March is here, and with it we kick off Women’s History Month in high style. In the coming week you’ll find several options featuring dynamic young women bandleaders, as well as the Key of She Jazz Jam, an affirming annual event. All that, and a Robert Glasper show for good measure. (Subscribe to get Moment's Notice in your inbox.)
Spotlight: Katie Oberholtzer — Friday, Barnes Foundation
Katie Oberholtzer is an up-and-coming jazz singer with a warm, rounded tone and a strong footing in the songbook tradition. She hails from southern Maine, and still circulates there, notably with the Portland Jazz Orchestra — but her primary perch these days is New York City, where she’s making her mark on the scene.
Oberholtzer hasn’t released an album yet, so she’s in the category of “if you know, you know.” A slice of our local jazz audience already does know, judging by her well-received appearances at Chris’ Jazz Cafe, including this recent hit with the Chris’ All-Star Sextet. This week, Oberholtzer will headline the First Friday concert series at the Barnes Foundation. Don’t miss a chance to say you saw her when.
March 6 at 6 p.m., Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, $35; tickets and information.
Jason Rigby’s Mayhem — Thursday, Solar Myth
Tenor saxophonist Jason Rigby has an old-school tone but an ultramodern approach, which has served him well in bands alongside the dynamic drummer Mark Guiliana. On a pair of albums — MAYHEM, released last year, and Esoteric Graffiti, dropping the day after this show — Rigby and Guiliana explore a range of ideas as a spontaneous duo, drawing on their hair-trigger reflexes and deep rapport. They’ll do the same here, with the welcome addition of a third partner on bass, Chris Morrissey.
March 5 at 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 S. Broad Street, $43; tickets and information.
Deborah Smith Quartet — Thursday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
A surefooted trombonist originally from Bridgeport, Conn., Deborah Smith has established a burgeoning career here in Philly, during her years as a student at the Boyer College of Music and Dance. Now an alum, she leads a quartet of her peers: Mervin Toussaint on alto saxophone, Roman Wyatt on piano, and Justin Bowden on drums.
March 5 at 7:30 and 9 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $15, with dinner packages; tickets and information.
Robert Glasper — Friday, Union Transfer
At this point it’s fair to talk about Robert Glasper not only in terms of an artistic profile, but as an entire branded subgenre. As a keyboardist and producer, he’s been influential and near-ubiquitous across a range of artisanal R&B and hip-hop; as an entrepreneur he holds down both a semi-legendary “Robtober” residency in New York (chronicled on his Grammy-nominated recent album Keys to the City, Vol. 1) and a destination festival in Napa. Still, the heart of Glasper’s appeal lies in what he does onstage, as he’ll show here.
March 6 at 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street, $52; tickets and information.
Key of She Jazz Jam — March 8, Settlement Music School Germantown Branch
An annual celebration of women in jazz, with a strong educational spin: that’s the Key of She Jazz Jam in a nutshell, though no description can capture the uplifting energy of the event. This year’s edition will begin with a jam led by the Hailey Brinnel Quartet featuring Kal Ferretti; students are encouraged to bring their instruments, and sheet music will be available for those venturing out for their first jam. Then trombonist and vocalist Ginita will lead section workshops and teach a song, before a panel called UnSwung Heroes: Women in Jazz, moderated by WRTI’s own Nicole Sweeney, and a closing performance by Ginita and La Orquesta Esa.
March 8, from 1 to 5 p.m., Settlement Music School, 6128 Germantown Ave, free with registration; tickets and information.
