Coming to TPAC
Broadway’s Six
Henry VIII had six wives: three Catherines, two Annes, and one Jane. More memorable than their names is the rhyme to remember their fates: “Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” For most of us, those are the entirety of facts known about these women, and they’re generally treated as passive objects while talking about Henry’s longing for a male heir and England’s split from the Pope.
Now the new musical Six gives those women their proper attention, turning their tragedies into a celebration of modern girl power and reclaiming their identities apart from Henry VIII. Six won the Tony Award for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics). It is currently on Broadway, but why make the winter trip up north when you can see it here? The US Tour of Six will be at TPAC February 3-8. See here for tickets and more information.
The Room as Instrument
B Chakoian Jones on The Great Space
When composer B Chakoian Jones first conceived The Great Space, it was not as a recording, nor even as a fixed musical object, but as a response—to architecture, to reverberation, and to the act of listening itself. Written in 2019 for the Parthenon’s Naos room, the string quartet emerged from a highly specific acoustic reality: five seconds of decay, a monumental interior, and the invitation to allow silence to function as material rather than absence. What began as a site-specific commission has since expanded into a broader inquiry—one that asks not only how music inhabits space, but how audiences might recover attentiveness within it.
Now released as Jones’s first studio recording and accompanied by a series of performances across Tennessee in 2026—including a return to the Parthenon this February—The Great Space continues to evolve. In this conversation with Music City Review, Jones reflects on translating a room into sound, the shifting meanings of “spatial presence,” the string quartet’s historical gravity, and the collaborative openness that defines his work. Throughout, his answers resist prescription, favoring instead an ethics of listening: an invitation to notice where we are, how we arrive there, and what it might mean to be fully present—if only for a moment.
On the Piece/Recording:
Music City Review [MCR]: The Great Space began as a commission for the Parthenon’s Naos room in 2019. How did writing for that particular architecture shape the piece from the outset? How does one write for a 5 second decay?
B Chakoian Jones [BCJ]: Writing for the Parthenon’s Naos room was a joyful exercise in restraint. With 5 seconds of delay, silence in the writing was an opportunity to let the room speak. I wrote in lots of rests and extended minimalist passages in which the room becomes the fifth instrument. With that said, I also wanted to experiment with thicker textures. I snuck in some moving rhythmic passages just to see if the room could handle the ensemble and vice versa. I think they executed it well back in 2019. The room is really beautiful.
[MCR]: You’ve described the work as a “simple thesis of spatial exploration.” What questions about space felt most urgent to you when you began composing—and have those questions shifted over time?
[BCJ]: When I first wrote The Great Space the thesis of exploration was simple and limited to the Naos room. I don’t know if I explicitly asked myself this, but the question really was, ‘How can I make this performance as multi-dimensional as possible. We’re dealing with art that is being presented linearly and from a focal point. But with that space, the audience could really experience the music all around them.
And yes, the question of spatial exploration has grown for sure. Really, I ought to call it ‘spatial presence’. We live in a very distracted world such that most of us are not absorbing the space around us as we exist. Additionally most of us no longer have the attention for instrumental music. I’d love for the audience of The Great Space to listen with a state of mind that engages not only with the music, but with the space they’re in; the physical space, the sonic space, the atmosphere, etc. It’s a big ask honestly in 2025, and I don’t demand it. I just hope people can get there.
[MCR]: This is your first studio release, yet the piece was conceived in a live, site-specific context. What was gained—and what was lost—in translating The Great Space from physical room to recorded medium? (Did you attempt to reproduce the Naos Room in the studio?)
[BCJ]: Thank you for this insightful question. What was lost, as is often the case in Classical recordings, is the sound of the air passing through the instruments. The breathing of the instruments. At least that’s kind of how I think about it. And of course the beauty of being able to see human beings perform.
What is gained however is much greater. Being able to bring this music into any space is amazing. We obviously could never perform the quartet in a car and would probably not perform it in the woods etc. So for someone to be able to take this music and experience it in any kind of space is great.
We recorded the piece at Eastside Manor in East Nashville. The room is very live, and while I didn’t have any illusion of imitating the Naos room I did want a reverberatory sound. However when we went to mix the piece I was brought back to this idea of letting the space speak. And to me that meant the space that the listener would be in more than the space the recording had occurred in. So we leaned towards a drier sound that would let any room (or headphones) be the fifth instrument.
[MCR]:You ask listeners to notice both “the little things” and “the grandeur” of the spaces they inhabit. How do you attempt to sonify that tension between intimacy and scale?
[BCJ]: I guess I don’t want to be too specific with that. I really just want folks to be present. But I think dynamics and textures; solo instruments and silence can make people feel a certain way perhaps. Maybe dial into something specific in the room or open to the entire experience?
String quartets carry a long historical weight. How conscious were you of that lineage when writing this work, and where did you feel free to resist or reframe expectations?
There wasn’t too much active thought in the historical weight of the string quartet, but I am definitely inspired by composers of different eras. While my voice is definitely American, having spent a lot of time with Glass’s and Barber’s string quartets, I also love Bartok’s and Dvorak’s quartets. The beauty of the string quartet is that it can function as one instrument almost like a piano, spanning a large tonal range simultaneously. But then it can also be four independent instruments all at once with infinite textures to draw from.
As far as resisting or reframing expectations in relation to the writing for string quartet, I think there was a push and pull between styles. There is a bit of minimalism and a bit of modernism. But then even within the idea of minimalism I really wanted to go beyond the Philip Glass minimalism and think more along the lines of John Cage minimalism. How absolutely little can I write at certain moments. That’s really hard for me, but it was really fun.
On the Performance
[MCR]: Contemporary dancer Becca Hoback joins the performances in 2026. How does the presence of the moving body alter the way audiences perceive musical space?
[BCJ]: I have absolutely no idea! I’m so excited to experience it with her.
[MCR]: What roles do the photography and videography play in the piece?
[BCJ]: The roles of photography and videography are auxiliary but important. The goal is obvious to be present in the moment, but I think that these mediums are the ways that we are reflective of our space in time. It is a good thing to document this beautiful world we’re in. Let’s just spend time with that documentation beyond hoping for ‘likes’ on social media.
[MCR]: How much, if at all, did you direct the multiple disciplines involved in the performance?
[BCJ]: I gave Becca total freedom in her performance. Truly the only thing we discussed was highlighting the performance space beyond a traditional stage.
[MCR]: Having worked extensively with ensembles like Chatterbird and Intersection, how did your experiences in collaborative, experimental settings inform this more singular statement?
[BCJ]: This broad genre of music is community driven. It is not a genre that will ever be financially driven and that is beautiful. So playing with those ensembles required the attitude that we were going to go make music together, an audience was going to hopefully find some sort of meaning or truth or joy, and that performance would never happen again. It’s heavy but it’s also a relief. It’s largely egoless. So I wrote this piece, I grew this idea from it, and then I just handed it to friends to run with. Becca is taking it. My friend Melissa Fuller who did the photo shoot for the cover ran with it. It’s good stuff.
[MCR]:The Parthenon reappears as a performance site for the February 8 concert. Does returning to the Naos feel like a homecoming, a re-interrogation of the original idea, a revision? something else?
[BCJ]: It does feel like a bit of a homecoming. This is definitely the premier space for this piece to be performed in. It will be a reexamining though because we’ll have Becca bringing her element to the performance.
[MCR]: Several of the 2026 performances occur in markedly different venues—from churches to theaters to Nashville’s famous Arcade. Do you expect the piece, and its reception, to differ in each space?
[BCJ]: There will definitely be differences. The Parthenon is its own beast of course. The Laurel Theater (Knoxville, TN) is a more traditional community venue in which the audience will be completely unfamiliar with myself, Becca, or the piece. I’m really leaning on the promoters to bring in folks, and their excitement about the performance is encouraging. St. Paul’s (Athens, TN) is an episcopal church, and while functionally similar to Laurel Theater, will obviously have a certain reverence attached to the performance. It’s obviously a secular piece, but I believe there is always a unique quality to making art and receiving art in religious spaces. I’m most excited about The Arcade. This is going to be sort of a guerilla performance in association with the art crawl. With the help and blessing of Arcade Arts Nashville, we’ll be performing on the walkway across the alley during the crawl. This performance will obviously be public, which always adds a fun chaos.
[MCR]: Your work often blurs the lines between concert music and lived experience. How important is accessibility—emotional or physical—to your compositional thinking?
[BCJ]: Accessibility is vitally important. Quality, depth, etc should never be compromised for aesthetic, but art is best shared. Really to me that’s entirely the point.
[MCR]: As founder of the Nashville Chamber Music Series, you’ve spent years curating spaces for listening. How has that curatorial perspective shaped the way you think about audience attention?
[BCJ]: Nashville Chamber Music Series has hosted forty-two concerts and carol sings since 2015. Because this is a house concert series the audience size is always small. But we’ve had concerts where backyards were packed, and it was a raucous time. And we’ve had concerts where very few people came and they were mostly family and friends. This can be very discouraging at face value, but then I talk to folks afterwards and it’s always clear that it was worth it. Bringing music to people is beautiful. In some ways the environment can be more distracting because we have kids running around and art on the walls and doors closing and opening. But that really is an intentional element of the experience. The lines between performer and audience don’t entirely disappear but they definitely blur. Where the stage starts and stops is unclear. It’s messy. And I think that’s why everyone has such a great time.
