Don’t look now, but March is upon us. Spring won’t be here for another couple of weeks, but we can already sense a spirit of renewal in the air. What better way to celebrate that feeling than in a cozy room with some incredible music? See you out there. And remember: you can get this service in your inbox every week! — Nate Chinen
Alexander Claffy Quintet — Friday and Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Since moving to New York from Philadelphia in 2011, Alexander Claffy has earned his stature as a go-to bassist on the modern jazz scene, working with a spectacular array of collaborators. This weekend he’ll convene a veritable dream team to record a live album at his old hometown haunt, demonstrating both the high esteem in which he’s held and the thoughtful ease with which he holds it all together.
“These guys are all my elders,” Claffy says of his lineup — speaking by phone last week, as he was in the midst of subbing in A Jazz Messengers Tribute to Art Blakey at Smoke Jazz Club in New York. “They’ve been on a million dates, and have so much experience and insight to share.” He’ll be piloting a top-shelf rhythm team with pianist Kevin Hays and drummer Bill Stewart, who share decades of history. “Getting to put myself between Kevin and Bill has been a real recent thing,” Claffy reflects. “To me it feels like they took the rhythm section concept of the ‘60s Miles Davis Quintet and developed it into their own futuristic voice.”
Claffy’s front line will feature the excellent tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake on both nights, with two different partners: trumpeter Sean Jones appears on Friday, followed by alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw on Saturday. They’ll play a selection of tunes handpicked for the occasion, including John Coltrane’s “Dahomey Dance,” Wayne Shorter’s “Oriental Folk Song” and an original arrangement of Delta bluesman Skip James’ “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues.” And as Claffy attests: “When you have Bill Stewart and Seamus Blake in the band, you’ve got to have a boogaloo, because it feels so right. So we’ll play ‘1974 Blues’ by Eddie Harris.”
The band concept, Claffy explains, combines elements of the aforementioned Miles Davis Quintet, the classic John Coltrane Quartet and a couple more recent reference points: the the Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio, in which he plays, and Nicholas Payton’s Nouveau Standards, which features Hayes and Stewart. “I would say I took a lot from Kurt about repertoire and beautiful songs that uplift people spiritually,” Claffy says, “and then from Nicholas, finding a million different ways to turn it inside out.”
March 7 and 8 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $35, $105 and $125, with dinner packages; purchase tickets.
West Philadelphia Orchestra — Tuesday, Johnny Brenda’s
The West Philadelphia Orchestra is a self-described “avant village folk brass band,” inspired in part by klezmer and Balkan brass traditions. (You may have caught them at a local wedding, bar or bat mitzvah, or community block party, or out on Broad Street.) For Fat Tuesday, they’re sharing a Mardi Gras bill at Johnny Brenda’s with the Red Hot Ramblers, a Pittsburgh outfit that specializes in New Orleans jazz.
March 4 at 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 Frankford Avenue, $15; buy tickets.
Karen Briggs — Thursday and Friday, South Jazz Kitchen
A violinist who has worked in just about every conceivable setting — with everyone from Yanni to the Wu Tang Clan — Karen Briggs brings a soulful and lyrical style to the Unscripted Jazz Series at South. She’ll be performing with the series’ house band, led as always by bassist and curator Gerald Veasley.
March 6 at 6:30 and 9 p.m., March 7 at 7 and 9:30 p.m., South Jazz Kitchen, 600 North Broad Street, $33 to $40; tickets and information.
Matthew Shipp Trio — Thursday, Solar Myth
Matthew Shipp’s restive yet often sparkling style at the piano has made him an exemplar of the avant-garde at its most haunting and lyrical. Last year he released a deep, defining album, New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz, that features the same longtime compatriots who join him here: Michael Bisio on bass and Newman Taylor Baker on drums. (Ars Nova Workshop is presenting this concert as part of its 25th anniversary season, with support from Chamber Music America.)
March 6 at 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 South Broad Street, $35 advance, $40 day-of-show; purchase tickets.
Vanessa Rubin — Saturday and March 9, South Jazz Kitchen
For more than 40 years, Vanessa Rubin has excelled within a jazz-vocal tradition that values poise as well as prowess. Her silken timbre and laid-back phrasing speak to her mainstream appeal, but she’s also a jazz insider: look no further than the album that’s sure to provide some material this weekend, The Dream Is You: Vanessa Rubin Sings Tadd Dameron.
March 8 at 7 and 9:30 p.m., March 9 at 6 and 8:30 p.m., South Jazz Kitchen, 600 North Broad Street, $35; tickets and information.
