Meshell Ndegeocello, Keyon Harrold, Xenia Rubinos & more played BRIC JazzFest (Friday pics)
The 2018 edition of BRIC JazzFest wrapped up with a three-night Marathon (10/18-10/20) where ensembles performed staggered sets in multiple spaces throughout BRIC House. We caught the second marathon night, Friday, October 19, which featured main stage sets from Meshell Ndegeocello, Xenia Rubinos and Keyon Harrold, as well as Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Jazz Passengers, and more.
Hightlights: Keyon Harrold, who did all the trumpet playing in Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic and has worked with Jay Z, Beyonce, Rihanna and more, played a very solid set of modern jazz with a lot of heart and soul. Xenia Rubinos, meanwhile, had an energy that was absolutely contagious, playing her hybrid jazz/hip hop/pop as part of her trio. She was all over the stage howling, smiling, and winning the crowd big time with her great voice and charisma.
The Jazz Passengers, the veteran downtown NYC scenesters, played on “The Stoop” and still swing hard, with solos that still go out there. Cyrus Chestnut, in the “Artist Studio” (which had a vintage jazz club feel), played with an old school jazz trio of piano, bass and drums — and they were swinging. (Cyrus can certainly tinkle those ivories.) Headliner Meshell Ndegeocello, meanwhile, is still in great voice and form, as is her band. In near darkness, they played a quiet set of soft soul jazz to close out the night. Pictures from Friday are in the gallery above.
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photos by Greg Cristman