Across its many iterations—live, recorded, choreographed, documented—The Great Space resists closure. Jones speaks less as an architect of experience than as a facilitator, repeatedly returning to the idea that music gains meaning through shared presence rather than control. Whether performed beneath the Parthenon’s coffered ceiling, inside a church, or in the open chaos of the Arcade, the piece remains intentionally porous, shaped as much by its environment and audience as by the notes on the page.
In an era marked by distraction and compression, Jones’s work offers a quiet but insistent proposition: that attention itself can be an artistic act. The Great Space does not demand reverence, nor does it insist on transcendence. Instead, it asks listeners to occupy their surroundings more fully—to hear not only the quartet, but the air, the architecture, the bodies in motion, and the moment as it unfolds. In doing so, the piece becomes less a statement than an invitation—one that continues to open, expand, and reverberate long after the final sound has faded. To be present, tickets to the February 8th Concert are available here, and you can pre-order The Great Space (due to be released on February 6th) here.
Cheekwood Estates & Gardens fills its winter season with orchids, workshops, and more
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens will open its 2026 season with two exhibitions debuting on January 31. The program will invite visitors indoors while also encouraging reflection on American art, landscape, and cultural history. Orchids at Cheekwood and Common Ground: The Hainsworth Collection in Conversation with Cheekwood’s Permanent Collection will transform Cheekwood’s Historic Mansion into a setting where horticulture and visual art intersect, offering guests an opportunity to escape the cold and enter a tropical paradise.
Set within the 1930s Georgian-style Historic Mansion, Orchids at Cheekwood will fill the Mansion’s formal rooms with vibrant orchid displays that contrast winter’s chill with lush botanical installations that highlight global plant diversity. The Mansion itself, surrounded by gardens and connected to spaces such as the Wisteria Arbour, Loggia, Reflecting Pool, and Swan Lawn, provides a setting that underscores humanity’s fascination with cultivating and controlling nature.
That theme continues in Common Ground, which brings together works from the private Hainsworth Collection and Cheekwood’s permanent collection for the first time. The exhibition of American paintings reveals how artists have responded to land, labor, and everyday life. Works displayed include Shadows in the Orchard, 1910, by F. Luisa Mora, The Raft, 1895, by Adam Emory Albright, and At the Piano, c. 1890, by Julian Alden Weir, all of which are a part of the Haimsworth family’s personal collection.
Some works from the exhibition reflect the influence of the Hudson River School, a 19th-century movement known for expansive landscapes that celebrate the American wilderness. While visually idealized, these paintings are closely tied to the period of westward expansion and American imperialism, often presenting the land as pristine and unoccupied while overlooking the displacement of Indigenous communities.
Other works align more closely with the Ashcan School. The early-20th-century movement rejected romanticized visions and embraced unvarnished depictions of urban life. Paintings in the Ashcan School also focus on working-class neighborhoods and city streets, offering a counterpoint to the grandeur and optimism of familiar landscape traditions.
In addition to these exhibitions, Cheekwood will offer related programming throughout January and February, providing multiple opportunities for visitors to engage with art, history, and horticulture during the winter months.
Orchids at Cheekwood and Common Ground: The Hainsworth Collection in Conversation with Cheekwood’s Permanent Collection opens January 31, 2026. A series of events will also be offered throughout their winter season in conjunction with the exhibitions.
More information on exhibition dates, tickets, and winter programming is available through Cheekwood’s website at www.cheekwood.org.
Coming to TPAC
Broadway’s Les Misérables
Les Miserables is an incredibly popular musical which, at least according to the tour website, has been seen by 130 million people since it came out in 1980. This success is entirely deserved. The epic, sung-through musical features my favorite literary character of all time, the embodiment of badass redemption and virtue, Jean Valjean. The story takes place during the instability of 19th century France, and the show has it all: tragedy, found family, social commentary, young love, redemption, crime, and villany. I don’t mean to gush, but I absolutely love the book, and when I saw the national tour an almost a decade ago it blew me away.
Les Miserables will be at TPAC January 20-25. If you’re interested in tickets (and you should be), move quickly; several shows are already almost sold out.
At the Schermerhorn
Clarity, Contrast, and Conviction: A Conversation with Gemma New
When Gemma New steps onto the podium with the Nashville Symphony next weekend, she brings with her a reputation for clarity, curiosity, and an uncommonly human approach to orchestral music-making. Currently serving as Music Director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, New has emerged as one of the most compelling conductors of her generation—equally at home in core repertoire and contemporary works. Ahead of her Nashville appearance, we spoke with New about her relationship to the music on this program, her evolving philosophy as a conductor, and what she hopes audiences will carry with them long after the final note fades.
For New, conducting begins not with authority but with shared energy. Her earliest inspiration came from the visceral thrill of youth orchestra—of sound created collectively, and of witnessing how different conductors could shape that sound through distinct approaches to communication. That fascination has since grown into an international career defined by intellectual rigor, emotional immediacy, and a deep advocacy for the music of our time.
In the interview below, New speaks with characteristic openness about the ways her background in physics and mathematics informs her musical thinking, how she builds trust with audiences through contemporary programming, and why contrast—between Beethoven, Adams, and Mozart—is essential to the concert experience. At the heart of her approach is a belief that orchestral music should leave audiences uplifted, energized, and curious, whether encountering a familiar masterpiece or something entirely new.
Music City Review [MCR]: What first inspired you to conduct?
Gemma New [GN]: Joining a youth orchestra was the best experience ever! The glorious sound we create when we combine our energies in an orchestra is an overwhelmingly beautiful experience. We had three conductors lead our youth orchestra at the time; they all had unique approaches to music and communication, and I thought this was really fascinating. Thus started the journey!
MCR: With your background in Physics/Mathematics and Violin Performance, how, if at all, do the two interact? Does your scientific background inform your approach to music and conducting?
GN: I love the statement that “algebra can be used to describe everything in the world” and certainly creating a short-code reasoning with numbers and letters is a very natural fit when analyzing music. There are so many number systems in the score, in the structure, instrumentation, function and harmony. I have made a little short-code language for describing the music, which helps for memorization and analysis.
MCR: As a champion of new music, how do you successfully program contemporary works alongside classical repertoire, and what is the key to building audience trust in new music?
GN: I am really excited and grateful for the music of today. It should relate to our time most closely, and push us most exhilaratingly. For any program, I want our audience to leave thinking “WOW! That was amazing!” So we need to advocate for every piece we play, and find the best in it. Sometimes it’s helpful to prepare our ears with a few words about the intent of the music; sometimes programming music with a similar inspiration, style or character helps our audiences find relatable emotions in a piece that is new to them. Over time we build relationships with our audiences; so that even when they’re not familiar with a program, they can trust they’re going to leave the concert hall with new ideas and uplifting energy.
MCR: The program you’ve created for Nashville spans Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, John Adams’ Century Rolls, and Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony—three works separated by centuries but linked by dramatic energy. What was your artistic vision in bringing these particular pieces together?
GN: This was a very easy conversation I enjoyed with the orchestra and artistic administrator at the time, Alison Bolton. Being new to the orchestra, I asked what would be a great fit for the orchestra, audience and for the season as a whole. Conrad [Tao] & Century Rolls was put forward, and that sounded great to me! I’ve worked with Conrad and John [Adams] before and I love their artistry. John’s music is so colorful and punchy, and also new for our audience, so I wanted to program some favorites alongside this. Mozart 41 is a phenomenal symphony, with its captivating majesty and elegance and the amazing way the voices weave together in conversation. Beethoven Egmont also builds to a thrilling conclusion, starting with such emotional turmoil. We have chosen some great music here!
MCR: Beethoven’s Egmont Overture is a work of political struggle and heroic resolve. How do you approach shaping its arc from darkness into triumph, and what emotions do you want the audience to feel in those final, blazing minutes?
GN: In 2013 I first met John Adams when he was mentoring three conductors (of which I was one) to rehearse and conduct his music at Carnegie Hall. In preparation for conducting his music, I had thought the focus would be on all the notes, rhythms, dynamics and articulations, but John went right past that; it was so natural to him. He was so passionate about getting the convincing emotion and color, really physically going for the accented hammer blows or hearing the perfect shimmering of the high voices. I see Beethoven Egmont as being quite similar. There is a very clear story here, and all the characters are wailing, fighting, whispering, and sweetly singing! We have to find the right colors and phrasing to bring this piece to life.
MCR: Adams’ Century Rolls is vibrant, rhythmically charged, almost mischievous in its relationship to classical piano traditions. What should Nashville audiences listen for in this piece?—especially in its interplay between soloist and orchestra?
GN: In Century Rolls, John was inspired by the direct, steely sound that the mechanical piano rolls typically add to music. He was also influenced by the jazz and classical music of the 1920s, when piano rolls reigned as the leading recording medium. In terms of how the piano and orchestra interplay, I would encourage the audience not to always force a beat where they don’t hear one, but rather to delight in the kicks and giggles that fly in all directions from both parties! In the first movement, we hear the cacophony and whirring of sparks and whistles; in the moody middle movement we can relax into serene French dreams, and our be-bop last movement is heart-pounding.
MCR: Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony can feel both monumental and incredibly transparent and it has a very long performance tradition (from Szell, to Sawallisch, from Bernstein to Gardiner, and so on). What aspects of clarity, color, or architecture do you bring forward when conducting this masterpiece? What characterizes your approach to the piece, especially the incredible stretto in the Finale’s coda?
