BRIC JazzFest | Night 2

Join BRIC on October 19, 20, and 21 for our ninth annual BRIC JazzFest! This acclaimed marathon Jazz festival, which is one of BRIC’s premiere performing arts programs, will take place across three days and two stages.

The 2023 BRIC JazzFest lineup brings together legends and rising stars from both inside and outside the jazz genre. This year, we’re blending the worlds of jazz and Hip-Hop and celebrating some of our favorite genre-crossing artists. Plus, we’re bringing you an extra special panel discussion and film series.

This year’s carefully crafted lineup is curated by artist Melanie Charles along with Brice Rosenbloom and BRIC Producer Viviana Benitez.

If you are interested in covering BRIC JazzFest, please submit a media request here.

BUT TICKETS HERE

NIGHT 1 LINEUP | THURSDAY OCT 19, 7PM
NIGHT 2 LINEUP | FRIDAY OCT 20, 7PM
NIGHT 3 LINEUP | SATURDAY OCT 21, 7PM

PLUS: The weekend before BRIC JazzFest, we’re presening a FREE outdoor jazz concert at The Plaza @ 300 Ashland ft. Endea Owens and The Cookout on Sat, Oct. 14! Learn more HERE.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 LINEUP

Georgia Anne Muldrow

The music of Georgia Anne Muldrow erases the boundaries between progressive soul, organic hip-hop, and avant-garde jazz. Part of a richly musical bloodline, Muldrow made her recorded debut in 2004 and became the first woman signed to the revered Stones Throw label, releasing her expansive first album, Olesi: Fragments of an Earth, two years later. By then, she was an integral player in Los Angeles’ thriving underground scene of beatmakers, instrumentalists, singers, rappers, songwriters, and label operators. She has filled all of those roles with varied solo albums such as Umsindo (2009), Seeds (2012), and the Grammy-nominated Overload (2018), as well as the Vweto series (2011 to 2021). A keen collaborator, Muldrow has recorded a large volume of output with husband Dudley Perkins, including releases on their independent outlet SomeOthaShip, and has been featured on recordings by the likes of Sa-Ra, Erykah Badu, and Robert Glasper.

BIGYUKI

Masayuki Hirano – better known as BIGYUKI – is a ground-breaking songwriter and virtuoso keyboard player who blends jazz, soul, hip-hop and electronica to create a sound that’s wholly his own. Alongside releasing his own inimitable music, BIGYUKI is highly sought-after as a performer and collaborator by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Kamasi Washington, and Lauryn Hill.

Jonathan Michel: L’Ouverture

L’Ouverture, is a world  premiere concert featuring Emeline Michel, Riva Precil and Val Jeanty with a program that will celebrate Haitian women and their vital role in Haitian music and culture. Inspired by the Haitian Revolution leader Toussaint L’Ouverture, the group embraces the meaning of its name, “The Opening,” by inviting audiences to experience the essence of Haitian music and stories, while also connecting those from the ‘motherland’ who may be physically away to keep Haïti in their hearts, minds, and actions. Established in 2012 by bassist, composer, and producer Jonathan Michel, L’Ouverture offers an exceptional program of original compositions and arrangements of Haitian and Black American songs. The group’s repertoire highlights the deep connection between these two cultures, exploring both physical and spiritual aspects through music and movement.  Born and raised in Waterbury, CT, Jonathan Michel’s musical journey has been marked by remarkable achievements including four years as bassist and musical director for Grammy Award-winning vocalist Billy Paul and collaborations with esteemed musicians and groups like Orrin Evans, The Revive Da Live Big Band, ELEW, Godwin Louis, and Laurin Talese. He has worked with esteemed institutions such as Philadelphia’s Clef Club of Jazz, Carnegie Hall, The State Department, and Experience Ayiti. As a producer, Jonathan has been involved in various projects, including his own debut album “MDR” released on Imani Records in 2018.  Endorsed by Lakland Basses, Jonathan Michel’s passion for music and dedication to cultural preservation continue to inspire and elevate the L’Ouverture collective, making it a profound force in celebrating and promoting Haitian music and culture.

Cisco Swank

(Francisco Haye) is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and producer from Brooklyn, NY. Cisco’s critically acclaimed debut solo album “More Better” is a sprawling web of jazz, hip-hop, indie, and R&B that features the likes of Laura Elliott, Ambrose Akinmusire, Luke Titus and more. Praised as “a rising multi-hyphenate” by Okayplayer & i-D, and compared to the likes of MIKE and Earl Sweatshirt by The New York Times, Cisco is cementing his status as a major player in the modern intersection of hip hop and jazz. While completing his studies at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Cisco released the highly lauded collaborative album “Some Things Take Time” with Luke Titus in 2022 and has worked with a diverse roster of artists including Saba, Noname, Braxton Cook, Malaya, and Julius Rodriguez. “It’s just who he is. He is Black music. All of it. It’s in every note.” – Grammy-nominated trumpeter and collaborator Ambrose Akinmusire via The New York Times.

Strings N Skins

Influenced by their Caribbean and Latin American heritage, the group was founded in Brooklyn by Haitian vocalist and percussionist Okai and Colombian vocalist, dancer, and Latin Grammy Award Winning violinist, Luisa “Lulu” Bastidas.  Strings N Skins mixes the acoustic vibrations of the drum and electronic jungle sounds of the violin, pairing their unparalleled sound with drummer and producer Lautaro Burgos and keyboard guru and producer Eric Lane. Strings N Skins has been recognized as one of the most distinct bands of New York City and gives a new twist to originality.

Los ALiENs

Los ALiENs come from a place where their star radiates directly into their atmosphere creating an environment where hot grooves reproduce like viruses permeating their daily aural landscape. Los ALiENs create sonic explorations energized by rhythms sprouted in the tropics of this third planet, especially around northern South America and the Caribbean. In November 2022 they released on planet Earth their Long Play “Odd Subjects”. This funky-electric band is led by pianist/keyboardist and composer Ricardo Gallo and takes refuge in New York City where they have performed across the boroughs.