Reception to follow in the Grace Hopper Head of College House, 434 College St. at 4pm.
Suggested donation of $20 for reception attendees.

Featuring:
Nate Smith – Drums
Jaleel Shaw – Saxophone
Jon Cowherd – Keyboards
Fima Ephron – Electric Bass
Brad Allen Williams – Guitar

Arriving on the New York scene in 2001, Nate Smith has helped reinvigorate the international jazz scene with his visceral style of drumming by playing with such esteemed leading lights as bassist Dave Holland, saxophonists Chris Potter and Ravi Coltrane, and singers Patricia Barber, Somi, and José James. Because Smith didn’t come strictly from the formal matriculation of music studies as so many of his jazz contemporaries did, he lovingly describes his approach to drumming as “unrefined,” which in turns helps him distinguish his voice. Smith’s rising career reaches a new benchmark with the release of his bandleader debut, KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere, on which he fuses his original modern jazz compositions with R&B, pop, and hip-hop. To learn more, visit Nate’s website at http://www.natesmithmusic.com/

This concert is generously sponsored by the Morgado Family Fund through Hopper College and the Arts Discretionary Fund through the office of the Dean of the Arts for Yale University. 

Featuring:
David Virelles – Piano
Román Díaz – Percussion

Cuban-born pianist David Virelles grew up surrounded by music in the culturally rich Santiago. Since his arrival to NYC in 2009, he has appeared on live concerts and recordings with musicians as distinct as Steve Coleman, Mark Turner, Henry Threadgill, Andrew Cyrille, Chris Potter, Wadada Leo Smith, Tom Harrell, Milford Graves and Ravi Coltrane. Virelles was named #1 Rising Star in the Piano category by DownBeat in 2017. To learn more, visit David’s website at http://www.davidvirelles.com/

Featuring:
Jane Ira Bloom – Soprano Saxophone
Dominic Fallacaro – Keyboards
Cameron Brown – Bass
Bobby Previte – Drums

Yale alumnus Jane Ira Bloom (B.A. ‘76, Yale Music School ‘77) has steadfastly developed her singular voice on the soprano saxophone for over 40 years creating a body of music that marks her as an American original. She is a pioneer in the use of live electronics and movement in jazz and the winner of the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album for her trio album “Early Americans.” She is the winner of the Guggenheim Fellowship in music composition, the Jazz Journalists Award and Downbeat International Critics Poll for soprano saxophone, the Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Award for lifetime service to jazz and the Charlie Parker Fellowship for Jazz Innovation. She is a professor at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC. To learn more, visit Jane’s website at http://www.janeirabloom.com/

This concert is generously sponsored by the Traphagen Alumni Fund.