GN: I want the energy in this symphony to feel contagious! The quick switches from blurting out dramatically, to gently hugging sweetly, the push and pull as different voices in the orchestra rise up and affect one another. Much of this music is about the lift-off or the pass-on; it needs oomph, not weight! And the drama is struck from creating the dynamic contrasts clearly; we have to switch so quickly from extroversion to the soft intimate graceful lines.
MCR: You’re moving between three very different sound worlds in this program. How do you guide an orchestra through the stylistic shifts from Beethoven’s drama to Adams’ propulsive minimalism to Mozart’s classical brilliance?
GN: Every program needs contrast, so we can best appreciate what makes each piece so special! However, I also think there are quite a lot of similarities that we can enjoy between these pieces; for example, the Beethoven/Mozart style should be quite similar. This is a late work by Mozart, and certainly has a ton of drama throughout. I think the lyrical brilliance of Mozart can also be appreciated in some of this Beethoven overture, so really we will be looking to create a sweet lyrical style with sensitive, lively contrasts. The Adams also has a real fiery pep in the outer movements with a soft, delicate center, and we need to make sure, just like with the Mozart and Beethoven, that we are balancing our voices so that the melodies or primary colors can shine through.
MCR: With Century Rolls, the soloist-orchestra relationship is especially intricate. How will you build the collaborative chemistry between pianist Conrad Tao and the Nashville Orchestra that a piece with such rhythmic precision and elasticity demands?
GN: We’re really fortunate to have such excellent players onstage who will triumph with this music! In rehearsals, we will be building this up slowly and calmly.
MCR: What would you say is the role of an orchestra and conductor in the 21st Century?
GN: I see the orchestra and conductor being a team, where we advocate for the incredible programs we perform onstage, and collaborate with others in the area to ensure the orchestra is at the heart of music in the city. Onstage, I see the conductor as providing an environment where the musicians can play their absolute best, and where the intent of the music can be explored with curiosity and openness. Offstage, we work together to ensure the health of the organization, through thoughtful planning.
MCR: Have you been to Nashville before? Do you have any sight-seeing plans for while you are here?
It’s my first time here and I can’t wait to get to know Nashville better! A friend of mine has recently got me listening to Johnny Cash, and I’d like to go see the Johnny Cash Museum.
MCR: What ultimately seems to connect the music on this program—and Gemma New’s approach to it—is a commitment to vitality, clarity, and shared discovery. Whether shaping the narrative arc of Beethoven’s Egmont, unleashing the kinetic playfulness of Adams’ Century Rolls, or igniting the buoyant energy of Mozart’s “Jupiter,” New treats each work as a living exchange among musicians and listeners alike. Her debut with the Nashville Symphony points not backward toward tradition, but forward—toward concerts that invite trust, curiosity, and exhilaration. For audiences next weekend, this program promises not just contrast across movements and centuries, but the unmistakable feeling of music made urgently, collectively, and very much in the present. Personally, I am quite excited to hear the Beethoven with its huge fortissimo F chord-it’s been too long since I visited the Schermerhorn!
The Jazz Beat — January, 2026
Hello, all, and welcome back to this regular column here at Music City Review. Here, we will update you with the most can’t-miss jazz events happening in Music City, so you can be sure to catch all your favorites, as well as discover new ones along the way. Get out there and support your local musicians and keep Music City thriving! We are always looking to promote great music that may not get the attention it deserves. Have an event you think should be included in the next issue? Email me at: [email protected]
If you wish to subscribe to this guide, click here! Links to specific venues below:
This Month’s Highlights
Hello, all, and welcome back to this regular column here at Music City Review. Here, we will update you with the most can’t-miss jazz events happening in Music City, so you can be sure to catch all your favorites, as well as discover new ones along the way. Get out there and support your local musicians and keep Music City thriving! We are always looking to promote great music that may not get the attention it deserves. Have an event you think should be included in the next issue? Email me at: [email protected]
Here are the performances this month that I have picked out as really special, ones you won’t be able to catch any day of the week. They span across Nashville’s many great jazz venues and offer something of interest for everyone.
Eddie Barbash, Jeff Picker & Mark Raudabaugh – Wednesday, January 7 – 6:00 PM ($12) (Rudy’s)
Three of Nashville’s best join together for an evening of genre-spanning music. Jeff Picker is an in-demand bassist who has worked with some of the biggest names in Country and Bluegrass, including stints with Ricky Skaggs’ band Kentucky Thunder, and he is currently a touring member of Nickel Creek. Saxophonist Eddie Barbash was a founding member of the house band for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and currently tours the world with Cory Wong, one of the biggest names in contemporary jazz and fusion music. And drummer Mark Raudabaugh keeps himself busy touring and recording with big industry names like Jeff Coffin, Sierra Hull, Grant Green Jr., and many more. The combination of this wide array of influences and experiences promises an incredibly unique performance.
Bob Lanzetti – Friday, January 9 – 7:30 PM ($35) (NJW)
The great Bob Lanzetti, guitarist, composer, and founding member of legendary multi-Grammy-winning jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy comes to the Jazz Cave, joined by two of Nashville’s best, Jordan Perlson on drums and Viktor Krauss on bass. Lanzetti has contributed as guitarist and composer to every one of Snarky Puppy’s acclaimed recordings, and has since also become a first-call session guitarist in Brooklyn, performing and recording with names like Tommy Sims, Jeff Coffin, Ghost-Note, and many more.
Coltrane 100: Legacy (2 shows) – Thursday, January 15 & Friday, January 16 – 7:30 PM (Schermerhorn Symphony Center)
The Nashville Symphony, directed by Jonathan Taylor Rush, presents a very special concert in honor of the jazz legend John Coltrane, considered one of the most influential musical artists of any genre. This concert will feature lushly orchestrated reimaginings of some of Coltrane’s most popular and influential works, along with exclusive personal photographs of Coltrane. The performance will feature soloist Joe Lovano on saxophone.
Spafford – Friday, January 16 – 8:00 PM (Basement East)
Spafford is a jam band that blends many different genres, from rock and blues to funk, jazz, and ska. They are known for their off-the-cuff improvisational performances, ensuring a unique experience at every show. They have gained a dedicated following through their self-released recordings, including not only studio albums but also improvisational sessions and live show recordings, and through their relentless touring, including sets at Bonnaroo and Firefly Music Festival.
Sofia Goodman Trio: Tribute to Women Composers in Jazz – Saturday, January 17 – 5:30 PM ($20) (Rudy’s)
Internationally recognized drummer and composer Sofia Goodman leads her trio to conclude their “Presence Tour.” Goodman’s arrangements and compositions have been described as “mesmerizing and compositionally rich” (DownBeat) and she has been called a “splendid composer and drummer” (All About Jazz). As a group, the Goodman Trio has toured the US and Canada, and appeared at many notable venues and festivals. In this special performance, the group pays homage to the many wonderful female jazz composers throughout the decades, including Alice Coltrane, Maria Schneider, Melba Liston, and many more.
Al Di Meola – Wednesday, January 21 – 7:30 PM ($60+) (City Winery)
In the world of jazz guitar, there are few names that have reached the heights of acclaim and popularity as Al Di Meola. With a career spanning more than four decades and many accolades to his name, including a Grammy award, Di Meola is a legend in the industry. Known for his work in jazz fusion and world music, he is also a master of traditional jazz styles, so this performance is sure to have something for everyone.
The Floozies & Too Many Zooz – Saturday, January 24 – 8:00 PM (Brooklyn Bowl)
I know including these two bands might be stretching the definition of the word “jazz,” but I still think this show may be of interest. The Floozies are a brother-duo producing electronic-funk music, with stellar beats and dance-able music, while Too Many Zooz are a brass trio that combine EDM, punk rock, avant-garde jazz, and other styles for a unique, fun sound that also makes you want to move.
Ben Rosenblum Trio – Monday, January 26 – 6:00 PM ($14) (Rudy’s)
NYC pianist Ben Rosenblum comes to Rudy’s leading his trio. Rosenblum has been highly praised in the jazz press, having been described as an “impressive talent” (All About Jazz) who “caresses the music with the reverence it merits” (Downbeat Magazine). Since the release of his debut album, Instead, in 2017, he has toured the US extensively, with additional tours in Canada, Europe, and Japan. He has since released three other albums, all of which were also highly acclaimed by critics. His trio features Eduardo Belo on bass and Ben Zweig on drums.
Analog at Hutton Hotel
The Analog is a cozy and intimate venue at the heart of Nashville’s Hutton Hotel. Here you will find music of all types, from jazz and blues to folk to pop.
Analog Soul – Sundays, January 18 & 25 – 7:00 PM (Free GA / $20 reserved seating)
The Analog continues its Analog Soul series, featuring some of the city’s most promising emerging talent who are redefining soul music. These shows will as usual feature Will Davenport and DJ Smoke.
Arrington Vineyards
With the dropping temperatures, Arrington Vineyards continues to offer weekend entertainment, but with a somewhat reduced capacity. You’ll still be able to catch live jazz here every weekend, at Arrington’s Pavilion Tent. I’ve listed the dates and performing acts below.
