Bobby Watson & Horizon:
One of the most versatile alto saxophonists currently making jazz, Bobby Watson is equally at home playing hard-bop, free jazz or swing. He first made his mark as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, acting as musical director for the legendary drummer (and helping a young Wynton Marsalis make his first recordings). Watson recently reunited with Horizon, the hard-bop quintet he founded in the early ‘80s. Featuring pianist Edward Simon, trumpeter Terel Stafford, bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Victor Lewis, Horizon allows Watson to fully explore the subtle dynamics of his instrument.

Odean Pope Saxophone Choir:
Fiery post-bop tenor saxophonist Odean Pope got his start in the pit band of Philadelphia’s Uptown Theater, playing backup for people like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin. But when John Coltrane asked him to sub for him in the Jimmy Smith trio, his jazz chops came to the fore. Pope is perhaps most famous for his long association with legendary drummer Max Roach, a collaboration which helped the saxophonist evolve his propulsive style. His mastery of circular breathing and multiphonics allows his to create unique improvisations and explore far-flung sonic possibilities before returning to earth with a solid swing sensibility. Pope will be appearing with his Saxophone Orchestra, a group consisting of nine saxophones and a rhythm section. Explosive creativity is sure to result.

Hiromi:
Only twenty-six years old and a piano prodigy with two critically acclaimed albums already under her belt, Hiromi Uehara is a creature of intensity. A native of Japan and a graduate of Berklee School Of Music, Hiromi’s music is marked by piano pyrotechnics, harmonic adventurousness and sheer unadulterated energy. Originally trained as a classical musician, her decision to pursue jazz came at age 17, after Chick Corea invited her to appear onstage with him. Reviewing her 2003 debut Another Mind, Jazziz magazine said: “This virtuoso has the mindset of a modern-jazz musician, discarding very little music because of potentially valuable influences that might be lost. Thus, Another Mind sounds like a convergence of Hiromi's influences, from Bach and Oscar Peterson to King Crimson and Sly & the Family Stone.”

Soweto Kinch with special guest Abram Wilson :
Over the years, everyone from Max Roach to Gang Starr’s Guru has tried to map the tricky common ground between jazz and hip-hop. But young British saxophonist Soweto Kinch may be one of the most adept at synthesizing the two genres. Son of a Barbadian father and a Jamaican mother, the young Birmingham-based musician is an intense improviser, who effortlessly throws reggae and hip-hop elements into his firmly post-bop musical style. His 2003 debut album Conversations With The Unseen won the prestigious Mercury Prize and his astonishing live shows have made him a rising star on the international jazz scene.

Tompkins Square Park, August 28, 2005