Saturday, January 10
Nicole Mitchell‘s Black Earth Ensemble @ Velvet Lounge
With nimble fingers and fluttering melodies, flutist/composer Nicole Mitchell is a master of her instrument. Here she gathers a quartet version of her Black Earth Ensemble, a hard-bop lineup with plenty of grooves to hold down the solos and improvisational moments.
Her veritable cast powers out mean jazz rhythms with the aid of bassist Josh Abrams (Town and Country) and drummer Marcus Evans, while saxophonist David Boykin (David Boykin Expanse) handles stirring leads and riffs alike.
The group often expands to include the talents of cellist Tomeka Reid, guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise) and vocalist Ugochi, but this Velvet Lounge performance should be just as compelling as Mitchell caps three local shows in four nights.