Jazz in the Pavilion Tent
Saturday, December 6 – 3:00-7:00 PM – Triple Dare Jazz Band
Saturday, December 13 – 3:00-7:00 PM – The Lilliston Effect
Saturday, December 20 – 3:00-7:00 PM – Andrew Carney Quartet
Sunday, December 21 – 1:00-5:00 PM – Miles Damaso Group
Saturday, December 27 – 3:00-7:00 PM – 9 Volt Romeo Band
Sunday, December 28 – 1:00-5:00 PM – Reed Pittman Band
City Winery Nashville
Nashville’s City Winery is a beautiful venue that consistently features top-talent acts that span genres from Jazz to Americana to Hip Hop. The below performances showcase a mix of several genres, but will certainly be of interest to any jazz audience. Enjoy these concerts accompanied by a stellar selection of wine and delicious bites.
Main Stage
Najee (2 sets) – Thursday, January 15 – 6:00 PM & 9:00 PM ($55+)
Contemporary jazz pioneer Najee will perform two back-to-back sets at the Winery. Since releasing his debut album in 1987, the saxophonist has enjoyed a long and celebrated career, topping charts with his nearly twenty albums and collaborating with legendary figures like Prince, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, and more. Showing no signs of slowing down, his latest album, Under the Moon over the Sky, was released just this year in August, featuring a tour through the Americas with an all-star lineup of musicians.
Al Di Meola – detailed above
Richard Elliot – Sunday, January 25 – 7:30 PM ($48+)
Grammy-nominated contemporary jazz saxophonist Richard Elliot comes to the Winery. Elliot has been a mainstay name in the contemporary jazz scene for more than thirty years, having released twenty albums since 1989, with his most recent, Straight Up Down, releasing last year. He is known for his technical prowess and wide knowledge of various genres.
The Nashville Jazz Workshop
Moving on to Music City’s premier jazz venue, the Jazz Cave at the NJW is a venue with world-class acoustics, which consistently ranks in Downbeat Magazine’s list of Great Jazz Venues in the world. The Cave is packed with great performances this month, so get your tickets now!
Jazz Cave
Jazz AM: Charlie Parker – Saturday, January 3 – 10:00 AM (FREE)
The NJW’s series of free, family-friendly Saturday morning performances continues, this time with a performance of music by the great Charlie Parker and other early jazz greats. Complete with musical puppets and engaging hosts, these performances offer a great introduction to classic jazz tunes for listeners of all ages.
Bob Lanzetti – detailed above
Jeff Coffin: The Secret Language of Sound – Friday, January 16 – 7:30 PM ($40)
Top-tier saxophonist Jeff Coffin brings together some of the most well-known and acclaimed voices in contemporary jazz for an evening of musical exploration which seeks to connect with the audience on a deeper level. Coffin, a three-time Grammy-winning saxophonist with the Dave Matthews Band and Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, is joined by drummer Rakalam Bob Moses (Pat Metheny/Jaco Pastorius), pianist Jon Cowherd (Brian Blade Fellowship/Joni Mitchell), trumpeter John D’earth (Bruce Hornsby/Buddy Rich), and bassist Jon Estes (Joss Stone/John Paul White). With their combined decades of experience and wide array of musical influences, this combination should make for an incredibly unique performance.
Jazz Legacy: The Music of Oscar Peterson Masterclass – Saturday, January 24 – 2:00 PM ($25)
Join internationally acclaimed and award-winning singer, songwriter, and pianist SUPER KAT STAR for an afternoon Masterclass exploring the legacy of legendary jazz pianist and educator Oscar Peterson. Attendees will learn about Oscar’s own educational process, how he learned the piano, and how his legacy still influences the recording, performing, and teaching methods of today.
The Jazz Side of James Taylor w/ Steve Leslie – Saturday, January 24 – 7:30 PM ($35)
Guitarist Steve Leslie leads a stellar ensemble exploring the subtle sophistication of the music of James Taylor, who has long been admired by the jazz community. Taylor’s songs of have been interpreted by towering figures like Wynton Marsalis, Michael Brecker, and David Sanborn, among many others. Leslie offers fresh, imaginative arrangements of Taylor’s timeless songs. He will be joined by Pat Coil on piano, Viktor Krauss on upright bass, and Kyle Tupper on drums.
NJW Rising Stars Ensemble – Sunday, January 25 – 7:30 PM ($15)
Hear the next generation of Music City jazz at this debut full-length concert performance of the Nashville Jazz Workshop’s Rising Stars Ensemble, a tuition-free group formed thanks to the generosity of community members and directed by Executive and Artistic Director David Rodgers. The group debuted with a set at this year’s first-ever Nashville Jazz Festival, but now offer a full-length concert. The group features Hamer Haun on sax, Asa Master on piano, Joey Bonvissuto on bass, and Jackson Crawford on drums.
Random Sample
Random Sample is an art gallery located in West Nashville. Though it primarily focuses on art displays, the venue also hosts various other types of events, from film screenings to intimate musical performances.
El Mantis / Monica Shriver Trio / J.W. Bird – detailed above
Nashville Improvisation Ensemble presents “Jacob’s Ladder” – Wednesday, December 10 – 7:00 PM ($20)
The Nashville Improvisation Ensemble is a group led by pianist Matt Endahl, featuring some of Nashville’s top improvisational talent. This includes names like Rod McGaha (trumpet), Steve Pardo (sax/clarinet), Kris Karlsson (guitar), and many others. As the name suggests, the group’s music is highly improvisational and experimental, pushing the boundaries of what a live band can do. “Jacob’s Ladder” is a composition by leader Endahl, a series of pieces based on the structure of DNA nucleotides.
Sean Hamilton / Klimchak – Saturday, December 20 – 7:00 PM ($20)
Sean Hamilton is a percussionist, composer, and improviser whose work is rooted in avant-garde and experimental music, free jazz and improvisation, as well as electronic music. He also incorporates design, photography, and multimedia projects, bringing together the analog and digital medium.
Rudy’s Jazz Room
Now we move on to Nashville’s premier jazz club, with its cozy, intimate setting. I’ll start with some of the unique highlights for this month, then follow up with the great regular acts performing. Please note that some shows are one dollar cheaper if you purchase advance tickets. I have listed the door price for all shows.
Rudy’s Highlights
Below are the performances for this month that I’ve picked out as the real can’t-miss shows, some featuring touring artists from out of state, others featuring local artists giving specialized, unique performances.
Miles Damaso Trio – Friday, January 2 – 11:00 PM ($10)
Award-winning percussionist, educator, and composer-arranger Miles Damaso leads a trio at Rudy’s. Damaso has performed with a wide range of artists throughout the South and Midwest, and graced the stages of iconic venues like the Grand Ole Opry and the Lincoln Center, appearing alongside greats like Joel Frahm, pat Coil, John Raymond, and many more.
Nigel Cathéy Quintet: Swingin’ Evening – Saturday, January 3 – 11:00 PM ($10)
Trumpeter and arranger Nigel Cathéy presents an evening of hard swinging music that pays homage to the classic sounds of hard bop as well as more contemporary jazz. Listeners will be treated to music by great composers like Oscar Pettiford, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, and more. Alongside Cathéy on trumpet, this quintet will feature Gus Arnold on sax, Josh Karas on piano, Patrick Atwater on bass, and Marc Widenhofer on drums.
Eddie Barbash, Jeff Picker & Mark Raudabaugh – detailed above
Monica Ramey & Friends – Friday, January 9 – 5:30 PM ($15)
Acclaimed Nashville vocalist Monica Ramey returns to Rudy’s. Ramey has received wide recognition for her work, and has worked with some of the best in the business, including Roger Spencer, Jeff Coffin, Lori Mechem, and many more. She is perhaps best known for her longtime collaboration with pianist Beegie Adair, with whom she has produced and appeared on numerous albums.
Eric Wurzelbacher’s “Man Thinketh” – Friday, January 9 – 8:00 PM ($22)
Saxophonist Eric Wurzelbacher is developing his newest as yet unrecorded project, “Man Thinketh,” loosely based on the James Allen book and drawing heavy influences from Aaron Parks and Brian Blade Fellowship. Wurzelbacher, who has released six albums as leader and composer, has an eclectic style which as been described as a “foot-tapping mixture of hard-bop improv and rock” (Jazz Journal UK). His band features Ryan Jones (piano), Aaron Lessard (guitar), Tino Tafarella (bass), and Greg McGinnis (drums).
Jerome Degey Quartet – Saturday, January 10 – 8:00 PM ($20)
Guitarist Jerome Degey returns to Rudy’s. Originally from Paris, France, Degey has a family history that is both French and Afro-Caribbean, and his wide geographical influences come out in his unique style of playing. He has collaborated with a wide array of artists, including Jonathan Edwards, Duffy Jackson, Daniel Levy, and many more. The quartet he has formed for this show will feature Charles Treadway, considered the top jazz organist in Nashville, Willie B Barthel, drummer since the age of two, and De Marco Johnson, a very talented multi-instrumentalist originally from Indiana.
Ladies of Jazz – Sunday, January 11 – 6:00 PM ($18)
Vocalist Wendy Burns’s popular series Ladies of Jazz returns, this time featuring fellow singers Chloe Parrish and Roz Thompson.
Rougarou 6-Piece New Orleans Brass Band – Thursday, January 15 – 9:00 PM ($14)
Continuing its running “SINdustry night” series on the first (this time third) Thursday of the month, this New Orleans-style brass band returns to Rudy’s to showcase the club’s Cajun roots. Led by New Orleans native Chris Walters on piano, this band offers as authentic a brass band experience you can find without traveling to the French Quarter. Service industry workers with some form of proof of their employment will receive half off the door price and half price draft beer.
