NIGHT LIFE
Bunny Wailer This reggae pioneer and founding member of the legendary Wailers treats the city to a rare appearance, playing his irst local show in years. Wailer contributed to his band’s groundbreaking 1973 album, “Catch a Fire,” before cutting his own rich hits through the seventies and eighties. Wailer has since drawn acclaim and controversy as an outspoken guardian of what he sees as Jamaica’s cultural property: in one instance, when Snoop Dogg briely feigned a conversion to Rastafarianism while promoting a documentary with Vice in 2012, Wailer appeared in support but then denounced the project when he learned of its “commercialized” nature. (B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 W. 42nd St. 212-997-4144. May 1.) Young Thug On a recent segment on CNN, Lyor Cohen, a bullish record executive, spoke to a wily recording artist from Atlanta named Jefrey Williams, who listened and responded intently. “Your fans want to hear from you,” Cohen prodded, advising the rapper known as Young Thug to promote his releases more directly on social media. Williams pushed back, arguing that obfuscation was his core promotional tenet. “I don’t want everybody just to know,” he said. It’s a riveting exchange between a veteran suit with an unrivalled stat sheet, now heading up a new label, 300 Entertainment, and an oddball auteur who has beguiled his way into Vogue spreads and Kanye West album credits. Part of Young Thug’s appeal is the relatable in his whimsy. His delivery is tangled with Atlanta parlance, unwinding into straight lines that are worth the work: “I’m living life like a beginner, and this is only the beginning,” he raps on the crossover single “Lifestyle,” despite having recorded a career’s worth of albums and mixtapes at just twenty-three. (Playstation Theatre, 1515 Broadway. 212-930-1950. May 2.)
1 JAZZ AND STANDARDS Ehud Asherie “Shule Along,” Ehud Asherie’s new album, touches upon tunes by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle which will be heard in the upcoming revival of the historic 1921 Broadway production of the same name, but the skillful pianist isn’t riding anyone’s coattails. The project—actually recorded two years ago—reveals a passionate craftsman joyfully at ease with pre-swing idioms. (Mezzrow, 163 W. 10th St. mezzrow.com. April 28.) Billy Hart He’s decades older than his bandmates, but this illustrious drummer—here celebrating his seventyifth birthday—has no trouble keeping the pianist Ethan Iverson, the tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, and the bassist Ben Street on their toes, bringing the same rhythmic acuity that he honed with, among many others, Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders, and Stan Getz. As vital a presence as Hart remains, this quartet is, in efect, a coöperative ensemble, and the tonal weave it achieves is a glory of twenty-irst-century jazz. (Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St. 212-576-2232. April 28-May 1.) Donald Harrison, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham Trio It’s one of those combinations of instrumental personalities which don’t quite make sense on 16
THE NEW YORKER, MAY 2, 2016
paper yet are smashing successes onstage; this multigenerational trio brings together a New Orleans neo-bebopper with a funky streak (Harrison), a virtuosic percussionist who codiied Fusion drumming (Cobham), and a bass superstar who has yet to be confounded by any genre (Carter). Whether waxing lyrical or swinging ferociously, these three bring out the best in one another. (Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St. 212-475-8592. April 27-May 1.)
Donny McCaslin/Frank Kimbrough Quartet Those expecting McCaslin to ofer more of the cathartic new jazz-saxophone efusions he contributed to David Bowie’s inal album may be in for a pleasant surprise when he unites with the historically informed pianist Kimbrough in a tribute to the late tenor saxophone giant Joe
Henderson. Here, McCaslin may be more bound to tradition, but his accustomed dexterity and venturesome spirit are sure to seep through. (Jazz at Kitano, 66 Park Ave., at 38th St. 212-8857119. April 29-30.)
Trio 3 The saxophonist Oliver Lake, the bassist Reggie Workman, and the drummer Andrew Cyrille are patriarchs of avant-garde jazz, and are ready and willing, even at retirement age, to head irst into the musical breach. Their continued commitment and ardent resolve, exhibited in more than two decades as an interactive trio with a brace of ine recordings, should be a model for contemporary players. (Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St. 212-2554037. April 26-May 1.)
ABOVE & BEYOND
IndieCade East If the international festival of independent video games known as IndieCade is the Sundance of its ield, this East Coast ofshoot might be the Tribeca Film Festival. The independent gaming industry has grown into a vital incubator of new ideas—and the technologies with which to implement them—particularly with the advent of V.R. riling the ield. The three-day event, held at the Museum of the Moving Image, features arcade stations with unreleased games, as well as talks and presentations that engage with the form critically and examine its changing place in the world, from the use of video games in schools and libraries to a retrospective of titles set in New York City. (36-01 35th Ave., Queens. 718-777-6800. April 29-May 1.) READINGS AND TALKS
Joe’s Pub The writer and comedian Catie Lazarus has hosted the monthly talk show and podcast “Employee of the Month” since 2010, talking with guests like Jon Stewart, Barney Frank, and Miss Piggy. Her unorthodox interview style and background in psychology help Lazarus get stories out of her subjects which others cannot, including David Simon, the creator of “The Wire,” who this spring recalled a scene from his teen years. His father was being held hostage in the 1977 Hanai Siege, and when he received the news, Simon was terriied, but relieved that it got him out of high-school detention: “I have to tell this now, because you brought this up!” To celebrate the six-year milestone, she invites the musician Kyp Malone, of the band TV on the Radio; Julia Cameron, the author of “The Artist’s Way”; the MacArthur Fellow and award-winning playwright Suzan Lori-Parks; and a bevy of musical guests. (425 Lafayette St. 212-539-8778. April 28 at 7.)
Dixon Place The PEN American Center is devoted to advancing free expression in literature and theatre and providing legal and inancial support for writers internationally. As part of the PEN World Voices Festival, founded by Salman Rushdie and held since 2005, a group of acclaimed Mexican and Mexican-American authors and playwrights ofer “Mexico in Two Acts,” a lecture and panel discussion “designed to expose hidden cultural and political realities.” The playwright Sabina Berman presents the irst act, in which speakers discuss the country’s socioeconomic and cultural state; in Act II, the Spanish-language authors Jennifer Clement, Claudio Lomnitz, Pedro Ángel Palou, and Marcela Turati respond to the ideas of Act I. (161A Chrystie St. 212-219-0736. April 27 at 7:30.)
N.Y.U. Silver Center In his new book, “A History of Violence: Living and Dying in Central America,” Óscar Martínez takes a close look at the gang violence that plagues Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Martínez is an investigative reporter for the inluential online news outlet El Faro; his irst book, “The Beast,” consists of essays irst published on the news site, providing early irsthand accounts of the harrowing life faced by Central American migrants. Their stories are now woven into the political discourse of an election year: with news of truces possibly quelling stubborn conlicts in El Salvador and refugee crises becoming national concerns, Martínez’s work arrives at a vital juncture. He launches his latest book in conversation with Francisco Goldman and the New Yorker staf writer Jon Lee Anderson, moderated by Diana Taylor. (Hemmerdinger Hall, 100 Washington Square E. versobooks.com. May 2 at 6.)
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ILLUSTRATION BY PABLO AMARGO
for Loving You.” Her New York shows have grown each year; a second night at the historic Beacon Theatre was added after the irst quickly sold out. (Broadway at 74th St. 212-465-6500. April 28-29.)