July 3rd Listings

Saturday – Three consummate multi-instrumentalists — Scott Robinson, JD Parran and Vinny Golia — share the spotlight at The Stone. At 8, the trio will take part in what might very well be a first of its kind: each will perform on bass saxophone, the massive, largely obsolete instrument. At 10, the woodwind trio returns with a set of clarinet music. They will be backed during both sets by bassist Julian Thayler and drummer Warren Smith.

Sunday – If your not watching fireworks over the Hudson, head over to The Stone at 8 for Russian pianist Vladimir Tarasov along with violinist Jason Kao Hwang and bassist Mark Dresser. At 10, Dresser will be joined by equally accomplished improvisors, drummer Gerry Hemingway and saxophonist Earl Howard.

Monday – On its website, the downtown bar The Local 269 , proclaims itself “the last bastion of great music in NYC.” Tongue and cheek aside, on a steamy night in early July, the statement just might ring true. The day after the 4th is traditionally dead in NYC, and this year is no exception. Luckily, 269 has booked a multigenerational lineup of downtown stalwarts, among them Ken Filiano, Vinny Golia, Michael TA Thompson, Darius Jones, and Tom Blancarte.

Tuesday – Multi-instrumentalist and general visionary Gunter Hampel makes a rare solo appearance at Rose Live Music, in Williamsburg. At first glance, Rose seems indistinguishable from the countless bars clustered under the BQE, but the intimate venue has developed a reputation in the last five years for presenting a diverse array of left-of-center talent. This is a must-see, in my opinion.

Wednesday – Another stellar line-up at The Stone. At 8, multi-instrumentalist, composer, Andrea Parkins performs solo, and at 10, bassist Mario Pavone leads a powerhouse trio featuring tenorist Tony Malaby and drummer Tyshawn Sorey.

Thursday – I swear, there are other venues in New York besides The Stone, but this had to be my pick. Pianist, vibraphonist, composer Karl Berger makes an infrequent trip to the city from his long-time home-base of Woodstock, New York for two sets. At 8, he’ll join flutist Sylvain Leroux, and at 10, he will be the featured guest in multi-instrumentalist Bohdan Hilash’s sextet.

June 26th Listings

Saturday – The much-anticipated Bang On A Can Marathon takes place today, at the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan. The 12-hour new-music festival will be kicked off by drummer, composer John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble, featuring the dream-team tenor lineup of Tony Malaby, Ellery Eskelin and a talented newcomer, and a former classmate of mine at The New School, Jeremy Viner.

Sunday – Saxophonist Ellery Eskelin brings a trio featuring keyboardist Gary Versace and drummer Ted Poor to the 55 Bar on Christopher Street in the West Village.

Monday – The 15th Annual Vision Festival begins its second week with an all star lineup of iconoclastic improvisors, including Joelle Leandre, Marilyn Crispell, Mat Maneri and Wadada Leo Smith among many others, at Abrons Art Center on the lower, Lower East Side.

Tuesday – The saxophonist Michael Blake has spent the last 20-plus years forging a sound that successfully blends the hefty soulfulness of Hawkins, Webster and Lucky Thompson with a free-minded, post-bop sensibility. The results are uncommonly compelling. Catch Michael’s new quartet featuring pianist Landon Knoblock, bassist Michael Bates and drummer Greg Ritchie, at Miles Cafe, a new club on East 52nd Street in Manhattan.

Wednesday – I-Beam, the no-frills performance/rehearsal loft in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn, hosts two sets by first-rate improvisors. At 9, pianist Craig Taborn will perform solo and at  10:30 saxophonist Tim Berne will join pianist Matt Mitchell for a duo performance.

Thursday – Drummer Tomas Fujiwara and cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum face off for a duo set at The Stone on Avenue C in the East Village.