Lisa Stewart and Her Jazz Combo – Friday, January 16 – 5:30 PM ($16)
Highly acclaimed Nashville singer Lisa Stewart brings her group to Rudy’s. She is a BMI Award-winning songwriter, and her most recent single “The Man You Are Today” garnered Grammy consideration. Listeners can expect an evening of timeless jazz standards and reimagined favorites. Joining her will be Daniel Kuk on piano, Jack Aylor on bass, and Ryan Brasley on drums.
Jamey Simmons Sextet – Friday, January 16 – 8:00 PM ($23)
Accomplished trumpeter and educator Jamey Simmons is also a well-known composer and arranger, having had his pieces performed by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Buffalo Symphony Pops, the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, and more. This sextet uses the classic sound of the three-horn jazz combos, and will feature some of Simmons’ own music. His group features Don Aliquo (sax), Desmond Ng (trombone), Pat Coil (piano), Jack Aylor (bass), and Danny Gottlieb (drums).
Eli Ibrahim Quartet (2 shows) – Friday, January 16 & Saturday, January 31 – 11:00 PM ($10)
Quickly becoming a regular on the Rudy’s stage, pianist Eli Ibrahim leads his quartet for an evening of blues and jazz music. His quartet features Aida Mills on guitar, Ethan Assad on bass, and Will Stenberg on drums.
Sofia Goodman Trio: Tribute to Women Composers in Jazz – detailed above
ACE Horns – Saturday, January 17 – 8:00 PM ($23)
This trio of horn players returns to Rudy’s with their original group. Roy Agee (trombone), Evan Cobb (sax), and Emmanuel Echem (trumpet) worked together as touring and session musicians for many years before forming their own group, presented here.
Paulo Oliveira Quartet ft. Bob Lanzetti of Snarky Puppy – Monday, January 19 – 6:00 ($15)
If you didn’t get enough of guitarist Bob Lanzetti at his performance in the Jazz Cave, you can catch him a second time, this time at Rudy’s in collaboration with Brazilian guitarist Paulo Oliveira and his quartet. With Oliveira’s deep roots in Latin jazz and Lanzetti’s wide range of fusion styles, the two together should offer a rather unique musical experience.
Nate Spratford Trio – Wednesday, January 21 – 6:00 PM ($12)
Chicago native Nate Spratford is a saxophonist and composer who relocated to Nashville just two years ago and has already made quite the name for himself in Nashville’s jazz community. He has studied and performed with some of the industry’s best, including Jeff Coffin, Rod McGaha, Ari Hoenig, and many more. His trio features Ian Nussdorfer on bass and Miles Buchmann on drums.
Miguel Alvarado’s “State of the Saxophone: Celebrating Charlie Parker” – Thursday, January 22 – 9:00 PM ($15)
Prominent Nashville saxophonist Miguel Alvarado puts on a special performance celebrating on the of the foremost pioneers of the jazz saxophone, Charlie Parker. The group will focus on Parker’s classic works, presenting many of the core compositions of the bebop style, which went on to influence every style of jazz that came after. Alvarado is a multi-instrumentalist who has been described as a “formidable and fresh sound,” and this special show promises to be great both for those already with a deep knowledge of the music, and those who have never heard it before and want an introduction to this pivotal moment in music history.
Aaron Lessard Trio – Friday, January 23 – 11:00 PM ($10)
Jazz and fusion guitarist Aaron Lessard returns to Rudy’s with his trio, featuring Brian Allen on bass and Wes Little on drums.
Bob Harsen Quintet – Saturday, January 24 – 8:00 PM ($21)
Drummer Bob Harsen returns to Rudy’s with his quintet featuring Mitch Reilly on sax, Melvin Machias on piano, John Medina on guitar, and Dave Santos on bass. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Harsen has recorded or performed with names like Tiger Okoshi, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Randy Brecker, and others.
Desmond Ng Quintet – Sunday, January 25 – 6:00 PM ($15)
One of Music City’s finest jazz trombonists, Desmond Ng leads a quintet with some of Nashville’s top jazz talent. Since relocation to Nashville from Phoenix, Arizona, Ng has recorded and performed with notable artists like Dan & Shay, Judah and the Lion, the Nashville Symphony, Nashville Jazz Orchestra, and may more. He is also a prolific composer. His quintet will feature Miguel Alvaredo on tenor sax, Logan Evan Thomas on piano, Jonathan Wires on bass, and Marlon Patton on drums.
Ben Rosenblum Trio – detailed above
Naama Quartet (2 shows) – Friday, January 30 & Saturday, January 31 – 8:00 PM ($24)
Prominent NYC vocalist Naama returns to the Rudy’s stage for back-to-back main-slot sets at Rudy’s. Naama last appeared at Rudy’s back in June to support her album Dream With Me, which had just been released at the time. She has received high praise for her recordings and vocal talent. Cree McCree of Downbeat Magazine said, “Naama’s voice evokes a honeyed warmth…swoops up and plummets down onto a lovestruck madness… her voice drifts onto a pillow of dreams.”
Ted Ludwig Quartet – Saturday, January 31 – 5:30 PM ($18)
Acclaimed seven-string jazz guitarist Ted Ludwig returns to Rudy’s, this time leading a quartet featuring Pat Coil on piano, Rob Linton on bass, and Curtis Gray on drums. Ludwig has been widely praised for his melodic and virtuosic playing.
Rudy’s Regulars
Alex Murphy Trio – Friday, January 2 – 5:30 PM ($15)
Quickly becoming a mainstay pianist in Nashville, Alex Murphy brings his trio back to Rudy’s.
Bruce Dudley Quintet – Friday, January 2 – 8:00 PM ($22)
Bruce Dudley is an accomplished and acclaimed jazz pianist who is a Steinway Concert Artist and has been performing jazz for over forty years with many recording credits to his name, both as sideman and bandleader. This time he leads in quintet format, joined by Steve Kovalcheck on guitar and Don Aliquo on sax, as well as Jack Aylor on bass and Larry Aberman on drums.
Don Aliquo
One of Nashville’s most active and accomplished saxophonists, Aliquo will be leading performances a number of times this month, in trio and quartet format. His quartet will feature Steve Kovalcheck (guitar), Jack Aylor (bass), and Ryan Brasley (drums). His first trio performance will also feature Aylor and Brasley, while the second will feature Rob Linton on bass and Nioshi Jackson on drums.
Don Aliquo Quartet – Saturday, January 3 – 5:30 PM ($17)
Don Aliquo Trio – Fridays, January 9 & 30 – 11:00 PM ($10)
Jody Nardone Trio – Saturday, January 3 – 8:00 PM ($22) & Saturday, January 24 – 5:30 PM ($17)
Prominent Nashville pianist Jody Nardone brings his trio to Rudy’s for a classic jazz set. With a growing national reputation, Nardone seamlessly shifts from the “whispered beauty of Bill Evans to the percussive flights of McCoy Tyner.” (Michael McCall, Nashville Scene)
Jimmy Sullivan’s Swingin’ Scene – Sundays, January 4 & 18 – 6:00 PM ($12)
One of Nashville’s most exciting jazz bassists, Jimmy Sullivan, takes the early Saturday set for a selection of hard-swinging jazz. If you’re a frequenter of Rudy’s, you’ll probably recognize Sullivan from his bi-monthly residency here on Sundays. Over his illustrious career he has performed with top jazz talents like Laila Biali, Nicole Zuraitis, Joel Frahm, and many more.
Joshua Constantine Quartet (2 shows) – Monday, January 5 – 6:00 PM ($12) & Thursday, January 29 – 9:00 PM ($14)
Saxophonist Constantine is a former member of Grammy-nominated UNT One O’Clock Lab Band, and student of world-renowned saxophonist Brad Leali. Currently an active performer and educator in Nashville, Constantine tends to pay homage to the classic giants of jazz, honoring composers and performers like John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, Wayne Shorter, and more. His quartet will feature Sam Smith on bass, Michael Green on drums, and Dan La Maestra on piano.
Rebecca Carlson – Thursday, January 8 – 9:00 PM ($14)
Jazz and blues vocalist Rebecca Carlson has made a name for herself across the country, taking stints based in New York City, Tucson, Los Angeles, and now Nashville. An extensive touring and recording career has made her quite an in-demand performer.
Pat Coil Quartet – Saturday, January 10 – 5:30 PM ($16)
All-star Nashville pianist Pat Coil returns with his quartet this month. As you all probably know by now, Coil is a highly in-demand pianist in Nashville and just about everywhere else, having toured extensively both nationally and internationally. His quartet for this show will feature Dan Hitchcock on sax, Ryan Brasley on drums, and Craig Akin on bass.
Geoff Pfeifer Quartet (2 shows) – Saturdays, January 10 & 24 – 11:00 PM ($10)
Playing a mix of Wayne Shorter tunes and originals, Geoff Pfeifer brings gritty, edgy, genuine NYC-style jazz to Rudy’s stage with his Quartet.
Re-Evolution – Monday, January 12 – 6:00 PM ($12)
This five-piece band is heavily influenced by classic jazz cutting-edge artists like Thelonius Monk, Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and more. The band consists of Brian Cornish on saxophone, Regi Wooten on bass, Daryl Johnson on drums, Adam Charney on guitar and Alex Murphy on piano.
