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When he was 18, Brazilian guitarist Fabiano do Nascimento left his musical family and studies at the Conservatório de Musica Brasileira in Rio de Janeiro, and began playing music in Los Angeles. He’s been floating between the Afro-Brazilian, samba, jazz and ambient-soul worlds ever since, recording for SoCal future-music staples like Stones Throw/Now-Again and Leaving, a regular presence alongside LA smarties such as saxophonist Sam Gendel, singer-songwriter Mia Doi Todd and connector-supreme Carlos Niño, but also alongside Brazilian legends such as percussionist Airto Moreira and writer/producer/arranger Arthur Verocai. Nascimento has released two exquisite albums in 2026: On Vila, he fronts by the Vittor Santos Orchestra, an old-school, strings-heavy + jazz-drummer session that harkens back to a specific kind of polyphonic ‘70s Brasil vibe; whereas Aquáticos finds his acoustic picking fitting into the Balearic soul soundscapes of producer Eddie Ruscha. He’s playing in-the-round at LPR, so an orchestra is unlikely. Vibes, though, are de rigueur. (Thurs 7/23, 7:30p @ Le Poisson Rouge, Manhattan - $25adv/$30)
Great bill of (mostly local) experimental composer-players whose music leans thoughtful and playful: Saapato is the ambient project of upstate producer Brendan Principato, full of melody, synths, and movements, with a focus on ecology. Drummer Matt Evans (not sure whether he is performing solo or with his floating Aquatic House conglomeration) captures polyrhythmic work at its most prog-fun, and globally inviting. Los Angeles-based composer Isaac Sherman’s synth-heavy pieces embrace popular song-/track-forms and pulsing rhythm. Double-bassist Henry Fraser’s idea of playfulness tends to be darker, more drone-oriented than that of the others; his new solo album, Pneuma is a weighty meditation. (Thurs 7/23, 7:30p @ Cassette, Ridgewood - $15-$20)
The city’s classic new-dance-music series, MoMA PS1’s Warm-Up, kicks off its “summer of New York” edition with corker! There’s Detroit-to-Bay-Area selector supreme Carlos Souffront, “outsider house” cornerstone DJ Richard, and TELESONIQ, repping the excellent NYC/LA Bunny Jr. tape-label; but at the center of the Friday afternoon-into-evening outdoor soiree is a showcase for the beloved Bronx reggae/dub label, Wackie’s, centered on its founder/producer Lloyd “Bullwackie” Barnes, with singers Claudette “Lovejoy” Brown and Wayne Jarrett; there’s also a set from Mark Ernestus, co-founder of Berlin’s dub-techno institution Basic Channel, who, crucially, spent the late-’90s and ‘00s reissuing many of the great Wackie’s 7”s and dubs. Ernestus is currently deep into the sound of South African amapiano, and uses dub mixing strategies to present that incredible music. (Fri 7/24, 4p @ MoMA PS1, Long Island City - $22-$40) FILM + TALK: The day after PS1, the Bullwackie & friends crew gather at Anthology in the East Village, for a rare screening of Christopher Coy’s 1985 documentary, Bullwackie in New York, which captures the community around the label at around their artistic peak; a post-screening discussion with “tonal geologist” (and Dweller co-presenter) Ryan C. Clarke. (Sat 7/25, 2P @ Anthology Film Archives, Manhattan - $14)
BRIC brings a great Jazz at the Bandshell bill to Celebrate Brooklyn: The headliner, veteran jazz-funk-rock drummer Cindy Blackman Santana leads a big ornery group (that occasionally gets an all-star pick-up from her husband, legendary guitarist Carlos Santana); and opening is the award-winning young jazz vocalist Lucía. But for my money, the bill’s glue and reason to get to the park early, is vibraphonist Patricia Brennan’s Septet, whose percussion- and horn-heavy pieces are what happens when free-jazz/creative music approaches turn psychedelic and weird-dance-floor-ready. Brennan has been among my favorite artists working for a few years now. She still is. (Fri 7/24, 7p @ Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park - FREE)
