As this edition of Moment’s Notice goes up, WRTI is celebrating the 95th birthday of one of our great heroes, Sonny Rollins. Check out our on-air programming in tribute, and enjoy a special edition of The Late Set. Then, buckle up for another busy week on the scene; we’ve done the work for you. (Subscribe now to get this update weekly!)
Spotlight: Chicago Underground Duo — Sept. 14, Solar Myth
A model partnership between two multifariously inventive musicians — the drummer and percussionist Chad Taylor and the trumpeter, modular synth specialist and self-described “abstractivist” Rob Mazurek — Chicago Underground Duo has been a going concern for almost 30 years. And through many permutations and expansions, it still holds an intrepid spark, the sense that at any given moment, the band can veer in a new direction.
That spirit of possibility courses through Hyperglyph, the Chicago Underground Duo’s first new album in more than a decade, released a few weeks ago on the International Anthem label. Sounding at times like a focused exploration of rolling West African rhythm, and at other moments like a foray into cosmic abstraction, the album features much of what makes Mazurek and Taylor so potent as a pair. But the album — whose cover photo was shot outside Solar Myth during an engagement last year — can only go so far to capture the band’s live energy, which uplifts and challenges at every turn.
Sept. 14 at 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 South Broad Street, $30 advance, $35 day of show; purchase tickets.
Tim Brey Quintet — Thursday, Temple Performing Arts Center
Pianist and Boyer professor Tim Brey applies a high sheen to the swinging modern mainstream, with a notable assist from the futuristic timbres of John Swana’s EVI (electronic valve instrument). Rounding out the band, for this installment of the free Rite of Swing Jazz Cafe series, are Elijah Balbed on tenor saxophone, Alex Claffy on bass and Mekhi Boone on drums.
Sept. 11 at 4:30 p.m., Temple Performing Arts Center, 1837 North Broad Street, free; more information.
Christian McBride & Ursa Major — Friday, City Winery
As he recently explained in a Q&A with WRTI, bassist and bandleader Christian McBride considers his newest group, Ursa Major, to be the most adaptable unit in his stable. The quintet — with tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, guitarist Ely Perlman, pianist Mike King, and drummer Savannah Harris — has only released one single so far, but there’s plenty more music to come. This show, rescheduled from the spring, is your chance to hear it first.
Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street, $48-$85; tickets and information.
Luke Carlos O'Reilly Quartet — Friday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Pianist Luke Carlos O’Reilly has long been a key fixture in the Philly jazz scene, and with his recent trio album, Leave the Gate Open, he’s making some noise beyond his hometown. In this Friday one-nighter at Chris’ Jazz Cafe, he’ll augment his trio with a rising vocalist, Raina Welch, in her first Philadelphia appearance.
Sept. 12 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $25, $95 and $115, with dinner packages; purchase tickets.
Adam Birnbaum Trio — Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
A pianist of impeccable touch and taste, with fluency across classical and jazz, Adam Birnbaum always keeps fine company as a leader. He arrives at Chris’ in between hits with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra in New York, leading a trio with the estimable Joe Martin on bass and Jochen Ruckert on drums.
Sept. 13 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $30, $100 and $120, with dinner packages; purchase tickets.
