Fall is a busy time for everybody — sports fans, politics junkies, lawn and leaf collectors — but it poses a particular kind of sensory challenge for the enterprising jazz fan. As you know if you heard our Fall Preview episode of The Late Set podcast, there’s a huge crashing wave of new music on the release calendar. And it’s just as intense out in the clubs and concert halls.
We’re here to help. In this supersize Fall Preview edition of Moment’s Notice, our weekly jazz listings for the Philadelphia area, you’ll find a dazzling array of sounds across our local landscape. It’s one more example of the service we provide each week — and if you don’t already receive it in your inbox, now’s the time. Oh, and if you’re curious about what’s happening on the classical front, don’t worry: we have a Classical Fall Preview too. — Nate Chinen, Editorial Director
Meshell Ndegeocello — Oct. 3, World Cafe Live
No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin is more than a probing centennial tribute to one of America’s most clear-eyed seers, though it does fit that description. The album is also another near-jazz expedition from bassist and vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello, who has always been more interested in asking difficult questions than in serving up easy answers. Her band was mesmerizing at the Newport Jazz Festival this summer, and the same should be true in the more intimate setting downstairs at World Cafe Live. (Nate Chinen)
Joshua Redman Group Featuring Gabrielle Cavassa — Oct. 5, Penn Live Arts
Saxophonist Joshua Redman ventured into new territory with where are we, his latest Blue Note release: it’s his first-ever album featuring vocals. The singer in question, Gabrielle Cavassa, brings appealing warmth to a book of songs inspired by places across the American landscape. They’ve been covering that expanse on tour this year, so they’ll have stories to tell when they open the fall jazz season at Penn Live Arts. (Chinen)
Tim Berne’s Snakeoil — Oct. 9 and 10, Solar Myth
For his 70th birthday, which falls a week after this Ars Nova Workshop booking, composer and saxophonist Tim Berne reconvenes one of his most acclaimed ensembles: Snakeoil, featuring Oscar Noriega on clarinets, Matt Mitchell on piano, and Ches Smith on drums and vibraphone. The group, last heard on a 2020 album wryly titled The Deceptive 4, specializes in a tensile mix of complex maneuvers and spontaneous actions. (Chinen)
John Scofield Trio — Oct. 15, Ardmore Music Hall
John Scofield, one of the great string benders, can stir the dust off a standard — anything from Leonard Bernstein’s “Somewhere” to Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Sco is 72, and he knows all the rules by now and the fire from the ice. Uncle John’s Band, his latest in a run of excellent recordings, features bassist Vicente Archer and Bill Stewart in a malleable trio sure to treat lyricism, groove, twang and plenty of virtuosic play without the fuss. (Josh Jackson)
Nels Cline & Friends — Oct. 15-17, 19, Solar Myth
Nels Cline, the avant-garde guitar hero known in some quarters as a member of Wilco, has deep history with Ars Nova Workshop; perhaps you recall Lovers (For Philadelphia), which he premiered here in 2018. He returns for a four-night residency, enlisting collaborators like pedal steel virtuoso Susan Alcorn (Oct. 15), fellow guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi (Oct. 16), electronics maven Yuka C. Honda (Oct. 17) and a band mate from his other gig, Glenn Kotche (Oct. 19). (Chinen)
Michael Mayo — Oct. 18 and 19, South Jazz Kitchen
Michael Mayo is a dynamite vocalist — an ace improviser and master storyteller who crafts soaring originals alongside probing arrangements of familiar fare. His aptly titled forthcoming album, Fly, will no doubt earn Mayo instant fans. He appears at South two weeks after the album’s release — and as the music ascends to fiery and compelling heights onstage, many a dinner plate is likely to go cold. (Greg Bryant)
Exit Zero Jazz Festival — Oct. 25-27, Cape May
The fall edition of the Exit Zero Jazz Festival has moved up on the calendar this year, making it even more appealing as an off-season jaunt down the shore. Even better: the lineup includes bassist Christian McBride, with his dynamic young Ursa Major band; saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, with Phoenix; The Cookers, a no-joke supergroup; NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater, in a duo with Bill Charlap on piano; and South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, who’ll also play a Philly gig (see below). (Chinen)
Nduduzo Makhathini Trio — Oct. 27, South Jazz Kitchen
As the flagship artist of Blue Note South Africa, Nduduzo Makhathini has become a global fan favorite. Many listeners first experienced his piano as a necessary sonic balm during the pandemic on Modes of Communication: Letters From The Underworlds. In this one-nighter at South, he’ll play music from his latest — uNomkhubulwane, which speaks to themes of fertility and abundance — with a trio featuring bassist Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere and drummer Francisco Mela. (Bryant)
Abdullah Ibrahim Trio — Nov. 10, Penn Live Arts
Sixty years ago, Duke Ellington brought pianist Abdullah Ibrahim to the attention of an American audience. As a member of The Jazz Epistles, he had already been involved in the creation of a distinct cultural sound of freedom against oppression in his native South Africa. He’ll be 90 by the time of this performance. Expect his trio to draw water from the source of that ancient well of inspiration. (Jackson)
Nate Smith feat. Jason Lindner + Tim Lefebvre — Nov. 14, City Winery
Rhythm king Nate Smith has become the guiding force for many fans of modern groove. He commands the drums with a deft touch and rock-solid pulse to magnetize listeners, along with a growing list of collaborators. Taking a brief break from his role as chief percussionist in soul-rocker Brittany Howard’s band, Smith makes a one-night stop at City Winery with bassist Tim Lefebvre and keyboardist Jason Lindner — the definition of an all-star trio. (Bryant)
The Heavy Hitters — Nov. 22 and 23, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
This hard-bop collective, which released a fine studio album last year, takes as a given the idea that bright, swinging interplay will never go out of style. How could it, with a lineup like this? Sean Jones on trumpet, Vincent Herring on alto saxophone, Eric Alexander on tenor saxophone, Mike LeDonne on piano, John Webber on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. (Chinen)
Orrin Evans and The Captain Black Big Band — Nov. 29, Perelman Theater
Never mind the headwinds of running a large jazz ensemble these days without institutional support; Orrin Evans has done it for 15 years with the Captain Black Big Band. Evans and his motley crew can chew through a chart like nobody’s business. They’ll celebrate a new recording, Walk a Mile in My Shoe, that finds the ensemble pulling singers Paul Jost and Joanna Pascal into the fracas, along with an undisclosed special guest (also heard on the album). (Jackson)
