Moment’s Notice is WRTI’s regular guide to the Philadelphia jazz scene. We’re here to tip you off to the best shows during the week ahead. Sign up now to receive this service in your inbox every Sunday. And if you want to let us know about a show on the horizon, or share any other feedback, drop us a line!
Spotlight: George Colligan Quintet — Friday and Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Pianist-composer George Colligan was once a regular around these parts, contributing fire and finesse to the east coast scene; “New York in the 90s,” a hard-driving track from his 2024 album You’ll Hear It, carries the authority of lived experience. Now a productive member of the creative community in Portland, Oregon, Colligan returns this weekend with a cohort that could be credibly billed as an all-star band.
Along with a seasoned and adaptable rhythm team, with Kush Abadey on drums and Philly’s own Alex Claffy on bass, Colligan has enlisted trumpeter Anthony Hervey and tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover. Both have made a strong impression in recent seasons — Hervey with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Endea Owens and the Cookout, and others; and Glover as a member of Artemis and a solo artist of skyrocketing assurance. For a taste of the vibe on this gig, here is footage of Glover with Colligan & Co. last fall, performing a Billy Hart tune.
Jan. 24 and 25 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $30, $100 and $120 on Friday, $35, $105 and $125 on Saturday, with dinner packages; purchase tickets.
PRISM Quartet with Miguel Zenón — Tuesday, Settlement Music School, Mary Louise Curtis Branch
PRISM Quartet, a leading chamber ensemble with deep ties to Philly, has worked often over the last decade with the Puerto Rican alto saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón. Next week they’ll present the premiere of “El Eco del Tambor (The Echo of the Drum),” which he wrote for the group, in a concert that also includes two of his other pieces; themes composed or arranged by PRISM founder Matthew Levy; and a suite by Melissa Aldana. Learn more in my interview with Zenón and Levy — and if you come out, be sure to say hello.
Jan. 21 at 7 p.m., Settlement Music School, Mary Louise Curtis Branch, 416 Queen Street, $10, $22.50, and $35 (pay-what-you-wish); tickets and information.
The Michael Kaplan Superband — Thursday, Temple Performing Arts Center
Michael Kaplan is a trombonist who came through the master’s program at the Boyer College of Music and Dance, which makes this show — part of the Rite of Swing series at TPAC — a kind of homecoming. It features a hard-boppish working band with a playfully immodest name, and a lineup that includes John Swana on EVI and slide trombone, Johnathan Ragonese on saxophone, and Drew Sedlacsik on trombone.
Jan. 23 at 4:30 p.m., Temple Performing Arts Center, 1837 North Broad Street, free; more information.

Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons — Friday, Solar Myth
Two days after he turned 100 last spring, Sun Ra Arkestra bandleader Marshall Allen entered a recording studio and created New Dawn — the first album solely under his own name, due out on Valentine’s Day. Setting aside the question of what took him so long, it’s an evocative musical offering, full not only of Allen’s signature skronk but also a tender and searching spirit: see for yourself, in this video for the title track, featuring Neneh Cherry on vocals.
Jan. 24 at 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 South Broad Street, $30 advance, $35 day-of-show; purchase tickets.

Mali Obomaswin — Jan. 26, Harold Prince Theater
Mali Obomaswin is an improvising bassist, an indie-folkish singer-songwriter, and a member of the Odanak First Nation, whose Wabanaki culture and traditions she brings into the center of her creative practice. Last year Obomaswin wrote the score to the acclaimed film Sugarcane and released a bounty of music — all of it in fruitful collaboration with guitarist Magdalena Abrego, who joins her for this Penn Live Arts concert. Also in the ensemble: Allison Burik and Noah Campbell on saxophones, and Willis Edmundson on drums.
Jan. 26 at 7 p.m., Harold Prince Theatre, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street, $46; tickets and information.