Philadelphia jazz season opens with Pinderhughes debut
Five venues host concerts this week, featuring a new album by a flutist and a duo blending spiritual jazz with Gnawa music.
By James Brooks ·
Philadelphia audiences can hear five distinct jazz ensembles at local venues starting Wednesday. The schedule includes the album release tour for flutist Elena Pinderhughes and a performance by Ami Taf Ra and Kamasi Washington. Ticket prices range from $24 to $86 depending on the venue and event.
Pinderhughes performs at City Winery on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. She released her full-length debut, i hope you feel it too, in October. The album combines contemporary jazz with R&B. Pinderhughes began her career in grade school, recording an album with her brother, pianist Samora Pinderhughes, when she was nine years old. Her recent collaborations include work with Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah and a Tiny Desk Concert at the White House with Common and Robert Glasper. The City Winery performance is priced between $24 and $60.
City Winery hosts Ami Taf Ra and Kamasi Washington on Thursday at 6 p.m. Taf Ra is a singer-songwriter of North African heritage. Her debut album, The Prophet & The Madman, was produced by Washington and released on the Brainfeeder label. The record mixes spiritual jazz, Moroccan Gnawa, and gospel music. The album draws inspiration from the philosophical works of Kahlil Gibran. Tickets for the show cost $66 to $86.
Chris’ Jazz Cafe at 1421 Sansom Street presents the All Star Septet with Conrad Herwig and Victor North on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The front line features trombonist Herwig and saxophonists Victor North, Brandon Suarez, and Daniel Cohen. Pianist Brandon Goldberg leads the rhythm section. The group plays hard bop music. Tickets are $30 to $35 and include dinner packages.
Drummer Daniel Villarreal performs at Solar Myth at 1131 South Broad Street on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Villarreal is originally from Panama and currently lives in Philadelphia. His band includes guitarist Nathan Karagianis, keyboardist Cole DeGenova, bassist John Sutton, and percussionist Danjuma Gaskin. Charlie Hall of The War On Drugs joins the group on Friday. DM Hotep of the Sun Ra Arkestra performs on Saturday. The admission price is $30.
The Miki Yamanaka Trio plays at the Barnes Foundation on Friday at 6 p.m. Yamanaka is a keyboardist whose new album, Breathe, includes a song dedicated to James Williams. The concert features Tyrone Allen II on bass and Jimmy Macbride on drums. The event is part of the First Friday series and partners with the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. The performance aligns with the current exhibition, Noguchi to Asawa: Designing Postwar America. Tickets cost $35.
