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On our marathon’s 2nd evening (1/13/18) we’re really quite happy to have the Marquis Hill Blacktet performing at the New School Jazz Building’s 2nd floor theater at 8 PM. Marquis Hill first burst into wide prominence after his 2014 win at the Thelonious Monk competition where he dazzled the jury of jazz superstars and fans worldwide. He subsequently released an album on Concord Records and has gone on to record and perform with luminaries such as Joe Lovano and RonCarter, along with various other sideman gigs internationally. But his main focus continues to be the Blacktet – his visionary quintet, which features the talents of Joshua Johnson (alto saxophone), Joel Ross (vibraphone), Jeremiah Hunt (bass), Makaya McCraven (drums)​.​Their ultra modern sensibility, filled with feeling, soul, and vibe will surely transport audiences and we couldn’t be more excited to present them. Don’t miss it!

We asked Marquis a few questions which he kindly answered for us below!

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? I believe that it is an artist’s job to create art that reflects the present. Art that is fresh and in the moment. My goal is to use my music and platform to do just that – create music that teaches, lifts, motivates and inspires people.

This year we’re psyched to have the inimitable Ryan Keberle Ryan Keberle & Catharsis perform their Music as Protest suite to our #NYCWJF attendees. This group, which has been thrilling audiences worldwide for close to a decade, will perform on our marathon’s first night (1/12/18) at The Bitter End at 10:40PM. This iteration features Keberle (trombone, keyboards), Camila Meza (voice, guitar), Steve Wilson (alto and soprano saxophone), Noam Wiesenberg (acoustic and electric bass), Jeremy Dutton (drums) Catharsis brings together elements of chamber music, South American folk and indie rock within a traditional jazz framework, resulting in a sound all its own. In Catharsis, the potent frontline rapport of Keberle and saxophonist Steve Wilson and the unshakable rhythm of bassist Noam Weisenberg and drummer Jeremy Dutton combine in a sound full of drama and intrigue. The guitar and vocals of Camila Meza have also come to shape the band’s chemistry and unmistakable ensemble sound. The band was featured in NPR’s prestigious Tiny Desk Concert series and on the French TV channel Mezzo. Catharsis band members bring an impressive wealth of experience of their own, playing an integral role in many of today’s foremost jazz and Latin jazz ensembles, including bands led by Maria Schneider, Christian McBride, Chick Corea, Shai Maestro, Miguel Zenon, Jose James and many more.

Ryan kindly answered some questions for us from our questionnaire and they’re listed below! 1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? When was America actually ‘great’? The real history of this country, especially for those less fortunate, is an ugly one. Yet in 2016, rather than striving to move forward and build on the real momentum of the past eight years, over 60 million Americans chose to move backward. Forward progress is so simple to attain when you boil it down. It’s about one thing: COMPASSION and EMPATHY for others. Catharsis strives to impart this message to our audience through sophisticated yet heartfelt music and in the process we hope to make our fans better listeners, not just to music, but to each other.

At the #NYCWJF this year, we’re thrilled to have The Jamie Baum Septet + “Bridges” playing on our marathon’s first night (1/12/18) @subculture_nyc at 7:40 PM. Baum has toured the US and over 30 countries performing at major festivals and concert halls throughout the world to much acclaim. She’s been a regular on the DownBeat’s Critics poll annually since 1998 in the “Top Flutists” category and was # 1 Rising Star Flutist in 2012. Her band is really top shelf and features some Winter JazzFest regulars – Amir ElSaffar (trumpet, vox), Sam Sadigursky (alto sax/bass clarinet), Chris Komer (French horn), Brad Shepik (guitar), John Escreet (piano), Zack Lober (bass, singing bowl), Jeff Hirshfield (drums). Don’t miss this fantastic group!

We asked Jamie some questions which she was kind enough to answer – 1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? Our music represents a “bridge”, highlighting the similarities found in diverse religious music traditions that connect us, expressed in a modern jazz/improvisatory format played by musicians of those various backgrounds. Including influences from Jewish, Arabic/Muslim and HIndu/South Asian music, the band transforms Baum’s 2014 Guggenheim Award composition project into a unique, high-energy, exciting tapestry taking the listener into territory that feels both familiar and unknown. Compositions include “Song Without Words”, a gentle, soulful  ballad influenced by “Kol Nidre” (an Aramaic declaration recited in the Jewish synagogue before the beginning of the evening service on every Yom Kippur) sung by Amir ElSaffar; “Mantra”, a composition co-composed by Baum and Nepali musician Navin Chettri, based on a Hindu chant to help overcome the fear, and “Joyful Lament”, a high-energy, rock-tinged arrangement of the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan song. The Jamie Baum Septet+ CD “Bridges,” conceived in 2013, before there was any mention of a “Border Wall,“ feels more relevant, vital and necessary today then could have been anticipated!

