Jan. 14: Jerome Sabbagh Quartet with Ben Monder
For his first Sound It Out appearance, saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh brings his quartet featuring guitarist Ben Monder (of Bowie’s Blackstar fame) plus bassist Doug Weiss and hot drummer Rudy Royston.
2017 Concerts
Jan. 21: The Billy Hart Academy
Drum icon Billy Hart is renowned for his vintage work with artists from Wes Montgomery and Miles Davis to Stan Getz and Herbie Hancock. Want to know what jazz is really about? Listen to Billy Hart.
Jan. 27: Frank Kimbrough with Masa Kamaguchi and Kirk Knuffke
Frank Kimbrough a deep-soul player steeped in the art of forebears from Herbie Nichols and Andrew Hill to Paul Motian and Paul Bley. He returns to Sound It Out with kindred-spirit bassist Masa Kamaguchi and ace cornetist Kirk Knuffke in tow.
Feb. 4: Taka Kigawa and Sebastein Ammann’s Color Wheel
Classical pianist extraordinaire Taka Kigawa returns to the series with an opening program of jazz-inspired pieces by the likes of Ligeti, Bartók and Stravinsky. Then, capping the night’s double-bill, is pianist-composer Sebastien Ammann’s Color Wheel.
Feb. 11: Nick Millevoi Desertion Trio
Avant-rock guitarist Nick Millevoi’s Clean Feed album Desertion was one of 2016’s most exciting finds, so it’s a pleasure to give Nick the chance to rock the house at Greenwich House for his Sound It Out debut. NPR described Desertion aptly as “the sweet spot from Neil Young’s exploratory Crazy Horse jams and a Spaghetti Western soundtrack,” going on to say “when Nick Millevoi plays the guitar, it’s like a rocket darting skyward between clouds.
Feb. 18: Francois Couturier and Anja Lechner
On a rare visit from Europe, the duo of jazz-minded pianist Francois Couturier and classically trained cellist Anja Lechner performs a concert coinciding with the release of their latest poetic ECM album, Nuit Blanche, by Couturier’s Tarkovsky Quartet.
March 4: Michael Bates’ Shostakovich Project
Bassist Michael Bates’ Sunnyside album “Acrobat: Music for, and by, Shostakovich” was one of the highlights of 2011, presenting his ingenious reimagining of the great Russian composer’s music for jazz band. For his Sound It Out debut as a leader, Bates brings a great band to play pieces from that album.
March 16: Sylvie Courvoisier + Halvorson & Feldman
Pianist Sylvie Courvoisier returns to Sound It Out with a double-bill of duos, featuring kindred-spirit violinist Mark Feldman and the fantastic guitarist Mary Halvorson. The Feldman-Courvoisier duo will perform the world premiere of Sylvie’s Chamber Music America New Jazz Work commission, “Time Gone Out.”
March 25: Angelica Sanchez Trio + Wadada Leo Smith
The duo of iconic trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and pianist Angelica Sanchez returns to Greenwich House to play the first half of this mighty double-bill revolving around Angelica, long a Sound It Out favorite. This show’s second half will feature the pianist’s new trio with the great bassist Michael Formanek and ever in-demand drummer Tyshawn Sorey.
March 31: Alex Koo, Mark Turner & Ralph Alessi
For this double-bill, virtuoso trumpeter Ralph Alessi opens with a rare solo set. Then up-and-coming pianist Alex Koo Derudder, a native of Belgium, teams with Alessi and the ever-absorbing saxophonist Mark Turner for a cross-generational chamber-jazz trio.
April 5: Bobby Avey + Matt Holman’s Tenth Muse
Rising-star pianist Bobby Avey returns to Sound It Out to do double-duty for this double-bill, playing a solo set to open up and then joining trumpeter Matt Holman’s Tenth Muse, also featuring Sam Sadigursky on woodwinds and Chris Dingman on vibes.
April 19: Eivind Opsvik’s Overseas
Eivind Opsvik’s Overseas – one of Sound It Out’s favorite bands – returns to the series to celebrate the release of the group’s latest album, “Overseas V.” Eivind has developed an utterly individual musical soundprint, one that blends the song-minded composition and creative studio craft of art rock with the virtuosic edge and spontaneity of progressive jazz.
April 22: Anna Webber’s Simple Trio
Last fall’s Sound It Out show by Anna Webber’s Simple Trio so rocked the house that the saxophonist/flutist is returning with pianist Matt Mitchell and drummer John Hollenbeck for an encore show this spring. Anna and company will be playing material from the trio’s latest album, Binary (Skirl).
May 6: Harris Eisenstadt’s Recent Developments
The ever-prolific Harris Eisenstadt has led multiple bands in the Sound It Out series, and he returns with his latest, aptly dubbed Recent Developments.
May 20: André Matos + Ambrosio/Meissner Sextet
Portuguese guitarist André Matos will open this double-bill on his own, performing pieces from “Múquina,” his beautiful new solo album on Robalo Music. In the second half, the David Ambrosio/Russ Meissner Sextet will play music from “Moments in Time,” the band’s new Steeplechase album.
