In the current Philadelphia Weekly:
Wed., Oct. 7, 9pm. $5. With Oud Blues. Tritone, 1508 South St. 215.545.0475 www.tritonebar.com
Drummer Justin Leigh and pianist John Stenger head up Ellipsis, and their continuing residency at Tritone has entailed full-album renditions of Björk, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Jeff Buckley and others (first Wednesday every month, free downloadable sets at ellipsismakesmusic.com). But Ellipsis also plays Ellipsis — their originals tend toward anthemic gestures and sparse, swelling jazz-rock-folk melodies reminiscent of the Brian Blade Fellowship but with distinctly personal flourishes. Edge Hill Road, their new debut, is a brooding song cycle with unassailable musicianship from several of Philly’s finest young jazzers. Leigh and Stenger celebrate this week with saxists Jason O’Mara and Jon Thompson, guitarist Tim Conley and bassist Jason Fraticelli. — David R. Adler
Yoko Miwa
Fri., Oct. 9, 5:45-6:45 & 7:15-8:15pm. $12 (free for members, students $8). Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th St. & the Pkwy. 215.763.8100 www.philamuseum.org
As a jazz education capital, Boston attracts talent from around the world, although graduates often end up leaving for sexier scenes like New York. Some, however, like pianist Yoko Miwa, remain up north, nourishing the local soil while building reputations as global contenders. Originally from Kobe, Japan, Miwa graduated from Berklee in 1999 and began teaching there. She took a gig as accompanist to singer Kevin Mahogany while also refining her own trio music, thus far giving us In the Mist of Time, Fadeless Flower and Canopy of Stars — efforts that reveal a burnished lyricism and muscular rhythmic approach, a good fit for the Art Museum’s Great Stair Hall. — David R. Adler
Cuong Vu
Sat., Oct. 10, 9pm. $10. With Planet-Y. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave. 215.739.9684 www.arsnovaworkshop.org
Not every musician can bridge the distance between edgy downtown venues in New York and big-ticket concert halls around the world. But Vietnamese-American trumpeter Cuong Vu, with his bristling chops and technological curiosity, went from an obscure avant-garde bandleader to a member of the Pat Metheny Group. And the glamour job has only strengthened his independence and compositional daring. His recent discs, It’s Mostly Residual (featuring Bill Frisell) and Vu-Tet, are by turns eerie, beat-oriented and metal-aggressive, with electronic soundscapes and grinding band interplay somehow falling into balance. This week Vu tackles something new: jazz standards with two electric bassists (Stomu Takeishi, Luke Bergman), plus Vu-Tet drummer Ted Poor. — David R. Adler
Third Man Trio
Tue., Oct. 13, 8pm. $12. Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, 1616 Walnut St. Suite 100 215.545.7562 www.arsnovaworkshop.org
Iconic Dutch drummer Han Bennink, with trademark bandana and buzz-cut, returns to Philly for the U.S. premiere of the Third Man Trio, a successor to his Trio Clusone with Michael Moore — the expatriate saxophonist/clarinetist, not the filmmaker. The third man in question is Will Holshouser, versatile Brooklyn-based accordionist (David Krakauer, Antony and the Johnsons) who has recorded with offbeat trios of his own (Reed Song, Singing to a Bee). For a hint of Bennink’s trio philosophy, check out Parken, his latest disc with clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst and pianist Simon Toldam. It’s a mix of Ellington tunes and originals, superbly melodic for all its outbursts and pointy angles. — David R. Adler
Comments are closed.