PT Gazell & the Side Effects – Wednesday, January 14 – 6:00 PM ($12)
Harmonica player PT Gazell returns to Rudy’s with his band the Side Effects, always redefining the way we see the instrument.
Marc Payne Quartet – Saturday, January 17 – 11:00 PM ($10)
One of Nashville’s most talented up-and-coming pianists Marc Payne will lead groups three times this month. Payne has been praised for his diversity and wide knowledge of many jazz styles. He has spent his life in Nashville soaking up many different sounds and styles, and this diversity comes through in his masterful playing.
Cliff Richmond & the CliffNotes – Friday, January 23 – 5:30 PM ($14)
Guitarist and vocalist Cliff Richmond’s band always features some of Nashville’s top talent, and presents a great blend of soulful, swinging, and funky jazz.
Stephanie Adlington – Friday, January 23 – 8:00 PM ($23)
Another frequent visitor to the Rudy’s stage, award-winning vocalist, songwriter and vocal coach Stephanie Adlington is known as the “Siren of the South,” with an “unrivaled” take on the Great American Songbook.
Bizz Bigsby – Wednesday, January 28 – 6:00 PM ($17)
Nashville native Bizz Bigsby shares his very personal music which tells the story of his life, influenced by everyone from Bill Withers to George Jones to James Taylor.
Dana Robbins Quintet – Friday, January 30 – 5:30 PM ($15)
GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Dana Robbins pays tribute to the Soul Jazz sound of the late 60’s and early 70’s, celebrating artists such as Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Jimmy Smith, and more. Robbins has either recorded or performed with many artists, including Keb’ Mo’, Aretha Franklin, Taj Mahal, Keith Urban, and more. Her band features David Santos (bass), Wes Little (drums), Phil Hughley (guitar), and Darius Mines (piano/B3 organ).
Regi Wooten & Friends – Every Wednesday – 9:00 PM ($15)
Coming from a distinctly talented musical family, Regi Wooten is one of the most innovative and dynamic musicians on the scene today, pushing the boundaries of the traditional genres. Equally at home playing Hendrix as Wes Montgomery, Wooten assembles a group of some of Nashville’s best musicians to offer a night steeped in funk, jazz, soul, blues and rock.
Giovanni Rodriguez & 12 Manos – Every Monday – 9:00 PM ($15)
A favorite on the Nashville Latin and jazz scene, multi-instrumentalist Giovanni Rodriguez presents an electric night of salsa, along with his band consisting of Rodriguez (timbales/vocals), Melvin Macias (piano/vocals), Yosvany Cordero (congo/bongo), Michael S. Morton (flute/vocals), and Isoel Villarrubia (bass).
Hot Club Gypsy Jazz – Every Thursday (except January 1) – 6:00 PM ($12)
Every Thursday night, Rudy’s honors its New Orleans and French roots by celebrating the vibrant music of Gypsy Jazz. These nights feature a variety of small groups either led or curated by New Orleans native Brook Sutton, all performing music in the style of the great Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli. The bar will feature French Quarter-inspired cocktails as well as gumbo and beignets. Come out for as authentic a night as you can get without a trip to the French Quarter.
Rudy’s Jazz Jam – Every Sunday – 9:00 PM ($10)
I couldn’t make a list of Rudy’s events without including a shout-out for the regular weekly Jazz Jam the club hosts every Sunday night. Whether you are a jazz musician and you want to jam with your fellow artists, or you just want to come and enjoy what the local talent has to offer, the Jazz Jam is a great way to end your weekend.
The Underdog Nashville
Cam G and the Tasty Soul – Thursday, January 1 – 7:00 PM ($10)
Led by saxophonist Gallagher and comprised of young and energetic musicians, this is one of Nashville’s premier funk bands. Great songwriting along with killer performance chops make these shows a ton of fun.
The Broomestix – Tuesday, January 13 – 9:00 PM ($10)
The Broomestix are a nine-piece band based right here in Nashville. The band channels the many influences of all its members into a unique form of R&B, featuring a powerful horn section, catchy R&B hooks, and attention-grabbing grooves. Their full-length album, Y’all Need Anything, was released in 2019.
Adam Miller – Sunday, January 18 – 7:00 PM ($10)
Australian guitarist Adam Miller returns to Nashville. Miller, who has been compared to Julian Lage and Tommy Emmanuel, is a masterful musician who seamlessly weaves jazz harmony into instrumental songs that might otherwise be considered almost pop. From his playing it is obvious Miller has mastered many different types of music, and spins all of them together for a unique sound.
OmCat – Wednesday, January 21 – 9:00 PM ($10)
OmCat is one of Nashville’s best up-and-coming jam bands. Built out of what was originally a Grateful Dead tribute band, the group the began to explore improvisation through their own original music, and it became something else entirely, but still with that original love of the jam and improvisational music. Their music blends a raw rock sound with the rhythms of funk, disco, and more.
Adam Wakefield – Saturday, January 24 – 7:00 PM ($10)
Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Wakefield, frequently seen at the Underdog performing with guitarist Jack Ruch, now leads his own group.
Regular Nashville Hangs
Bohemia After Dark: Live Jazz Band with Andrew Golden – Every Monday – 8:00 PM (Old Glory)
Tuesday Bluesday w/ Shantelle & The Juke Joint Band – Every Tuesday – 6:30 PM (Rawhides)
Weekly blues night with a different special guest each week.
Dinner & A Show – Live Jazz Band – Every Friday – 7:00 PM (Flamingo Cocktail Club)
Living Room Sessions – Every Friday & Saturday – 8:00 PM (W Nashville Hotel)
Regular weekly showcase featuring local indie, jazz, funk, and R&B bands.
Eastside Jam – Every Sunday – 9:00 PM (Inglewood Lounge)
This is not a traditional jazz jam playing standards, but rather an improv jam, but any jazz player or listener will still be interested!
Live Jazz at Wilburn St. Tavern – Tuesday Evenings
Nightly Jazz at Skull’s Rainbow Room
Nightly Jazz at Sinatra Bar & Lounge
Live Jazz at Skye Lounge – Every Friday & Saturday – 7:30 PM
NJW at Char Steakhouse – Evenings and Sunday Brunch
Monday Night Jazz – Every Monday – 7:00 PM (Kingdom Café & Grill)
Straight Tone and Sacred Space: Sonus Choir’s Christmas in the Parthenon
On December 13th and 14th, the Sonus Choir gave a fantastic Christmas concert in Nashville’s Parthenon, performing before Alan LeQuire’s massive re-envisioning of Pheidias’ 42-foot Athena. Situated in the heart of the so-called “Protestant Vatican,” the program drew from Catholic, Protestant, Pagan, and newly composed hymns—a concert that could only, quite literally, happen in Nashville. Sonus is a modern acapella choir led by the indefatigable Timbre Cierpke, its founder and musical director who conducted the concert and composed or arranged a number of pieces on the program.
The evening I attended, December 14th, was ridiculously cold for Tennessee, but the music warmed us all right up. They opened with the traditional Carol of the Bells, which was teased on Channel Four last week. One of the things that allows Sonus to stand apart from other choirs in the area is their sound—a “straight-tone” shorn of the warbling vibrato that typifies choral singing.
To many ears, straight-tone singing is aurally associated with popular singers, folk song or historical/traditional singing (think historically informed Medieval or Renaissance performance of music traditionally sung by a boys choir in a cathedral). As is typical with these types of associations, it is a broad simplification. Popular singers often employ straight tone as a foil to a vibrato—gradually allowing the vibrato to develop in a depiction of the singing character’s emerging passion or maturity. It sounds pure, clear, and bright, and allows for seamless blending, but to be done well and without strain, straight-tone requires strong breath support and consistent diction. In the folk song setting, straight-tone sounds as though the music is of the common folk. In all of this Sonus is outstanding.
The style was remarkable, especially in contexts where the Christ child in the manger is part of the imagery, with the vocal part expressing a childish innocence. Beautiful in Rutter’s arrangement of What Child Is This (featuring Shae Lime’s beautiful soprano) with soaring accompaniment balanced by grounded lower voices. Molly Hanson and Natalie Royal also deserve mention in this area for their performance of Willcocks’ A Child is Born in Bethlehem. I would love to hear Sonus sing the “Little Drummer Boy,” maybe next year?
However, as a music history teacher, I connect that straight-tone sound to the boy choirs of the Medieval Catholic church (and the historically informed exemplars I teach from), which, for me, connect directly to the old Catholic rite. Further, these recordings are often made in cathedral spaces (or with production techniques) that create a very long decay—mimicking the sound of Notre Dame, Paris, or some other ancient religious space. The layers of irony here in the Parthenon, with its high ceiling, columns, stone walls, 5 second decay and its monstrous statue of Athena created a post-modern collage of imagery. This was especially apparent during the performance of Ola Gjeilo’s The Spheres, a piece whose ancient Catholic text belies its content as a spacey, choral work and a “spiritual journey” with a circling five-note motive and gently layered dissonance that created an ethereal sound. The overtones floated like a warm, beautiful haze in the air of the Parthenon. In his music Gjeilo seems to have more universalist inclinations than missioning for his apparent Catholicism.
As I listened to this space music celebrating a Christmas holiday, I wondered if perhaps it was the experience of Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, probably Zoroastrians, as they might have felt when they looked up to see that star of Bethlehem so long ago. They were, it is said, the first Gentiles to recognize the Child, and their perspective was, one imagines, universalist.
