Resonant Motion, in partnership with the Russell Library, is happy to be presenting (on the internet) the sixth season of Jazz Up Close. This year’s edition of Jazz Up Close (from afar) is themed “Layers of Collaboration” and each event will focus on multiple artists who co-lead groups and/or perform in one another’s ensembles. People who tune in can expect the usual mix of high-quality music (in this instance in the form of prerecorded, socially distanced, collaborative videos) and engaging real-time conversation including the artists’ thoughts on topics and questions viewers pose to them.

For our kick-off event, saxophonist Brent Birckhead, trombonist Corey Wallace, and drummer Curtis Nowosad will present their respective original compositions in a quintet setting, accompanied by bassist Henry Lugo and pianist and series curator Noah Baerman.

Brent Birckhead and Corey Wallace are both Baltimore natives who, like Winnipeg native Curtis Nowosad, are now based in New York City. Birckhead’s approach to woodwind artistry is unbound by genre, driven by his compulsion for creative risk and deep respect for legacy. His intersectional amalgam of traditional and popular styles can be heard on his recent release Birckhead. He has performed and toured with legendary artists including Lauryn Hill, Nas, Wale, Eric Benet, Larry Graham, and George Duke. Wallace was honored in 2019 as Best Trombonist in the Hot House/Jazzmobile New York City Readers Jazz Awards. He teaches in multiple settings, including programs at Jazz At Lincoln Center, and leads the Corey Wallace DUBtet, a group dedicated to creativity and integrity in Black American Music and beyond. Nowosad’s eponymous third album demonstrates his increasing potency as a composer, bandleader, and social activist. An endorser of Canopus drums, he has played with a wide range of NYC jazz artists and has been a member of ensembles led by Philip Harper, Craig Harris, Braxton Cook, and Marc Cary in addition to those of Birckhead and Wallace.

This year’s series is presented with the support of the Middletown Commission on the Arts, the Friends of the Russell Library, and Resonant Motion’s donors.

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