Can it really be possible that October is here? Not so fast — we have a few days to go — but there’s no doubt that fall is moving fast. All the more reason to savor the music in our midst, including two virtuoso guitar players in solo settings. (Read on to find out who.)
Spotlight: Makaya McCraven — Saturday through Oct. 6, Solar Myth
It has been a decade since Makaya McCraven released In The Moment, an album that introduced him not only as a dynamic drummer-bandleader but also a producer with a keen ear for sonic collage. McCraven’s success, which helped establish the fledgling label International Anthem, has created a thriving subgenre of organically beat-driven, vibes-forward music that lives in the confluence between hip-hop, jazz, deep house and other forms.
McCraven synthesized this style to near-perfection on the 2022 album In These Times, his most recent release. His next release will arrive in a bundle, as a series of four EPs bearing the titles Techno Logic, The People’s Mixtape, Hidden Out! and PopUp Shop. The music, recorded at various points over the last decade, captures the raw material that he has often used to create his tapestries. In that sense, they’re an even clearer indication of what McCraven does live.
The band on Hidden Out! includes two of the same key partners who join McCraven here: trumpeter Marquis Hill and bassist Junius Paul. Also on board, for a three-night residency at Solar Myth, is guitarist Matt Gold. There’s a good chance the shows (including a seated matinee on Saturday) will be sold out, but don’t let that stop you from coming out. If nothing else, this will be a chance to cop the EPs on vinyl or CD before they’re officially released on Oct. 10.
Oct. 4 at 3 and 8 p.m., Oct. 5 and 6 at 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 South Broad Street, $30-$40; purchase tickets.
Marc Ribot: Map of a Blue City — Monday and Tuesday, Solar Myth
Marc Ribot has played guitar alongside some of the great singer-songwriters of our time — from Tom Waits to Sam Phillips to Elvis Costello. On his new album, Map of a Blue City, Ribot walks into that spotlight himself, with a book of songs at once poetical and personal, revealing and obscuring. (One review in The Observer characterized the album as “Classy, uneasy listening,” a description Ribot embraced, with his fallback stance of wry amusement.)
Sept. 29 and 30 at 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 South Broad Street, $30 advance, $35 day-of-show; purchase tickets.
Julian Lage — Friday, Baby Grand, Wilmington
Ten years ago, Julian Lage released a solo acoustic guitar album titled World’s Fair: a collection of musical miniatures seemingly touched at each moment by golden sunlight and effortless grace. Lage was 27 when he made the album, and already known as a precocious wonder; a decade later, he has the same magical technique but even greater understanding, which makes this anniversary tour much more than a retread.
Oct. 3 at 8 p.m., Baby Grand, The Grand Opera House, 818 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE, $69; tickets and information.
Terell Stafford Quintet — Friday and Saturday, South Jazz Kitchen
Terell Stafford’s crisply engaging recent album, Between Two Worlds, derives its title from a Victor Lewis tune. But the phrase also holds layers of meaning for him — as a trumpeter whose experience straddles jazz and classical music, as a performer who’s also an educator, as a musician with a rich family life. He’ll bring all of those elements into the picture for this weekend stand at South.
Oct. 3 at 7 and 9:30 p.m., Oct. 4 at 6 and 8:30 p.m., South Jazz Kitchen, 600 North Broad Street, $50; tickets and information.
Simon Moullier Quartet — Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Last year the French-born, New York-based vibraphonist Simon Moullier released Elements of Light, an album of deep composure and striking contemporaneity. For this return to Chris’ Jazz Cafe, he’ll conjure that dreamlike realm with a first-rate band featuring Lex Korten on piano, Rick Rosato on bass and Jongkuk Kim on drums.
Oct. 4 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $30, $100 and $120, with dinner packages; purchase tickets.