We’re really looking forward to the performance by the South Carolina based group Ranky Tanky at this year’s #NYCWJF. They’ll be performing on our marathon’s 2nd evening (1/13/18) at The Bitter End at 7:20 PM. The soulful songs of the Gullah culture are brought to life by Ranky Tanky who mix the low country traditions with large doses of jazz, gospel, funk, and R&B. Fresh out of college, trumpeter Charlton Singleton, guitarist Clay Ross, bassist Kevin Hamilton, and drummer Quentin Baxter originally worked together as an in-demand jazz quartet on the Charleston scene in the late 1990s before splitting off to each make their way as freelance musicians, working with names like Houston Person, Freddy Cole, Cyro Baptista, and René Marie. Gaining years of valuable experience while developing a deeper appreciation for the South Carolina Gullah tradition they came from, the band reformed with the dynamic vocalist Quiana Parler to celebrate the bone-deep mix of spirituals and gutbucket blues that mark the low country mainland and Sea Islands – music made by a self-contained culture of descendants of enslaved Africans that introduced such indelible parts of American songbook as “Kum Bah Yah” and “Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore.” The word “Gullah” comes from West Africa and means “a people blessed by God,” and “Ranky Tanky” translates loosely as “Work It,” or “Get Funky!” This will be a must-see event so don’t miss this rare NYC appearance of this amazing project.

We asked Ranky Tanky a few questions and they were kind enough to answer below!

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change?We are a musical family. The sounds we make reflect our deep mutual respect, admiration, and love for one another and the regional culture of our low-country home. With our music, we strive to honor our ancestors as well as our neighbors. We believe that anchoring ourselves in the wisdom of our predecessors gives us the strength to move into the future. Through our music, we hope to share where our culture has been, where it has arrived, and where it someday may go. We feel that our Gullah folk songs speak from the purest heart of humanity and are imbibed with the mysteries of nature and the essence of life. We want to share these beautiful emotions, stories, and lessons from our Carolina home with you.

Jazz Singer Lucia Cadotsch will make her U.S. Debut in January 2018 at our #NYCWJF with her Berlin-based “Speak Low” trio featuring saxophonist Otis Sandsjö and bassist Petter Eldh with pianist Elias Stemeseder as a special guest. This performance will take place in the first night of the marathon (1/12/18), Zinc Bar at 10:20 PM. Lucia, Otis & Petter will be performing music from their debut album, “Speak Low”, which earned five-star raves in both DownBeat and The Guardian along with glowing reviews for its companion remix album, Speak Low Renditions. The Guardian declared: “Remember the name Lucia Cadotsch – you’re going to be hearing a lot of it.“ Along with glowing reviews, Lucia won the 2017 Echo Jazz Prize – the German equivalent of a Grammy Award – for Best Vocalist of the Year for Speak Low. She and her Swedish friends Otis and Petter bring the bittersweet repertoire of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln and Dinah Washington vividly alive for a new generation of listeners, as well as for veteran music lovers in search of fresh treatments of these timeless songs. Don’t miss them!

We asked Lucia a question which she was kind enough to answer below!

We’re really looking forward to hearing the set of the Itamar Borochov Quartet Featuring Innov Gnawa when they play the second night of our marathon (1/13/18) at 6:40 PM at SOB’s. Israeli-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter & composer Itamar Borochov connects lower Manhattan to North Africa, modern Israel and ancient Bukhara, celebrating traces of the divine that he finds in elegant sophistication, Middle Eastern tradition and downhome blues. Borochov brings a unique sound with him wherever he goes. Deeply immersed in the jazz tradition, Borochovʼs search for his personal roots resulted in an ever-expanding love for Arab and Pan-African musical sensibilities – a natural palette for a trumpeter-composer raised in Jaffa, an integrated Muslim-Jewish-Christian city. After working with such legendary artists as Curtis Fuller and Cándido Camero, and having served as arranger and co-producer for acclaimed world music sensation Yemen Blues, Borochov set out on his own path. Innov Gnawa is a young musical collective dedicated to exploring Morocco’s venerable gnawa music tradition in the heart of New York City. The group draws on the talents and expertise. This set and the sentiments that it delivers are integral to our mission at the #NYCWJF and hope you catch their set as you make your way through the marathon! We’re really looking forward to hearing the set of the Itamar Borochov Quartet Featuring Innov Gnawa when they play the second night of our marathon (1/13/18) at 6:40 PM at SOB’s. Israeli-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter & composer Itamar Borochov connects lower Manhattan to North Africa, modern Israel and ancient Bukhara, celebrating traces of the divine that he finds in elegant sophistication, Middle Eastern tradition and downhome blues. Borochov brings a unique sound with him wherever he goes. Deeply immersed in the jazz tradition, Borochovʼs search for his personal roots resulted in an ever-expanding love for Arab and Pan-African musical sensibilities – a natural palette for a trumpeter-composer raised in Jaffa, an integrated Muslim-Jewish-Christian city. After working with such legendary artists as Curtis Fuller and Cándido Camero, and having served as arranger and co-producer for acclaimed world music sensation Yemen Blues, Borochov set out on his own path. Innov Gnawa is a young musical collective dedicated to exploring Morocco’s venerable gnawa music tradition in the heart of New York City. The group draws on the talents and expertise. This set and the sentiments that it delivers are integral to our mission at the #NYCWJF and hope you catch their set as you make your way through the marathon! We asked Itamar a few questions which you can read below! 1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? In my eyes music is the language of the soul, meaning eternal, all knowing, and sees no boundaries. Coming from the one of the most war infested places on earth, I offer my music as a voice of peace, hope, positive change, and good times, to our world. Playing with Innov, noting that I am an Israeli jew, and they are Morrocan muslims, is a call for change, and a musical ecstasy.