Beyond the new community dance-party institution St. James Joy the Vill family dreamed up during the pandemic, the local block association continues to produce the annual St. James Place Block Party—though in the wake of the joyful dance institution, it too has become a different kind of party. After all, not a lot of block parties are powered by one of the city’s great community soundsystems, or feature some of the community’s best DJs—today: Stonie Blue, the incomparable Quinnette, and Sabine Blaizin all join Chad and Jo Vill on the decks. (Sat 7/25, 1p @ St. James Pl. bet. Gates & Greene, Clinton Hill - FREE)
For a few years now, I’ve espoused my love for Nu Jazz, a quintet-turned-sextet whose idea of that four-letter-word-as-musical-tradition reaffirms the chaos potential of improvisation. Consisting of Deli Girls’ Dan Orlowski on heavily autotuned screamo vocals, 29 Speedway’s Ben “ex.wiish” Shirken on electronics, John “Murderpact” Bemis on drums, Wrens/Trap Music Orchestra trumpeter Ryan Easter, Kevin Eichenberger of CGI Jesus on bass guitar, and now Adam Turay who plays guitar with art-folkies The Narcotix, Nu Jazz is kind of a Bklyn improvised venn-diagram come to life into a post-hardcore lava flow. This week the group releases an excellent second studio album, appropriately titled Un Jazz—a rolling groove starting point that is no one’s idea of that four-letter—whose spur-of-the-momentousness captures the spirit behind that word’s use like it rarely is. Said it before, saying it again: one of the best bands in the city. (Sat 7/25, 9:30p @ Nightclub 101, Manhattan - $17-$23)
The fantabulous British vibraphonist and instrument-maker Bex Burch is in town this week, to perform a more involved version of a new composition next week. (More below.) But prior, Burch has assembled a local band to follow-through on a community music happening she’s been producing in Berlin for the last few years: Kantine Musik “brings people together through music-making and food in a relaxed, family-friendly and non-commercial environment.” Joining Bex on Sunday is cellist rocío sánchez, violinist Eylem Basaldi, reeds player Aakash Mittal, and multi-instrumentalist Che Chen. (Sun 7/26, 2p @ Sunview Luncheonette, Greenpoint - FREE)
The trio El Khat consists of a trio of second-generation Yemeni immigrants living in Berlin, performing new unique Arabic tunes infused with a Western soulful psychedelic rock energy and spirit. Thinking about their performances and the modern dilemma (living in a time of genocide and massive migrational displacement) has lodged a question in my mind: how do artists physically detached from a land (or “a nation”) continue to create a culture centered on that land and its traditions, but speak to their foreign neighbors and audiences? El Khat, whose music and heritage remains deeply Yemeni, form one answer. The mighty DJ Nickodemus opens, and will know exactly what to play for context. (Sun 7/26, 7p @ Union Pool, W’burg - $15-$20)
That DoYeon Kim brings the gayageum, a Korean zither with 12-25 strings that is a cornerstone of the country’s folk and classical traditions, into a creative music context, already makes the 35 year-old Seoul-born, Brooklyn-residing instrumentalist a musical unicorn. Having studied under the Korean masters but decamped States-side to find another expression for the gayageum, she transcends the cliches of creative exploration, diving into the deep end and dragging a 1500-year-old instrument with her. During a three-day residency at this new space on Vanderbilt Avenue, Kim will show just how that exploration takes her, in three different directions. Sunday she’s in a sextet alongside trumpeter Peter Evans, pianist Elias Stemeseder, bassist Sam Minaie, drummer Tom Rainey and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi; Monday she performs a solo set, that will inevitably feature her amazing voice; and Tuesday, Kim will be inside a most unique “strings” trio, flanked by cellist Lester St. Louis and violinist gabby fluke-mogul. (Sun 7/26 - Tues 7/28, 7:30 @ Seeds, Prospect Heights - $20)
A triple bill of rhythm conceptualists: Gloorp is former Of Montreal drummer Garrett Burke, now based in Philadelphia, whose solo percussion practice (drums, machines, computers) results in amazing polyphonic beatscapes, deeply indebted to both old global traditions and current beat trends. alice does computer music is cellist Alice Gerlach whose electronics-heavy “sonic ecosystems” often sprawl into wonder, but also occasionally come up with incredible pop songs. Andy Loebs shapes post-EDM/-vaporwave electronics into something approaching weird pop. (Mon 7/27, 6:30p @ Nightclub 101, Manhattan - $20-$27)
