“Jaw-dropping . . . one of the finest saxophonists going.”—Pitchfork
Few musicians share the ability of Rudresh Mahanthappa to embody the expansive possibilities of his music with his culture. He is an alto saxophonist and composer who materializes a sound that hybridizes progressive jazz and South Indian classical music in a fluid and forward-looking form that reflects Mahanthappa’s own experience growing up as a second-generation Indian-American.
The Indo-Pak Coalition, featuring Pakinstani-American guitarist Rez Abbasi and percussionist Dan Weiss, blends the sounds of jazz with Mahanthappa’s South Indian roots, creating a new and sublime complexity of sound. The result is a fiery jazz with Indian-Pakistani influences and a modern touch.
UC San Diego MFA student Sindhu Thirumalaisamy and UC San Diego economics professor Prashant Bharadwaj sits down with ArtPower artist Rudresh Mahanthappa to talk about how he fuses jazz and south Indian classical music, the name Indo-Pak Coalition, and what we can expect at his concert in San Diego.
This event has been cancelled. Our Box Office will be calling to process refunds. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the UC San Diego Box Office at 858-534-8497 or email artpower@ucsd.edu.
As a scion of an illustrious musical family, Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa is one of the brightest lights on Havana’s thriving jazz scene. Son of drummer Ruy López-Nussa and nephew of pianist Ernan López-Nussa, López-Nussa was born into a musical household in Cuba and educated by his French grandparents. He took an early interest in classical piano before shifting his focus at age 20 to the fiery Cuban jazz of his homeland.
López-Nussa gained international attention when he won top honors at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Piano Competition in 2005 (a triumph that earned him a featured festival spot the following year). With his last album, New Day, the rising star refines his style and adds color to his artistic palette, asserting himself as a stylish composer whose technical abilities are matched only by his powerful playing.
“Harrold’s pop sensibilities and activist leanings shine through on the album, which is tied together by its catchy melodies—a rarity in critically acclaimed circles of modern jazz.”—Rolling Stone
Raised from the fires of (now infamous) Ferguson, Missouri, Keyon Harrold has developed a reputation as one of the world’s most sought-after, emotionally electric young trumpeters on the scene. His latest album, The Mugician, examines our troubled times through a far wider lens than any one tragedy. Sweeping and cinematic, the music draws on elements of jazz, classical, rock, blues, and hip-hop to create something uniquely modern, unmistakably American, and triumphantly cohesive—thanks to Harrold’s virtuosic skill as a trumpeter and songwriter, and his relentlessly optimistic belief in brighter days to come.
Keyon Harrold chats with Jazz88’s Dave Drexler on Inside Arts. Stream here >
“As a modern day Jazz musician and millennial at the same time, I like to blend the lines between genres and styles while still maintaining elements of the tradition.”—Braxton Cook
One of this generation’s emerging voices on the alto saxophone, Braxton Cook is also a talented vocalist and songwriter, whose sound blends soul, R&B, and jazz. Raised in Prince George’s County, MD, Cook’s upbringing helped to shape his unique style, which captures the spirit of the Jazz Age while continuing to push the genre forward for his generation.
A graduate of Juilliard, Cook has played alongside Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Jon Batiste, and Robert Glasper; toured with Grammy-nominated trumpeter Christian Scott; performed with Rihanna at MTV’s 2016 Video Music Awards and on America’s Got Talent 2015 and 2016 seasons; and recorded with renowned rappers Mac Miller and Anderson .Paak on the song “Dang!,” from Miller’s album The Divine Feminine. Cook and his newly formed band will perform their latest album, Somewhere in Between, which aims to inspire artists and people from all walks of life to embrace their uniqueness.
“All elegance and awe.…Utterly captivating.”—Billboard
Singing in English and a wide range of African languages, Somi has had a fascinating artistic evolution. Born in Illinois to immigrants from Rwanda and Uganda, she has spent the last decade building a career as a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and activist through transatlantic sonicism and storytelling. Her newest album, Petite Afrique—a daring, relevant refashioning of what “jazz” and “African music” mean—is inspired by the vibrant African immigrant community that has become a vital part of Harlem.
Sammy Miller and the Congregation are on a mission to put generosity back into jazz and bring art back to the people. A native of Los Angeles, Grammy-nominated drummer, singer, and bandleader Sammy Miller has become known for his unique maturity and relentless focus on making music that feels good. Upon completing his master’s at Juilliard, Miller formed his ensemble, the Congregation. As a band, they are focused on sharing the power of community through their music—joyful jazz, a style that enriches, entertains, and uplifts.
Independently, the band members have performed and recorded with notable artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Lady Gaga, and Queen Latifah, at venues such as the White House, Lincoln Center, and the Hollywood Bowl. As the Congregation, they have opted to stick together to create globally conscious music with the intention to spread joy throughout the world.
Grammy-nominated artists, pianist Alfredo Rodríguez and percussionist Pedrito Martinez first worked together on Rodríguez’s 2012 release The Invasion Parade. Since that initial recording session, they have had the rare occasion to perform together as a duo, leaving audiences completely mesmerized by their fearless and virtuosic playing.
A protégé of Quincy Jones, Rodríguez was schooled in the rigorous classical conservatories of Havana, while Martinez’s musical training came directly from the streets of the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Old Havana, where he was raised. Bringing different approaches to their joint performance, the master musicians take listeners on a unique and exciting journey.
“Still in her mid-20s, Daymé Arocena is Cuba’s finest young female singer.”—The Guardian
Raised in Havana, Daymé Arocena has quickly become the voice for a new generation of talented Cuban millennials who are reimagining their African roots through a lens that filters jazz, soul, and funk. Acclaimed by Vice magazine as “the world’s next jazz phenomenon,” Arocena garners comparisons to musical giants Nina Simone and Celia Cruz. Her powerful singing and buoyant music defy expectations, drawing on the rhythms of Afro-Cuban traditions, the nimble athleticism of jazz, and the catchy hooks of pop melodies. The songstress is also an avid practitioner of Santería, an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs, and its chants and rhythms are as important to her music as jazz and Cuban neo-soul.
“the Radiohead of British jazz”—Line of Best Fit
Undoubtedly one of the rising stars of the U.K. jazz scene, acoustic-electronica trio GoGo Penguin don’t describe themselves as a jazz trio but rather as a resurgence of jazz fused with hip-hop, rock, dance, and soul. The Mercury Prize–nominated band recently made their first appearances at South by Southwest (2017) and Coachella (2016), where they delivered up their trademark mash-up of minimalist piano, deeply propulsive bass lines, and electronica-inspired drums. They will perform tracks off their latest Blue Note Records release A Humdrum Star.
Over the last 15 years, drummer, composer, and songwriter Nate Smith has built the quintessential jazz resume: he’s been in bands led by jazz legends, such as bassist Dave Holland, and toured with some of the music’s rising stars, like saxophonist Chris Potter and vocalist José James. Known for his deep pocket, explosive dynamics, and ability to adapt to any musical situation, Smith has become one of the most in-demand drummers across a multitude of genres including funk, jazz, pop, and hip-hop. Together with his band, Kinfolk, Smith will perform songs from his debut solo album, Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere, which explores the themes of family, music, self-discovery, and touring through catchy, singable melodies and spring-loaded backbeats.