Intellectual associations and ruminations aside, the music was simply beautiful. The people around me were smiling and downright jovial after intermission (cocktails were served during the break). In the sing along I think we all felt a little closer to being part of an authentic community of Nashville at the onset of the holiday. Quite appropriate if one remembers that one of the Goddess Athena’s roles in society was as the Guardian of the City and promoter of its prosperity and peace. Did you know that Sonus just released a new recording?
SOLUS + SYNERGY at OZ Arts Nashville
In a growing world of multimedia art, Solus and Synergy, presented at OZ Arts December 5th and 6th, gave sight into how technology can be integrated into elevating human expression. Both performances would have been successful at their storytelling without the multimedia elements such as an intro video for Solus and the photographs in Synergy, but their addition added prior context to the live performance to come. As artists and art enthusiasts, such as myself, there is much to be learned from both performances through their unique applications.
Solus was a piece that without prior knowledge of the performer and choreographer, Becca Hoback’s intentions, would stir up unsettling emotions and deep thought. It is a part of her Sacral series of dance theater solos, exploring the harmful effects of purity culture. Purity culture is a subculture within Christianity that emphasizes sexual abstinence before marriage, modesty in dress, and women’s submission to traditional gender roles. An example of this, one I have seen before in movies, but has been used in church events, equated and taught that virginity is like a rose, with the rose being crumpled and unable to be its bloomed self after sex occurs. This context sets the stage for Becca’s performance which explores her relationship to religion and purity culture through her upbringing.
Ten minutes before Becca stepped on stage was the presentation of “Fallout,” a film developed in 2023 through an artist residency in Ordu, Turkey. The initial feelings I picked up on were those of worry, fear with Becca attempting to self-soothe and ground herself in the room, tracing her hands along the walls and then building upon the architecture of the room through her body. This section was accompanied with cello from Kaitlyn Raitz who edited and scored the film, as well as accompanied some parts live. Here the cello contrasted well with the high notes in the film and exposed the conflicting emotions Becca was dancing through in the building, a Christian Greek Orthodox Church. One of my notes was “freedom calling through entrapment.” It felt as though something had happened to her and the journey of healing was non-linear, with freeing motion and hopeful dance quickly met with more despair.
The bridge into the live performance was through the use of a prop. A white sheet, tightly pulled horizontally was used. Becca danced into, around, and pulled on it. The film ended with this and Becca along with two dancers providing the tension pull of each side, came onto stage. I saw the use of this prop as symbolism of an in between state, very womb-like, inducing a re-birthing process. There was an urge of wanting to hold on to past ideologies, releasing it, and then going back. The healing depicted on stage was unpredictable, and at times unsettling to watch, an accurate representation of real healing which when expressed through the body is not always “beautiful.” Once the white sheet left, a spotlight went onto Becca as she was laying down, learning how to move again. This “admission” scene was where the mind surrendered to the body, allowing for the acknowledgement of unprocessed emotions stored in the body. We got to see her expand for the first time, spinning and taking up space. It felt very ritual-like with lots of circular movements and repetitive motions, with at one point a red light shining where the “root chakra” is in ancient Indian spiritual traditions. I took this as a turning point from where she has done the “root” work, showing a newly gained level of stability and security within her own physical body. The “impact” scene has animal-like motions along with growls in the music. We got to see her move through primal instincts, moving up into the body, slowly building into motions that could be considered aesthetically “pretty” but also haunting. This was the resolve of the performance, although true healing is never fully completed.
Synergy, a production from Shackled Feet Dance Company, was everything and more than I expected it to be. There was a “special thanks” section in the program where Katherine Dunham, among others, was mentioned. Katherine Dunham viewed dance as “social medicine,” and this performance was just that. This was the first performance I had been to in a formal setting that had audience participation both prompted and unprompted. As a student of the sociology and anthropology of dance, I feel this is what we need more of. The “West” has created dance to be a spectacle, separating the audience from performers, instead of participatory, where the audience is an active element in the artistic curation. It was very refreshing and gives me hope for more progress to be made in the dance industry. This change occurs through leaders and teachers such as Shabaz Ujima and Thea N. Jones whom choreographed the works in collaboration with dancers. One thing I really enjoyed about Synergy was that the expression of each pair of dancers was captured through their performance and it felt like they were playing on stage. I was able to feel the community they had built with each other from the audience.
The music score, projections, and live music was done by trumpetist Rod McGaha. A yellow light was projected onto two side art pieces that showed the figure of people dancing on branches. Shabaz was sitting on a bench singing a beautiful song about recognizing the “shine” in others. His voice gave me chills. A photo was placed on the screen behind the stage, introducing the next dancers to do their piece. It felt very intimate, like you could see the “in progress” of the piece and then the final performance on stage. The dance between Thea and Shabaz was very playful and supportive. It was among the jazz rooted dance combo of two women where I first heard audience participation. The smiles of the dancers were infectious and was why I felt they were dancing on a fine line of play and performance.
The piece I felt had the most partner work was of two men. Their movements relied on each other to do and was fascinating to see their level of trust with each other embodied on stage. Near the end of the show, a gorgeous older lady came out and started singing “You Are My Sunshine.” This was where I was brought to tears. Not only was it a beautiful moment that would carry on til the end of the performance, but my grandmother used to sing that song to me so the emotional impact was felt more intensely. Here the backdrop had lots of colors and instead of focusing on depicting dancing duos it was more on the collective emotion of liberation. Everyone came out on stage and joined for dance and song, including the audience from their seats once they were prompted. Singing and clapping together in a room full of people like that brought a feeling like that of when the dancers formed a circle on stage, completeness. Everything became interconnected and the illusion of the audience versus the stage fell. In a way, Synergy could be looked at as the collective healing which occurs after and alongside the individual healing of . I am excited to follow the works of Shacked Feet Dance Company and Becca Hoback.
Cuarta exposición anual navideña de la Galerie Tangerine y la serie I Am… con Jennifer Ingala
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El 20 de noviembre, la Galerie Tangerine acogió la recepción de inauguración de su 4.ª Exposición Anual del Salón Navideño, una colección que presenta más de 200 obras de arte de 60 artistas, tanto locales como de todo el país. Justo una semana antes del Día de Acción de Gracias, artistas y mecenas de Nashville se reunieron en el recinto para socializar, apreciar y celebrar juntos el inicio de la temporada navideña. Me alegré de estar entre los varios invitados que asistieron e incluso tuve la oportunidad de conocer y hablar con una de las artistas, Jennifer Ingala, sobre su destacado trabajo y mucho más.
El ambiente en la Galerie Tangerine era vibrante. En cuanto entré en la galería, me vi lanzado a un torbellino creativo vivo y palpitante: artistas (acompañados de sus familiares) y mecenas conversaban, sonaba música en directo de A Charlie Brown Christmas y el arte llenaba las paredes. Cada obra mide 12″ x 12″ y abarca desde acrílico y óleo sobre lienzo hasta esculturas de técnicas mixtas, entre otros medios. Anne Daigh Hare, propietaria de la Galerie Tangerine, respondió a algunas preguntas sobre la historia de la exposición y Nashville como entorno para artistas aspirantes y consolidados.
De las muchas obras presentes, las de Paulette Licitra fueron unas de las primeras en destacar. Sus piezas Picnic at the Artichoke Farm (Picnic en la granja de alcachofas) y At the Cantina (En la cantina) presentan pinceladas amplias y tonos verdes y rojos profundos, tanto para acentuar el tema como para ofrecer un contraste marcado, elementos que evocan el arte impresionista. Licitra es una chef neoyorquina que vive en Nashville e imparte clases de cocina italiana desde 2009. En su página web describe cómo su arte está fuertemente influenciado por los viajes a Italia y la cultura popular italiana. En Hot Chocolate con Panna (Chocolate caliente con nata), la colorida y muy onírica esencia que suele asociarse con las pintorescas escenas del campo italiano y la vida urbana está especialmente presente.
En la misma pared se encuentra la obra de Dustin Bancroft. Sus piezas se titulan Consumption (Consumo), Communication (Comunicación), Relaxation (Relajación), Recreation (Recreación) y Contemplation (Contemplación). Aunque el paisaje de cada obra es distinto y cada sujeto comparte la condición de ser una pintura, todas transmiten emociones únicas. En Consumption, el sujeto tiene la pierna izquierda levantada y fuera del encuadre haciéndonos sentir confinados. No llega al punto de dejarnos de rodillas, derrotados, como en Communication, pero hay un aura claustrofóbica que se nos acerca. Relaxation es muy diferente, ya que el sujeto tiene las piernas pegadas a los lados del lienzo, pero, gracias a los azules cálidos, los rojos cereza oscuros, la piel bronceada y la atmósfera playera, nos sentimos casi a gusto con la situación en la que nos encontramos.
A la vuelta de la esquina se encuentra la obra de Leslie Wade. American Mythos (Mito americano) y Limerence (Limerencia) abordan temas del folclore popular y los presentan a través de una lente hipersurrealista, con el uso de tonos vibrantes y fríos sobre fondos negros azabache. Cada una de las obras presentadas es óleo sobre paneles de madera y resulta un verdadero espectáculo en persona. También debo destacar los estilos impresionistas de Leslie Lachance y Kate Ferrell, así como el trabajo textil de Amy Garten. La exposición ofrece una gran variedad de arte que me impresionó profundamente.