Pioneer Works’ False Harmonics series (#27) of experimental music stacks a mid-summer bill based on sound as a physical trigger: Composer Dean Hurley became best-known as one of David Lynch’s musical collaborators, scoring the bring-back season of Twin Peaks—cue: “nerves.” Sound-healing practitioner C. Lavender performs with machines and physical-reaction-inducing percussion instruments; and electronic composer Ash Fure is working through her Berghain-techno fascination, which has culminated not only in some fascinating music but a “listening gym” installation also currently up at PW. (Tues 7/28, 8p @ Pioneer Works, Red Hook - $20-$35)
Alongside Shabaka, Jeff Parker and the late jaimie branch, Chicago-based drummer (and “beat scientist”) Makaya McCraven has, for me, embodied the decade-long turn that the improvised music sometimes called “jazz” has made towards popular embrace. His magnificent records cut-up raw performances into compositions, and his live shows feature amazing ensembles to take those compositions to new levels, front-and-centering the music’s groove. For a decade now, I feel like the jazz police haven’t given him his propers—in a conversation a few years back, one prominent critic dismissed his albums to me as “nothing more than beat tapes,” showing they missed the point entirely. Yet now he’s making his leader debut at one of New York’s remaining jazz temples, and I am so where to cheerlead Makaya on. Guarantee that the band will swing and stomp accordingly. (Tues 7/28 - Sun 8/2, 8p & 10p @ Village Vanguard, Manhattan - $40)
Unheard: Spencer Zahn & friends (Thurs 7/23, 6p @ Domino Park, W’burg - FREE) - bassist Zahn returns to Pique-nique’s wholly improvised music series with a stellar line-up of Morgan Guerin (sax, EWI, drums, keys), Alfredo Colón (sax, EWI) and Kirk Schoenherr (guitar, electronics).
Downtown Boys (Thurs 7/23, 10p @ Babys All Right, W’burg - $25) - one of the city’s best punk bands of the last decade has returned with a great new album, Public Luxury.
Kris Davis, Ingrid Lauborck + Tyshawn Sorey (Thurs 7/23 - Sun 7/26, 8p & 10p @ Village Vanguard - $45-$50) - three of the great artists currently generating creative music, channeling power and gravity to seize the moment. (More last week)
Bulla en el Barrio (Fri 7/24, 8p @ Barzakh Cafe, Crown Heights - $10-$15) - the Colombian-in-NYC drums-and-singers troupe returns to the great Crown heights backroom.
Kazemde George, Tyrone Allen II & Kayvon Gordon (Fri 7/24, 8p & 9:30p @ Bar Bayeux, Prospect-Lefferts - $uggested + on drink minimum) - young saxophonist George’s massive longtime trio, in the neighborhood jazz bar.
HAUS of ALTR (Fri 7/24, 10p @ Bossa Nova Civic Club, Bushwick - $10/$15) - MoMA Ready’s long-running Haus party has a monster triple-bill, with D.C.’s James Bangura, plus young local producer Tlim Shug, whose hard disk dancer EP has been in heavy rotation at chez dada for much of the year.
Sweater on Polo ++ (Fri 7/24, 10p @ Nowadays, Ridgewood - $10 w/RSVP before 11p—$26) - Mali playing a live-set in the midst of a “Focus: Acid” bill bound to be interesting.
Night & Day: Surgeon b2b DJ Pete + Abby Echiverri ++ (Fri 7/24, 10p @ Signal, East W’burg - $20-$45) - give me a European techno party, but excellent sound-designers—Birmingham’s Surgeon and Berlin’s Pete are all-timers, The Bunker resident Echiverri is an excellent local.
TALK: New Eyes on Greg Tate: Flyboy in the Buttermilk Revisited (Sat 7/25, 1p @ MoCADA, Fort Greene - FREE w/RSVP) - the late critical mastermind Tate’s first opus has just been reprinted, so the New Eyes Collective gathers a few hella-smartie Black cultural voices to discuss his impact.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! at Brower Park (Sat 7/25, 1p @ Brower Park, Crown Heights - FREE) - councilman Chi Ossé (Combat Jack’s kid) brings a block party vibe, with Black House Radio, Chicago house legend Terry Hunter, sound by Dub-Stuy and more.
