High summer is a time for soundtracks that skew hot and cool. So this week’s concert calendar is right on target, with options like a star-studded soul extravaganza at the Dell, a fusionesque throw-down on Lancaster Avenue, and a Center City club gig with the literal subhead “Feed the Fire.” Get out there and hear something.
Spotlight: Gregory Porter / Lalah Hathaway / Jamison Ross — Thursday, Dell Music Center
Soul is the first and last item on the agenda at this summer confab, which puts several charismatic vocalists on the same bill. Leading the pack is Gregory Porter, who has always made storytelling and spiritual uplift his priority, whether he’s unpacking thoughtful originals like “No Love Dying” or reinventing classics like Donny Hathaway’s “Someday We’ll All Be Free.”
Lalah Hathaway, Donny’s first-born daughter, is a powerhouse in her own right. She sounded stunning at the Newport Jazz Festival last weekend, and has proven — on albums like her most recent, Vantablack — that she knows how to make the most of a choice collaboration.
Rounding out the bill are Jamison Ross, who won the 2012 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Competition as a drummer, but has made even greater strides as a singer; and Carol Riddick, South Philly’s own prolific singer-songwriter, who has worked with everyone from Will Downing to Musiq Soulchild.
Aug. 13 at 7 p.m., The Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Dr, $79.50; tickets and information.
Hannah Marks: Feed the Fire — Tuesday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Hannah Marks is a bassist and composer who imbues all of her music with a purposeful stride, and that’s especially true on her sophomore album, Feed the Fire. Produced by Jason Moran, it’s a showcase for Marks’ deft balance of deep groove and exploratory freedom, brought alive by a dynamic quartet. For this album-release engagement, she’s joined by Jonathan Paik on piano and Mark Valdes on drums.
Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $20, with dinner packages; tickets and information.
Nazir Ebo — Friday, Community Education Center
Since we declared Nazir Ebo “the Philadelphia scene’s next breakthrough talent” in 2023, he has only kept justifying the praise. Maybe you’ve seen him with Joshua Redman, or backing the surrealist electronics artist Salami Rose Joe Louis. But nothing compares to the electric intensity and flexibility of his working band, featuring young signal-scramblers like the guitarist Emmanuel Michael. For this show on the Second Fridays series at the CEC, they’ll draw from Ebo’s terrific recent debut, Beyond.
Aug. 14 at 7 p.m., Community Education Center (CEC), 3500 Lancaster Ave, 2nd Floor, $30; tickets and information.
Trash Gadget — Friday and Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Matthew Parrish and drummer Byron Landham share more than 30 years of Philly jazz history: they first convened for a gig at the Blue Moon Jazz Club in the Bourse, and went on to make an album called “The Trio,” later reissued as Deja Vu. The three now travel under the name Trash Gadget, and they’re celebrating a new release this weekend, with a couple of featured guests: trumpeter Duane Eubanks and saxophonist Caleb Curtis.
Aug. 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $30, with dinner packages; tickets and information.