June 22: “Motian in Motion”
This concert – the first of four special fundraising shows for Greenwich House Music School in June to celebrate the fifth-anniversary month of the Sound It Out series – will be an all-star tribute to the music of drummer-composer Paul Motian. Led by saxophonist Michaël Attias, the revolving band will feature the likes of pianist Frank Kimbrough, trumpeter Ralph Alessi, bassist Chris Lightcap and some of New York’s finest drummers.
June 23: Fay Victor’s Herbie Nichols Sung
Fay Victor’s hard-swinging Herbie Nichols Sung ensemble returns to help celebrate the fifth-anniversary month of the Sound It Out series – with ticket proceeds going to help fund Greenwich House Music School, whose wonderful hospitality makes Sound It Out possible. Fay will lead an all-star band in her vocal re-creations of music by the great, unsung bop-era pianist-composer Herbie Nichols, who penned the music for Billie Holiday’s “Lady Sings the Blues.”
June 29: Matt Mitchell & Tim Berne
Tim Berne kicked off the Sound It Out series in June 2012 with his band Snakeoil. Now he helps celebrate the fifth anniversary of Sound It Out in league with Snakeoil bandmate Matt Mitchell – with ticket proceeds going to help fund Greenwich House Music School, whose wonderful hospitality makes Sound It Out possible.
June 30: “Monk on Guitars!”
The 2016-2017 season finale, and the capper of Sound It Out’s four special events marking the fifth-anniversary month of the series, will be an all-star celebration of Monk’s music – but, uniquely, via guitars, featuring an exciting revolving lineup of six-stringers: Rez Abbasi, Nels Cline, Julian Lage, Miles Okazaki, Liberty Ellman, Steve Cardenas, Anders Nilsson and Mike Baggetta.
Sept. 22: Cooper-Moore & Mara Rosenbloom
To kick off the 2017-18 Sound It Out season, the great pianist Cooper-Moore – honored by a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 22nd Vision Festival this summer – makes his series debut with returning up-and-comer Mara Rosenbloom for a cross-generational keyboard duo, the two pairing on the double Steinways at Greenwich House. They play piano duets to open this double bill, at 7:30. Then, at 8:30, they will feature in a new quartet alongside cellist Nioka Workman and drummer Michael Wimberly. There will be a free wine meet-and-greet after the show in the lovely Greenwich House garden to celebrate the start of the new season. Lift a glass with us!
Sept. 28: Jeff Davis w/ Tony Malaby, Russ Lossing & Eivind Opsvik
In his first appearance in the Sound It Out series as a leader, drummer-composer Jeff Davis heads an ace quartet with saxophonist Tony Malaby, pianist Russ Lossing and bassist Eivind Opsvik. The New York Times has called Jeff “a drummer and composer of sure footing but adventurous inclination.”
Oct. 6: Stephan Crump’s Rhombal
Bassist-composer Stephan Crump, a longtime member of the hit Vijay Iyer Trio, returns as a leader to the Sound It Out series to present his cross-generational quartet Rhombal, featuring trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin and drummer Kassa Overall. Stephan and company are fresh off the release of the band’s first album – which The New York Times dubbed “excellent” and DownBeat praised for the way it “bristles with the unexpected and lively.”
Oct. 9: Ethan Iverson & Orrin Evans Play Monk
Ethan Iverson & Orrin Evans – the once and future pianists of The Bad Plus, the hit alt-jazz trio that has brought a broad-minded new sensibility and wider audience to the music – join together to duet on the double Steinways at Greenwich House, performing the music of Thelonious Monk for the bebop icon’s 100th birthday.
Nov. 10: Ricardo Grilli w/ Kendrick Scott, Orlando le Fleming & Glenn Zaleski
Electric guitarist Ricardo Grilli – who made his series debut with a standout performance in June’s fifth-anniversary Sound It Out “Motian in Motion” show – returns this time as a leader, fronting an ace band with drummer Kendrick Scott, bassist Orlando le Fleming and pianist Glenn Zaleski.
Nov. 11: Marc Hannaford Trio + Satoshi Takeishi’s Triptych
For the first half of this double-bill, Australian pianist-composer Marc Hannaford makes his Sound It Out debut leading his trio with Simon Jermyn (electric bass) and Satoshi Takeishi (drums). For the second half of the evening, Satoshi – a longtime Sound It Out favorite – will lead a different trio featuring Erik Friedlander (cello) and Curtis Hasselbring (trombone and guitar), with guest Shoko Nagai (accordion/piano).
Dec. 14: Mike Baggetta & Anders Nilsson
Very electric guitarists Mike Baggetta and Anders Nilsson – two of the stars from June’s fifth-anniversary Sound It Out “Monk on Guitars” show – return to the series to perform together, alongside the rhythm section of bassist Jerome Harris and drummer Satoshi Takeishi.
Sound It Out! 