Found Sound Nation pres. Shara Lunon & Lee Hooper (Sat 7/25, 4p @ Barbés, Park Slope - $20) - great cultural border-crossing improvisation from mighty vocalist Lunon and flutist Hooper.
Unscripted Soundscapes (Sat 7/25, 7p @ Ibeam, Gowanus - $20) - a trio of trios night in Gowanus, middle one is saxophonist Jonathan Reisin, bassist Luke Stewart and drummer Tomas Fujiwara.
alana amore colvin (Sat 7/25, 8p & 9:30p @ Filthy Diamond, Bushwick - $TK) - the mighty electric guitarist leading a quartet into the Bushwick bar.
Ali Berger ++ (Sat 7/25, 11p @ Public Records, Gowanus - $20-$30) - in the midst of a typically excellent Public Records klubnighty (Ciel, Shawn Dub, Jerome Derradji), a live set by one of the great hardware improvisers in the city.
Ge-ology + Ayanna Heaven + Cosmo (Sun 7/26, 4p @ Signal, East W’burg - FREE w/RSVP before 5p—$35) - massive all-locals triple bill.
Afro-Latinas: Susana Baca ++ (Sun 7/26, 6p @ Summerstage, Central Park - FREE) - a big, multi-generational bill co-presented with Festival Latinidades and Afro-Latino Festival NYC, is headlined by the amazing Peruvian folk modernist who ended up being the country’s minister of culture.
LISTENING PARTY: Rekekah Fawn Heller (Mon 7/27, 7p @ Sisters, 900 Fulton - FREE) - wonderful bassoonist and composer premieres a new album, Righteous Rage, with compositions by Julius Eastman, Fay Victory and Steve Reich, among others.
Leilani Patao + Misster (Mon 7/27, 8p @ The Broadway, Broadway & Myrtle - $12adv/$15) - two former students of mine, making progressive electronic pop.
Tropica Vortex presents A.B.E.L.A (Mon 7/27, 9p @ Barbés, Park Slope - $15suggested) - the drum-machine-circle syndicate keeps rising - their Monday night gigs at Barbés are intimate and groovy, one of my fave nights in the city during “summer of New York.”.
Nduduzo Makhathini Trio (Mon 7/27 & Tues 7/28, 7p & 9p @ Dizzy’s, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Uptown - $25-$$$) - incredible South African pianist rolls into the uptown club with reasonable admission and drink-prices—yes, it’s in a mall, but still…
Luke Stewart residency (Wed 7/29 - Sat 8/1, 8:30p @ The Stone, New School, Manhattan - $20) - I have known Brother Luke well for about seven or eight years now, and I believe this is his first full-week residency at The Stone. His ideas of how music and community shape each other are in Dada Strain’s DNA. Expect Blacks’ Myths and Silt Trio, plus the unexpected.
Dada Strain + Pique-nique will Present Sounds with Steam Down (Live) (Thurs 7/30, 7p @ Light & Sound Design Studio, Greenpoint - RSVP + $20-$30) - Jared and Sam Pique-nique and I will collaborate on an evening of deep listening music at everyone’s favorite DIY art-music loft, and will be joined by Ahnansé for a solo saxophone+electronics set!
Bex Burch: as yet untitled + Tomin (Fri 7/31, 8p @ Judson Church, Manhattan - FREE w/RSVP) - The good folks at FourOneOne present two of my favorite musical humans as a double-bill. Burch brings her conceptual work-in-progress, “as yet untitled,” back to NYC (it debuted at Dada Strain’s Winter Jazzfest showcase in January) with an exquisite ensemble that includes Peter Zummo, Mikel Patrick Avery, Lia Kohl, Gabriel Birnbaum, Evan Ziporyn and Carmen Quill. Opening the evening is my woodwind-playing brother, Tomin.
Dada Strain @ L&SD (Sat 8/22, 7p @ Light & Sound Design Studios, Greenpoint) - SAVE The DATE! I have another great #rhythm #improvisation #community line-up for you.
Haruomi Hosono (Wed 9/16, 8p @ Radio City Music Hall, Midtown - $$$) - The 78 year-old co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra, and one of the seminal figures in 20th century Japanese popular, electronic and experimental music, is returning to the U.S. to support a new album also dropping in September.
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