In the new Philadelphia Weekly:
Archer Spade & Drew Ceccato
Thu., Mar. 17, 8pm. Free. The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St. 215.573.3234 www.arsnovaworkshop.org
Having opened for guitarist Bern Nix last month, the venturesome duo Archer Spade — trombonist Daniel Blacksberg and guitarist Nick Millevoi — returns for another mission. Blacksberg is a diligent student of improvised music, holding down klezmer gigs, landing sideman spots with the likes of Anthony Braxton and hatching compelling schemes as a leader (e.g., Bit Heads). Millevoi shreds furiously with his punk-math-jazz trio Many Arms (Palabras Malas, Missing Time) and conceives prickly, evocative music for solo 12-string guitar on his new Black Figure of a Bird. West Coast woodwind specialist Drew Ceccato joins the duo this week for a tribute to Roscoe Mitchell, the prolific composer and co-founder of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. On the program will be Mitchell’s “Marche,” “L-R-G,” “Cards” and “Nonaah.” — David R. Adler
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Marc Cary Focus Trio
Sat., Mar. 19, 8pm. $20. Chris’ Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St. 215.568.3131 www.chrisjazzcafe.com
A jazz pianist deserving far wider acclaim, Marc Cary gained distinction as a trusted longtime accompanist to the great Abbey Lincoln. But his gigs have ranged widely, from his early involvement in the go-go scene of his native DC, to his keyboard and production work on Q-Tip’s 2008 release The Renaissance. Though he’s played prominent sideman roles on Stefon Harris’s funk-oriented Urbanus and Sameer Gupta’s Indo-fusion disc Namaskar (which he co-produced), Cary is most notably the leader of a powerful trio with Gupta on drums and David Ewell on bass. They’re documented on Focus, a 2006 studio debut, and two live outings since, showing an unshakable commitment to acoustic swing but also an astute, unforced approach to world music. — David R. Adler
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