SOUND OBSERVATORY NEW ORLEANS PRESENTS:
THE SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME
April 30 – May 2
@Three Keys at Ace Hotel New Orleans:
600 Carondelet Street New Orleans
Sound Observatory New Orleans presents a FREE three-day festival of new music from New Orleans most innovative ensembles and the masters that inspire them.
The festival –sized iteration of SONO’s monthly series is re-introduction to the ideas of jazz in 2018 New Orleans in homage to Ornette Coleman. The Shape of Jazz to Come shows us what can happen in a community when we let the art take the lead.
On Monday, April 30th we introduce New Orleans to the genre bending music of Harriet Tubman: the band. Based in NYC and deeply inspired by the ideals of freedom, Harriet Tubman’s music plumbs the souls depths for liberated musical expression. The music of Harriet Tubman is a continuation of contextual and musical innovation exhibited by artists like Ornette Coleman, Jimi Hendrix, Derrick May, Art Ensemble of Chicago and Parliament-Funkadelic. It is the passion project of guitarist Brandon Ross, bassist Melvin Gibbs and drummer J.T. Lewis – now in it’s 20th year. The New York Times named their latest release Arminata (Sunnyside) to its top ten albums of 2017. Simply put, Harriet Tubman is required listening for anyone enthusiastically attending or vehemently rejecting the 2018 New Orleans Jazz Fest. 9PM FREE.
Tuesday, April 1st NEW ORLEANS NEW MUSIC DOUBLE BILL:
9PM Naked on the Floor with special guest Steven Bernstein
11PM:: redrawblak featuring Shannon Stewart
Naked on the Floor features the music of composer/arranger Jonathan Freilich (Naked Orchestra, New Orleans Klezmer All –Stars), longtime band member James Singleton (Astral Project, James Booker) on bass, Doug Garrison (Iguanas) on drums, Dan Oestreicher (Trombone Shorty) on baritone sax, Brent Rose (Joe Crown) on tenor sax and special guest Steven Bernstein (Sex Mob, Bernstein, Butler ) on trumpet. Freilich’s compositions make use of the surroundings by taking classic New Orleans instrumentations, and driving street beats and spin them into anthems and ballads all with a slight tinge of madness. A true musicians’ musician, Freilich has an uncanny ability to put a band together and each concert is rare and special occasion.
11PM:: redrawblak featuring Shannon Stewart
The experiential, redrawblak is the electronically infused project of saxophonist Brad Walker, (Sturgill Simpson) joined by multi-instrumentalist Aurora Nealand, and drummer Paul Thibodeaux. Tonight the trio is joined by modern dancer and choreographer Shannon Stewart, and brings the best of New Orleans improvisational underground scene into the festival fray.
Wednesday May 2
9PM James Blood Ulmer Solo
11PM Helen Gillet & Nikki Glaspie
James Blood Ulmer at 78 is among the most distinctive and influential electric guitarists to arise in the past four decades. A direct descendant of Ornette Coleman, James Blood Ulmer has made a career built on left turns and reinvention. And now in the 21st century, Ulmer continues to progress as his most recent history finds him being recognized as an elder statesman of the blues. At the core, however, remains the one and only James Blood Ulmer. Tonight in an exclusive , solo blues performance that is not to be missed.
"... the missing link between Jimi Hendrix and Wes Montgomery on one hand, between P-Funk and Mississippi Fred McDowell on the other."– Greg Tate, Village Voice
New Orleans cellist Helen Gillet is joined by drummer Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce, Nth Power) for a live- looping late set with a wide range of percussive sounds, melodies and vocal play from two powerhouse musicians of our time .