Baltimore Jazz Collective, Album Release Concert

About BALTIMORE JAZZ COLLECTIVE
Overflowing with swing and spirit, Baltimore Jazz Collective features original compositions and arrangements by each member of the band: trumpter Sean Jones, bass clarinetist Todd Marcus, pianist Alex Brown, bassist Kris Funn, drummer Eric Kennedy and Brinae Ali, a singer, tap dancer and interdisciplinary artist. All are nationally renowned figures who make their musical home in Baltimore. Their music here portrays the city’s challenges, triumphs and cherished icons, from Eubie Blake and Baby Laurence to Gary Bartz and Baltimore Club architect Rod Lee.

The Collective comprises artists of varied backgrounds, allowing for divergent perspectives on the city. Funn and Phillips are native Baltimoreans, while Brown hails from nearby Columbia, Maryland. Jones, Marcus and Ali are transplants, raised in Ohio, northern New Jersey and Michigan, respectively. Over the years, through regular gigs at beloved area venues like the club Keystone Korner, they’ve developed shared instincts as improvisers — the kind of extrasensory rapport that only a fully committed jazz band can obtain.

The main concept for the group, influenced deeply by Jones’ four years in the SFJAZZ Collective, is strong and simple: Every member contributes original music to be performed by the ensemble, and the music should reflect on and pay tribute to the city of Baltimore.

Ultimately, Baltimore Jazz Collective feels like a celebration of city life and community, even when the music is investigating hard truths. As Funn explains, “Baltimore’s jazz scene has always been steeped in the blues, a groove and feeling. Performances are interactive experiences, where the artist and the audience are equally essential.”

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