Like the tulip beds and the Phillies bullpen, our jazz scene is bustling with activity at this point in the season. Look no further than the Germantown Jazz Festival, happening all weekend, or the Broad Street arts corridor, where so many club dates are going down. Philly Jazz Month keeps rolling — all it needs now is you!
Spotlight: Tia Fuller — Friday through Sunday, South Jazz Kitchen
Tia Fuller has a ripe, robust sound on alto saxophone, and her unerring sense of phrase and line has served her well in a profusion of settings. Maybe you’ve heard her on the soundtrack to the Pixar movie Soul, or in Beyoncé’s touring horn section. Maybe you know her for the excellent work she’s done with drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and vocalist Dianne Reeves. If you’re really in the know, you’ve heard her own albums, including Diamond Cut, which received a Grammy nod in 2019.
Fuller has a brand-new release made in collaboration with her sister, the pianist Shamie Fuller-Royston. Working together as Fuller Sound — an acknowledgment of the family band formerly led by their parents, Elthopia (a singer) and Fred (a bassist) — they made this album, Dynasty (vol. 2), into a spare but rippling canvas, with an abidingly lyrical approach. Fuller will have a band in tow when she rolls into South this weekend, singing and playing her horn in typically soulful form.
April 24 and 25 at 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., April 26 at 6 p.m. & 8:30 p.m., South Jazz Kitchen, 600 N Broad Street, $40; tickets and information.
Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer — Tuesday, Miller Theater
But Who’s Gonna Play the Melody? is a playfully self-deprecating title for the recent album by these virtuoso double bassists, each a profound influence in his field. McBride is of course a leading low-end maestro in jazz, and one of Philadelphia’s proudest exports; Meyer has made his name in classical and progressive bluegrass circles. Between them, you’ll find 18 Grammy awards and an incalculable amount of musicianly bonhomie; for a taste, try “Bass Duo #1.”
April 21 at 7 p.m., Miller Theater, 250 S Broad Street, $54-$84; tickets and information.
Duane Eubanks Celebrates Lee Morgan — Wednesday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Duane Eubanks spearheads this tribute to Lee Morgan, his fellow trumpeter and Philly jazz exponent, with a combo that will feature the eminent alto saxophonist Antonio Hart. More than just a burning set of hard-bop (though it will certainly fit that bill), this evening is a fundraiser for The Philadelphia Jazz Archive — and a natural alignment with Philly Jazz Month.
April 22 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $35, with dinner packages; tickets and information.
María Grand Quartet — Wednesday, Black Squirrel Club
A tenor and soprano saxophonist with a searching and interior style, María Grand has a brand-new album, Both Sides, featuring excellent collaborators like bassist Rashaan Carter and percussionist Shakoor Hakeem, who rejoin her here along with drummer Miguel Russell.
April 22 at 7:30 p.m., Black Squirrel Club, 1049 Sarah Street, starting at $21, sliding scale; tickets and information.
Lafayette Gilchrist Sextet — Friday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Rhythm is a whole-body experience in Lafayette Gilchrist’s music, whether it’s expressed in hard-bop or head-nod terms. A pianist rooted in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., he packs a lot of knockabout groove into his most recent sextet album, Undaunted, drawing on go-go and gospel music alike.
April 24 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $25, with dinner packages; tickets and information.
Germantown Jazz Festival — Friday through Sunday
Organized by singer and community organizer Khadijah Renee, this fest brings critical mass to a neighborhood full of notable jazz residents. The festivities kick off on Friday at Attic Brewery with saxophonist Chris Oatts, the Richard Hill Trio, the Leon Jordan Quartet, drummer Khary Abdul Shaheed and more. On Saturday, WRTI's Nicole Sweeney will host as trumpeter Terell Stafford leads his quintet in a concert at Settlement Music School (following a day of master classes and student performances). And Sunday is a large ensemble special hosted by WRTI's Josh Jackson, with Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band, Josh Lee and the Extended Family, and the Philly Pops Big Band.
April 24 through 26 at various times, at various venues in Germantown, Philadelphia, ticket prices vary; tickets and information.
