As this edition of Moment’s Notice ships, I’m bouncing around Manhattan and Brooklyn, taking in all I can of the 2025 Winter Jazzfest. I’ll have more to say about that soon, primarily on The Late Set. But I’m also here to tell you that Philly jazz partisans shouldn’t feel shortchanged, because there’s so much on the gig calendar in the coming week.
Spotlight: Robert Glasper — Wednesday through Friday, City Winery Philadelphia
My most recent live encounter with pianist Robert Glasper came last fall, when he brought an acoustic trio to a political fundraiser in Greenwich Village. First he dug into his drifting take on “Stella By Starlight,” and then followed it with a sharply syncopated original, both tunes highlighting the balance of hypnotic groove and shift-on-a-dime dynamism that has become his trademark as a bandleader. Then he split, hurrying several blocks northwest to the Blue Note, where he was in the midst of his annual “Robtober” residency, which reliably sells out the club.
Glasper is like that — a moving target, and generally one of the busiest forces in and around jazz and R&B. He released several albums through his partnership with Apple Music last year, including Keys to the City Volume One, a compilation of starry highlights from Robtobers past, and Code Derivation, which consists of small-group jazz performances and their “flipped” versions by a series of producers. That latter release will be in the running for Best Alternative Jazz Album at the Grammy Awards next month, up against a few of Glasper’s occasional collaborators, like singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello and trumpeter Keyon Harrold.
In the meantime, he rolls into City Winery with a terrific working band — anchored by a whip-smart drummer, Justin Tyson — and the implicit promise that every set will offer its own surprises. Glasper will perform two each night, so that’s six sets in total this week. It’s probably a safe bet that some special guests will turn up over the course of the run, basking in the vibe.
Jan 15-17, 6 and 9:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street, $60-$85; buy tickets.
Keyon Harrold — Sunday, Ardmore Music Hall
Short notice, but trumpeter Keyon Harrold has decided to squeeze in a quick Philly show between commitments at the Winter Jazzfest. As noted above, Harrold is a Best Alternative Jazz Album contender at the Grammys, for Foreverland, a sleekly assured statement poised at the fluid convergence of jazz, hip-hop and R&B. He’s an electrifying performer, and his band should be warmed up and ready to throw down.
Jan. 12 at 7 p.m., Ardmore Music Hall, 23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, $20-$45; purchase tickets.
Clovis Nicolas Trio — Thursday, Cellar Dog
Since moving to New York from France in the early 2000s, Clovis Nicolas has become a bassist of sterling reputation, with a track record to match. More recently, he’s been amassing a fine body of work as a composer-bandleader; his most recent album, The Contrapuntist, will provide some of the material for this trio gig with Dave Lantz on piano and Willie Bowman on drums.
Jan. 16 at 6 p.m., Cellar Dog Philly, 258 South 15th Street, $5-$10, tickets and information.
Joe Farnsworth Quintet — Friday and Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Joe Farnsworth’s strong, evercrisp swing beat is a fixture of the modern jazz mainstream, and has become a welcome presence here at Chris’ Jazz Cafe. Since his last appearance here with pianist Emmet Cohen, he has embarked on a world tour. Returning this weekend, he’ll enlist two special guests, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and vocalist Georgia Heers.
Jan. 17 and 18 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $30 on Friday, $35 on Saturday, with separate dinner packages; purchase tickets.
Behn Gillece Quartet — Friday, Cellar Dog
Behn Gillece is a vibraphonist with a bright and bustling style — and a resourceful small-group composer, as he demonstrates on Stick Together, a fine album released last year. He’ll lead a quartet in this hit at Cellar Dog, a brand-new club around the corner from the Kimmel Center; the rhythmic clatter from pool and ping pong tables will add to the atmosphere.
Jan. 17 at 10:30 p.m., Cellar Dog Philly, 258 South 15th Street, $5-$10, tickets and information.