Antes de entrar en el espacio final, miré con admiración seis pinturas encaústicas, todas representando la espalda de figuras femeninas. Tras unos momentos, una voz detrás de mí dijo: “¡Tócalos!”. Era Jennifer Ingala, artista y creadora de la colección titulada I Am… (Yo soy…). Ingala me describió apasionadamente el proceso de esta técnica, su historia y las razones por las que elige crear estas figuras. Sus mujeres son retratos que representan fuerza y aplomo. La elegancia y sofisticación asociadas a la imagen de la espalda de una mujer ofrecen una traducción clara de los momentos que Ingala está capturando. Son historias de crecimiento y aceptación, y el medio encaústico es un recipiente perfecto para ello. Al sentir los bordes suaves y crudos de cada I Am Grace (Soy gracia), empecé a entender lo refinado que es su estilo.
También me compartió los detalles de un próximo proyecto titulado Oh Romeo, una colección o dibujo animado que involucra a dos gatos, Romeo y Rose, y las aventuras que viven. Mi conversación con Ingala fue encantadora, e incluso tuvo la amabilidad de responder algunas preguntas por correo electrónico que puedes encontrar a continuación:
R.D.: ¿Cómo te involucraste con la Galerie Tangerine y su exposición anual de arte navideño?
J.I: Acababa de crear esta colección de bellas mujeres esculpidas, mi serie I Am…, y estaba buscando la galería adecuada para exhibirla. La Galerie Tangerine lanzó una convocatoria de artistas exactamente para el formato que yo acababa de crear, y supe que había sido guiada hasta allí. La comunicación de Allison Wanberg, su atención al detalle y su cuidada curaduría fueron de primer nivel. Fue una de mis exposiciones favoritas del año.
R.D.: Como alguien que no es de Nashville, ¿qué es lo que te interesa o te parece único de la escena artística y la comunidad de la ciudad?
J.I: Nashville es, como una vez describió Jackson Pollock, “una sinfonía de colores que convergen y colisionan, creando una composición visualmente impactante y cargada de emoción”. Una vez que comencé a adentrarme en la cultura de Nashville, me dejé llevar por la pasión y el pulso de su comunidad artística. Los colores, las luces y los sonidos crean una profundidad y una textura que me han cautivado. De inmediato, esto inspiró a mi espíritu creativo a fluir en nuevas direcciones. Como ejemplo, actualmente estoy en el proceso de crear una colección de cómics al estilo Calvin & Hobbes titulada Oh Romeo!, y también tengo ya un par de docenas de piezas con temática de Nashville para celebrar esta ciudad y su cultura icónicas.
J.I: Tu serie I Am… es una hermosa colección y un relato de toma de conciencia y transformación, perfectamente adecuada para la pintura encaústica. ¿Qué fue lo que inicialmente te atrajo de este medio y cómo influye el proceso de creación encaústica en tu enfoque artístico?
He trabajado con el medio encaústico durante más de diez años. No hay nada comparable. En términos simples, se trata del proceso de pintar con cera de abejas pigmentada y un soplete. Pero para mí es mucho más que eso. Soy una narradora, y es la misión de mi vida encontrar formas nuevas, frescas y, a menudo, poco convencionales de traducir los pensamientos, sentimientos y visiones que fluyen a través de mí. El medio encaústico me permite tallar y esculpir la cera, dando forma literal a mis visiones en piezas de arte multidimensionales y de gran textura. Cada obra es una instantánea de un momento en el tiempo y posee su propia historia única.
Con más de 60 artistas y 200 obras presentadas, no hay manera de que una sola reseña pueda siquiera rozar la superficie de lo que ofrece la Exposición Navideña de la Galerie Tangerine. ¡Así que échale un vistazo! Es una experiencia realmente única para la comunidad de Nashville y no debe perderse. Y, de nuevo, gracias a Jennifer Ingala por la conversación.
Galerie Tangerine’s 4th Annual Holiday Show and the ‘I Am…’ Series with Jennifer Ingala
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On November 20th, Galerie Tangerine hosted the opening reception for its 4th Annual Holiday Salon Show—a collection featuring over 200 works of art by 60 artists, both local and from around the country. Just a week ahead of Thanksgiving, Nashville artists and patrons gathered at the venue to socialize, appreciate, and celebrate the beginning of the holiday season together. I was pleased to be among the guests in attendance and had the opportunity to meet and speak with Jennifer Ingala, one of the featured artists, to discuss her work.
The energy at Galerie Tangerine was electric. As soon as I stepped into the gallery, I was thrust into a living, breathing creative whirlwind; artists (and their family members) and patrons conversed, live music from A Charlie Brown Christmas played, and art filled the walls. Each work is 12” by 12” and ranges from acrylic/oil on canvas to mixed media sculptures, and so on. Anne Daigh Hare, owner of Galerie Tangerine, answered a few questions about the history of the show and Nashville as an environment for aspiring and thriving artists.
Some of the first works that stand out to me were those of Paulette Licitra. Her Picnic at the Artichoke Farm and At the Cantina feature full brushstrokes and deep greens and reds, both accentuating the subject and providing stark contrast, elements evocative of Impressionist art. Licitra is a chef and New York native who resides in Nashville and has been teaching Italian cooking classes here since 2009. On her website, she describes how her art is heavily influenced by trips to Italy and Italian folk culture. In Hot Chocolate con Panna, the colorful, very dreamy essence that one often associates with the picturesque scenes of Italian countryside and city life is especially present. On the same wall lies the work of Dustin Bancroft. His pieces are titled Consumption, Communication, Relaxation, Recreation, and Contemplation. The landscape of each painting is distinct, and each subject confronts the shared circumstance of being a painting, yet they bear expressions unique from one another. In Consumption, the subject has its left leg kicked up and out of the frame; we feel confined. Not quite to the point of bringing us to our knees, defeated, as in Communication, but there is a claustrophobic aura that we feel is impending. Relaxation is quite different, in that the subject has its legs pressed up against the sides of the canvas. However, thanks to the warm blues, dark cherry reds, and tan skin, along with the beachy atmosphere, we feel almost at ease with the situation we find ourselves in.
Around the corner, you will find the work of Leslie Wade. American Mythos and Limerence presents subjects of popular folklore through a hyper-surreal lens, utilizing vibrant, cool tones against jet-black backgrounds. Each of her works featured is painted in oil on wood panels and is such a sight to see in person. I should also note the impressionistic styles of Leslie Lachance and Kate Ferrell, as well as the textile work of Amy Garten. The show has a wide variety of art, which I was very impressed with.
Before entering the final space, I looked with admiration at six encaustic paintings, all depicting the backs of female figures. After a few moments, a voice behind me said, “Touch them!” It was Jennifer Ingala, the artist and creator of the collection. Titled the I Am… series, Ingala passionately described the encaustic process, its history, and why she chooses to portray these figures. Her women are portraits that convey strength and poise. The elegance and sophistication associated with the image of a woman’s backside provide a precise translation for the moments that Ingala is capturing. These are stories of growth and acceptance, and the encaustic medium is a perfect vessel for that. As I felt the smooth, raw edges of each I Am Grace, I began to understand just how refined her style is. She also shared with me the details of an upcoming project titled “Oh Romeo,” a collection/cartoon featuring two cats, Romeo and Rose, and their adventures. My conversation with Ingala was delightful, and she was even gracious enough to answer a few questions for me over email, which you can find below:
R.D.: How did you become involved with Galerie Tangerine/their annual holiday art show?
J.I.: I had just created this collection of beautiful, sculptured women, my “I Am…” series and I was looking for the right gallery to show them. Galerie Tangerine had an artists call for the exact size I had just created and I knew I had been guided here. Allison Wanberg’s communication, attention to detail and beautiful curation was top notch. This was one of my favorite shows of the year.
R.D.: As a non-Nashvillean, what about Nashville’s art scene and community interests you/do you find unique?
J.I.: Nashville is as Jackson Pollack once described “a symphony of colors converging and colliding, creating a visually arresting and emotionally charged composition “. Once I started digging into the Nashville culture I was swept up by the passion of the pulse of the arts community. The colors, lights and sounds create a depth and texture that has captivated me. It immediately inspired my creative spirit to flow in new directions. To illustrate, I’m currently in the process of creating a Calvin & Hobbes-esque comic collection called “Oh Romeo!” And currently have a couple dozen Nashville themed pieces to celebrate this iconic city and culture.
R.D.: Your “I Am…” series is a beautiful collection and story of realization and becoming, perfectly suited for encaustic painting. What initially attracted you to the medium and how does the process of creating encaustic works influence your approach?
J.I.: I’ve been working in the encaustic medium for more than 10 years. There’s nothing else like it. Simply put, it’s the process of painting with pigmented beeswax and a torch. But it’s so much more than that for me. I am a storyteller and it’s my life’s mission to find fresh new and often quirky ways to translate the thoughts, feelings and visions that flow through me. The encaustic medium allows me to carve and sculpt the wax literally forming my visions into multidimensional, highly textural pieces of art. Each piece is a snapshot of a moment in time and its own unique story.
With over 60 artists and 200 works featured, there is no way that one review could even cover the surface of what Galerie Tangerine’s Holiday Show has to offer. So, check it out! It is a seriously unique experience for the Nashville community and should not be missed! And again, thank you to Jennifer Ingala for the conversation.