The Many Movements of Impulse! Night

by Maria Shaughnessy

Always look at a performer’s feet in concert. The feet provide an insight to how each musician feels their music and where their groove lies (because, you know, groove is personal). Whether it is a subtle tap of the foot, heavy stomping, or even complete stillness, there is a certain grounding that comes only from movement or the lack thereof. While some motions may seem more practical than others—say, the changing of a harp pedal or the tap of a looper pedal—all motion is indispensable in music.

Impulse! Night at this year’s Winter Jazzfest, hosted at Le Poisson Rouge’s main stage, provided an interesting case study for these movements. To open the show, saxophonist James Brandon Lewis joined The Messthetics trio (made up of the former Fugazi members Joe Lally on bass, Brendan Canty on drums, and Anthony Pirog on guitar, for a quintessentially jazz-rock fusion set. The quartet balanced some surprisingly minimalist ballads with traditional head-bangers that energized the crowd. Here, I had a perfect view of Anthony Pirog’s pedal setup, which he subtly used to create hypnotic loops with his guitar riffs, over which James Brandon Lewis masterfully soloed, moving seamlessly between bebop and freer,

Coltrane-esque lines. Overall, they set the tone for a great night to come.

The next set was a classic trio: Brandee Younger on harp, Rashaan Carter on bass, and Allan Mednard on drums, all of whom I had seen almost exactly a year before at Winter Jazzfest 2023’s Impulse! Night at LPR. There was a similar awe in the audience both years upon hearing the first shimmering notes of Younger’s arpeggios. At first very free-flowing, Mednard and Carter’s entrance provided a structure and momentum to the music of Alice Coltrane that snapped the audience out of their daze and into a synchronized sway. This is where the feet get interesting. While I know it is hard to look away from a harpist’s hands, I would always recommend focusing more on the feet, especially when you get the rare opportunity to see harp performed in a non-classical setting. The pedals, a 19th century innovation to the harp’s mechanism, are what bring the instrument from a diatonic accompaniment to the chromatic wonderland that it offers today. Watching Younger’s feet skillfully change pedals during her fast glissandos and arpeggios without a single buzz was a feat in and of itself, but the harmonic understanding that it provided made the performance all the more enjoyable for a harpist and music nerd like myself.

The final set that I watched (though it was the penultimate in the lineup) was another mesmerizing experience. Before the free jazz ensemble Irreversible Entanglements was even on stage, their presence was made known with the soft ringing of bells, reminiscent of the beginning of Julius Eastman’s Femenine. As they walked up, always ringing their bells, words slowly started being thrown out. “Dedication” was the first one I heard, mumbled by drummer Tcheser Holmes. Soon, there was a chaos of “tranquility,” “l’amour,” “serenity,” “clarity,” “Congo,” “Palestine!” Some musicians began accompanying the poetry, until each member of the ensemble was playing in full swing. Vocalist Moor Mother preached to the audience: “Free Love!” Irreversible Entanglements, like few others I have heard before, toed the line between hypnotizing the audience and activating them. The instruments did not hamper the movement of these performers by a single step: they traveled the boundaries of the stage in their dancing and music-making until each member ended up in a different place than they had started.

Due to jet lag and sore feet, I had to leave after the first few minutes of the final set (the one I had come to see, in fact), led by Shabaka Hutchings on flute with Brandee Younger returning on harp, Esperanza Spalding on bass, and so many other incredible musicians. I will not comment on much, considering my experience of it was so short, but I will say the stillness achieved in those first few minutes was what truly illuminated to me the importance of paying attention to movement—and feet. Always look at the feet.

By Georgia Dillane

The frigid and rainy weather could not keep the jazz lovers inside this January as the New York Winter Jazzfest fell upon Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. As per Winter Jazzfest tradition, the Manhattan and Brooklyn Marathons forerun the lineup of headlining shows that takes place later in the weekend. As was indicated by the scurrying feet and hurried pace of people passing between venues, the attendees of Winter Jazzfest Marathons are quick on their toes making sure they see as much of the impressive lineup as possible. As was the case for me, traversing the cold LES streets on Friday night, by foot, by bus, and by train to see what I could. One could talk at length about all the shows available that night but here was the route I took:

Starting at 7:30 PM sharp at Zurcher Gallery, Kalia Vandever entranced the already packed gallery space. This was the second time I’ve seen Vandever perform her solo trombone work and the second time I have, with great pride, shed a tear.

Next came a quick jaunt over to catch the tail end of Marc Ribot and Mary Halvorson’s set at Bowery Ballroom. Ribot’s spin on the 1990’s Empire State Building brochure was a highlight for me. Funny, nostalgic, and precise.

When we got to Nublu next to see Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons, it was packed. So packed, in fact, that I met Marshall Allen in line for the bathroom—no biggie. He was wearing a sparkling baseball cap, so I already knew the show was going to be good. And it was!

Though I arguably could have stayed all night, two shows on the West side were calling our names. A quick run through the now rainy streets, a crosstown bus brought us to Racket where Ray Angry & Friends feat. J.Period paid tribute to J Dilla. Energy was high!

Too few words remain here for me to describe the final show we saw that night: Shabaka with Quartetto Fantastico at City Winery. Pure bliss, pure talent. Winter Jazzfest is pure fun.