No Scene Unheard

Michael Wolff Trio Dan Cooper Quartet Gene Pritsker's Sound Liberation Thursday, March 3rd, 2022 Birdland Theatre, NYC  At the legendary BIRDLAND venue in midtown Manhattan, ‘Composers Concordance’ presented their “Eclectic Bands” concert, featuring three different groups, all showing their own distinctive flavors. Although all three were seemingly rooted in the Jazz world, one still could notice other elements filtered in.  The term “Jazz” seemed to feel limiting.  Such is often the case with any Composers Concordance concert. The night started with Micheal Wolff and his Trio, performing his “Pandemia: Parts 1, 2 & 3”. Primarily inspired by the events of Covid-19. Originally premiered including a string quartet, here it was presented in its trio version. Wolff glides through his Jazz based oeuvre with a nod to the gloss of classical affectation. Even if you missed the luminous strings of the original version, it still was an effective piece. Next came Dan Cooper and ...

Gene & The Brass February 27th, 2022 Chelsea Table + Stage Wayne du Maine, Dennis Hernandez, Valery Ponomarev - trumpets B3+: Franz Hackl - trumpet, John Clark - horn, Jonathan Greenberg - bass trombone Gene Pritsker - guitar/conductor Charles Coleman - conductor  Composers Concordance is surely one of the best kept cultural secrets in New York City, and they proved this yet again with a stellar performance at Chelsea Table + Stage on February 27th. This concert featured Gene and the Brass. As you might expect, the show focused on compositions written explicitly for that class of instrument--with one fun exception. Performers included Wayne du Maine, Dennis Hernandez, Valery Ponomarev, and Franz Hackl on trumpet; horn player John Clark; and Jonathan Greenberg on bass trombone. The show opened with the world premiere of Joyous in a Surfeit of Distraction, written and conducted by Gene Pritsker. It began with  subdued motions, almost atonal, yet melodic--reminding me of a eu...