In the current Philadelphia Weekly:
New Directions Chamber Brass
Wed., Sep. 16, 9pm. $5. With Elliott Levin/Charles Cohen Duo. Tritone, 1508 South St. 215.545.0475 www.tritonebar.com
The Avant Ascension series eases into its second year with a set from this genre-oblivious unit, which is led by trumpeter Thomas Madeja and happens also to include AA co-curator and trombonist Larry Toft. What a stark lineup: two trumpets, two trombones, two percussionists. If you’ve heard Spirit Moves by Dave Douglas’s Brass Ecstasy band, you’ll note a family resemblance here — a mix of precision jazz and slippery groove, with graceful semi-classical melody abutting rock-and-soul snarl. Tihda Vongkoth’s marimba and vibraphone add a layer of textural shimmer and fleshed-out harmony. Also on the bill: Elliott Levin and Charles Cohen, two of Philly’s veteran boundary-pushers, on sax and electronics respectively. — David R. Adler
Seth Meicht and the Big Sound Ensemble
Sat., Sep. 19, 8pm. $10 (free for UArts community). Caplan Center (University of the Arts), 211 S. Broad St. 17th Floor 800-616-ARTS www.bowerbird.org
Though Seth Meicht lives in New York, he maintains close ties to his native Philly, spending the past five years in Odean Pope’s Saxophone Choir. For this homecoming gig he’ll showcase his latest project, which was warmly received in June at New York’s annual Vision Festival. The lineup is stellar: saxists Meicht, Darius Jones and Charles Evans, trumpeters Herb Robertson and Aaron Meicht (Seth’s brother), trombonist Steve Swell, bassist Adam Lane and drummer Mike Pride. Big Sound? Uh, yeah. Bet on controlled chaos with an oblique compositional logic. The show’s being documented for release on the CIMP label, so go add your whoops and hollers. — David R. Adler
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