? We should have it together by now," Bruce Hornsby laughed during one between-song lull while a couple of his cohorts quickly tuned up. The joke was that he'd forgotten the planned order of songs to be played, though that's certainly understandable for someone normally used to winging it without a set list at all. To listen to the actual ...
Continue ReadingGo: Organic Orchestra and Brooklyn Raga Massive at Painted Bride Art Center
by Geno Thackara
Go: Organic Orchestra and Brooklyn Raga MassivePainted Bride Art CenterPhiladelphia, PAOctober 6, 2019 While Philadelphia's Painted Bride Art Center has been presenting jazz, improvised and/or experimental music for half a century, it's still entirely possible this was the most sweepingly wide, boundary-defying cross-cultural performance the venue has ever seen. The sizable and amorphous Go: Organic Orchestra collective already serves up a fascinating kind of severe culture shock on its own, as demonstrated in several recordings ...
Continue ReadingMostly Other People Do the Killing, Sirius Juju and Unspeakable Garbage at Jerry's on Front
by Geno Thackara
Mostly Other People Do the Killing/Sirius Juju/Unspeakable GarbageJerry's on FrontPhiladelphia, PAFebruary 16, 2019 Twenty blocks and a world away from the clubs and bars of Philadelphia's city center, the experimental art space of Jerry's on Front is a room one would hardly imagine for music at all. It's a nondescript one-car-garage-sized space squeezed into a row of shuttered storefronts, looking more suitable for a woodworking space or fly-by-night pawn shop. Dimness makes the bare wood ...
Continue ReadingAaron Goldberg Trio at @exuberance
by Geno Thackara
Aaron Goldberg Trio @exuberance Philadelphia, PA November 23, 2018 It was a rollicking evening set full of jaunty rhythms and good humor. Aaron Goldberg clearly relished the rich sound of the Steinway and the feel of the room. A packed crowd had come out to unwind at the end of Black Friday--probably the fullest audience this two-year-old concert series has had to date--and the affair felt like the friendliest informal holiday party ...
Continue ReadingNik Bärtsch's Ronin at World Cafe Live
by Geno Thackara
Nik Bärtsch's Ronin World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA May 8, 2018 Of the oddest sights Philadelphia's art scene might offer on any given Tuesday night, a stern-faced figure in samurai hatama whacking a piano with a mallet should probably be in the top five. (Unless there's something like the Fringe Festival going on, in which case, maybe the top twenty.) To the unfamiliar, the music of Nik Bärtsch's Ronin may seem similarly odd and yet ...
Continue ReadingKatie Thiroux Trio at South Jazz Parlor
by Geno Thackara
Katie Thiroux Trio South Jazz Parlor Philadelphia, PA February 24, 2018 In time-honored Philly tradition, South is the kind of venue that recognizes jazz as a vital staple rather than just another aspect of business. Nestled on a corner in Center City's bustling north side (go figure), the place features a classy restaurant/bar that would make a fine dinner spot on its own, right alongside a sectioned-off parlor devoted to performances and regular jams. It ...
Continue ReadingOrion Tango at Kung Fu Necktie
by Geno Thackara
Orion TangoKung Fu NecktiePhiladelphia, PAJune 6, 2017 It's unclear what formal apparel has to do with the martial arts, or what either one has to do with live music for that matter, but nevermind. Adventurous musical acts are always welcome at Kung Fu Necktie as much as open-eared listeners are. The wood-paneled corner bar in northeast Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood is a cozy space with an inviting local-hangout atmosphere and plenty of character. On this occasion ...
Continue ReadingGlenn Zaleski Trio at Chris' Jazz Cafe
by Geno Thackara
Glenn Zaleski TrioChris' Jazz CafePhiladelphia, PAMay 3, 2017 It might not seem all that difficult to get together with friends in your own neighborhood, but sometimes it's more tricky than you'd think. Glenn Zaleski has made his previous two records as a leader in the span of two years, both with the same trio-mates who are also based in New York City with him, and yet they almost never seem to make it onstage at ...
Continue ReadingSittin' In with the Odean Pope Trio at the Kimmel Center
by Geno Thackara
Odean Pope TrioSEI Innovation Studio @ The Kimmel CenterPhiladelphia, PAApril 12, 2017 The Kimmel Center's informal Sittin' In program is always about direct connections and communion, but April's exceptional event raised the bar up to the ceiling. Not everyone was even able to sit since the basement theater was packed enough to require some standing along the walls. The enthusiastic crowd came out to acknowledge Jazz Appreciation Month, to honor some local icons and enjoy ...
Continue ReadingKurt Rosenwinkel Trio at Germantown Settlement School
by Geno Thackara
Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio Settlement Music School Philadelphia, PA December 23, 2016 He's come a long way since first starting lessons at Philadelphia's Settlement Music School, but city native Kurt Rosenwinkel has never forgotten those roots. On a night when they could have been squeezing in a little last-minute shopping or relaxing beside the tree with some good eggnog, he and a pair of good friends were happy to come out to the ...
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