Mastery comes in many forms. The most obvious manifestation runs congruent with life experience, as you can see in the music of our spotlight pick, pianist and jazz elder Abdullah Ibrahim. His mastery is a matter of public record, as per the National Endowment for the Arts, which has also bestowed its NEA Jazz Master stature on another artist surfacing here, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. But don’t think for a moment that the acclamation is the point — not for these giants, no more than it is for a pair of terrific saxophonists, Seamus Blake and Philly’s own Victor North, who also hold it down this week. The music is the message; pass it on.
Spotlight: Abdullah Ibrahim — Nov. 10, Penn Live Arts
The magnificent South African pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim turned 90 last month, and he remains not only active but deeply relevant on the global stage. His new double album, 3, was recorded during a recent engagement at the Barbican Centre in London; it features him in both a solo context and at the helm of his group Ekaya, with and without an audience. The resulting music carries the glowing consonance, alert presence and purposeful serenity that have been trademarks for Ibrahim since his arrival in the United States just over 60 years ago.
His story, of course, meaningfully predates that stateside arrival. He was born Dollar Brand in Cape Town, under an apartheid regime. With kindred spirits like trumpeter Hugh Masekela, he formed the Jazz Epistles, creating the first jazz album by South African musicians. Political pressure led to his self-exile, and he stands as both a living witness and a musical dignitary on the subject of freedom. When he performs in concert as a solo pianist — as he will here, and as he did on his 2020 album Solitude — what you hear is a calmly commanding alchemy of Duke Ellington, Marabi folk music, and the hymns of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. But mainly, what you hear is Ibrahim’s voice, with its irrepressible dignity and unmistakable poise.
Nov. 10 at 7 p.m., Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street, $73-$109; tickets and information.
Terri Lyne Carrington — Thursday, South Jazz Kitchen
An ambassador and educator as well as a drummer and bandleader, Terri Lyne Carrington occupies a position of rare prominence in jazz, and she uses it with intention. This one-nighter, under the auspices of the Unscripted Jazz series at South, will serve as an early taste of her next album: We Insist! 2025, a response to Max Roach’s We Insist! Freedom Now Suite. As she has proven time and again, Carrington won’t pull any punches as she issues this contemporary update to Roach’s cri de coeur.
Nov. 7 at 7 and 9 p.m., South Jazz Kitchen, 600 North Broad Street, $59-$65; tickets and information.
Victor North Quartet — Friday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
A surefooted saxophonist with decades of experience on the Philly scene, Victor North has called in for expert reinforcement during this quartet gig: he’ll welcome Conrad Herwig, a soulful trombonist, composer and arranger. Herwig is best known for a series of “Latin Side” album projects, the latest being The Latin Side of McCoy Tyner, which could provide some rich fodder here.
Nov. 8 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $25, $95 and $115, with dinner packages; purchase tickets.
Jumaane Smith Quartet — Friday through Nov. 10, South Jazz Kitchen
A trumpeter with a knack for ebullient connection, familiar to many as a sidekick to singer Michael Bublé, Jumaane Smith leads a quartet during this weekend-long run. He’ll play — and sing — a mix of standards and original material from his new album, Come On Home.
Nov. 8 and 9 at 7 and 9:30 p.m., Nov. 10 at 6 and 8:30 p.m., South Jazz Kitchen, 600 North Broad Street, $40; tickets and information.
Seamus Blake Quartet — Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
He hasn’t been a fixture on the scene since relocating to Paris six years ago, but Seamus Blake still exudes the assertive focus that set him apart as a saxophonist in the early-aughts and beyond. He took part in Chris’ Jazz Cafe’s recent 35th-anniversary festivities, appearing in a reunion band with pianist Kevin Hays; his own most recent release, From Angels, is a duo recording with another pianist, Alessandro Lanzoni. His rhythm team here is sure to be first-rate.
Nov. 9 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $30, $100 and $120, with dinner packages; purchase tickets.
