Brock, Kikoski, Penman, and Harland on 10.26.21

I got together with David over the years when he would come back through town and after I moved to New York we ended up on a tour in Italy together. Incidentally, the day I got back from that tour I found out that I was to become the father of twins. David and I reconnected recently and I am thrilled to be playing with him on Tuesday.

Matt Penman has been one of my favorite musicians for many years. Many people know of him as a first-call bassist in NYC and for his prolific recording credits with everyone from Aaron Goldberg to Joshua Redman to Guillermo Klein to the collective James Farm. Not enough people know of him for his amazing original compositions and albums. One that has been on constant repeat for me over the past few years is his latest recording entitled “Good Question.” Matt and I met when I did my first recording for Criss Cross Jazz and we have played together often ever since. Most of you know that I identify as a serious coffee aficionado. The first time I went to Matt’s Brooklyn apartment I had to reconsider what my relationship to coffee really meant as I was introduced to the espresso machine he had installed in his kitchen, complete with the copper pipes necessary to produce enough steam pressure to pull a pro-level shot.

I met Eric Harland at the same Criss Cross session where I met Matt. Eric, Matt, and Aaron Goldberg were so kind to me. I remember being incredibly nervous and they immediately put me at ease and welcomed me to the musical party. Eric exudes an extra-musical aura of wisdom, depth, and joy. He has been a leading light to a few generation of drummers already and he’s barely forty-five. When Snarky Puppy went to Morocco in 2018 Eric played drums with us for the first time. That trip was a particular thrill for me because I got to interact with Eric for a week in an entirely different musical context. The day of our festival appearance I wast hit with a nasty bug and I thought that I might have to miss the show. I was experiencing all of the symptoms that you might imagine plus a raging fever and there was no Pepto to be found (only water and turmeric powder). Eric heard that I was in bad shape and he lent me a mysterious vial of some essential oils that he suggested I rub on my stomach in a figure-eight pattern. I followed his advice and waited side-stage, feeling woozy and slightly desperate. When it was finally time for our set I was determined to not miss this moment, no matter what happened. It was a surreal scene. The "Alizée" trade winds from the Atlantic were whipping the stage and literally lifting my bow off of the strings as clouds of stage smoke and laser lights passed like weather patterns over thousands of faces massed along the 18th-century seaport battlements. There was Eric, erupting with musical fire and euphoric grooves from the drum chair, when about halfway through our set I felt a strange sensation come over me. I experienced an odd sense of mental clarity and physical energy and realized that, despite the strong wind, I was completely soaked with sweat. My fever had broken mid-song. I think that it had a lot to do with Eric Harland.

About Next Tuesday

As with all of the current concerts at Soapbox Gallery, you can purchase tickets to either be a part of the live audience or to stream the concert live and on-demand.

I first heard of David Kikoski through my friend, the pianist and composer Ryan Cohan, who played me a Criss Cross CD entitled “Inner Trust.” David also popped up on “New York Rendez-Vous” which is my favorite recording by the late, great French violinist Didier Lockwood. When I finally got a chance to hear David live with Roy Haynes at The Jazz Showcase in Chicago I couldn’t wait to ask him about Didier and after the show my friends and I followed the band to Von Freeman’s jam session at The New Apartment Lounge. I peppered Dave with questions, jammed with him on “Softly” (he was playing alto!), and afterwards he told me about a violinist named Zbigniew Seifert. Needless to say this conversation had a big impact on my life.

 

A WORD ABOUT OUR LIVE STREAMED PERFORMANCES…

During these unprecedented times, Soapbox Gallery is committed to keeping music alive by

providing artists of all types a safe and professional environment to perform.

All of our live-streamed performances remain active for three days after the initial live performance.

Soapbox Gallery and the world-class performers we present need your financial support!

Any amounts you can spare go directly into the pockets of the artists and toward the cost of running the venue.

Thank you in advance for your support. Stay well, keep your spirits high, and enjoy the music!