May
20
7:00 PM19:00

ContraPunctus Album Release at Barbes

ContraPunctus is an ensemble uniting four distinctive voices in contemporary music: with

Mike McGinnis - clarinet and saxophones
Carmen Staaf - piano
Gui Duvignau - bass
Hamir Atwal - drums

The group takes its name and inspiration from the ancient musical practice of weaving independent melodies into a single harmonic and rhythmic texture. Their music embraces the full breadth of their collective experience across jazz, free improvisation, rock, and folk traditions, moving fluidly between original compositions, reimaginings of works by Carla Bley, Baden Powell, and Billy Strayhorn, and spontaneous improvisations. At once rooted and exploratory, ContraPunctus invites listeners into music that is alive in the moment; polyphonic, adventurous, joyful and generous.

"[..] their book teems with melodies, always a plus compared to the mildly predictable riff tunes that occasionally show up on stages these days. Plus, they’re a band, with a handful of writers and broader persona because of it. The three or four times I’ve caught ’em, [ContraPunctus] have tickled me immensely by continuously passing the ball around. A romantic tune from the bassist, an introspective piece from the pianist, and a flight of fancy from the reed player - their directions are many. Not to mention that Carla Bley update. And the solos "Staaf’s a fire starter, pure and simple. Variety is you know what, so get ready to be tickled yourself." Jim Macnie

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May
21
7:00 PM19:00

ContraPunctus Album Release at Hermit Woods

ContraPunctus is an ensemble uniting four distinctive voices in contemporary music: with

Mike McGinnis - clarinet and saxophones
Carmen Staaf - piano
Gui Duvignau - bass
Hamir Atwal - drums

The group takes its name and inspiration from the ancient musical practice of weaving independent melodies into a single harmonic and rhythmic texture. Their music embraces the full breadth of their collective experience across jazz, free improvisation, rock, and folk traditions, moving fluidly between original compositions, reimaginings of works by Carla Bley, Baden Powell, and Billy Strayhorn, and spontaneous improvisations. At once rooted and exploratory, ContraPunctus invites listeners into music that is alive in the moment; polyphonic, adventurous, joyful and generous.

Tickets available here

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May
27
8:00 PM20:00

ContraPunctus Album Release at Close Up

ContraPunctus is an ensemble uniting four distinctive voices in contemporary music: with

Mike McGinnis - clarinet and saxophones
Carmen Staaf - piano
Gui Duvignau - bass
Hamir Atwal - drums

The group takes its name and inspiration from the ancient musical practice of weaving independent melodies into a single harmonic and rhythmic texture. Their music embraces the full breadth of their collective experience across jazz, free improvisation, rock, and folk traditions, moving fluidly between original compositions, reimaginings of works by Carla Bley, Baden Powell, and Billy Strayhorn, and spontaneous improvisations. At once rooted and exploratory, ContraPunctus invites listeners into music that is alive in the moment; polyphonic, adventurous, joyful and generous.

"[..] their book teems with melodies, always a plus compared to the mildly predictable riff tunes that occasionally show up on stages these days. Plus, they’re a band, with a handful of writers and broader persona because of it. The three or four times I’ve caught ’em, [ContraPunctus] have tickled me immensely by continuously passing the ball around. A romantic tune from the bassist, an introspective piece from the pianist, and a flight of fancy from the reed player - their directions are many. Not to mention that Carla Bley update. And the solos "Staaf’s a fire starter, pure and simple. Variety is you know what, so get ready to be tickled yourself." Jim Macnie

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May
30
8:00 PM20:00

ContraPunctus Album Release at Bar Bayeux

ContraPunctus is an ensemble uniting four distinctive voices in contemporary music: with

Mike McGinnis - clarinet and saxophones
Carmen Staaf - piano
Gui Duvignau - bass
Hamir Atwal - drums

The group takes its name and inspiration from the ancient musical practice of weaving independent melodies into a single harmonic and rhythmic texture. Their music embraces the full breadth of their collective experience across jazz, free improvisation, rock, and folk traditions, moving fluidly between original compositions, reimaginings of works by Carla Bley, Baden Powell, and Billy Strayhorn, and spontaneous improvisations. At once rooted and exploratory, ContraPunctus invites listeners into music that is alive in the moment; polyphonic, adventurous, joyful and generous.

"[..] their book teems with melodies, always a plus compared to the mildly predictable riff tunes that occasionally show up on stages these days. Plus, they’re a band, with a handful of writers and broader persona because of it. The three or four times I’ve caught ’em, [ContraPunctus] have tickled me immensely by continuously passing the ball around. A romantic tune from the bassist, an introspective piece from the pianist, and a flight of fancy from the reed player - their directions are many. Not to mention that Carla Bley update. And the solos "Staaf’s a fire starter, pure and simple. Variety is you know what, so get ready to be tickled yourself." Jim Macnie

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Feb
7
1:00 PM13:00

Freedom Riders at Winter Jazzfest Tokyo

  • In honor of the courage and struggle of the first Freedom Ride organized by the Conference on Racial Equality (CORE) in 1961, the Freedom Riders Band shares the history of the past civil rights movement as a groundbreaking new international jazz collective. It expands the message of modern social justice through music. As a project of the NYC Winter Jazz Fest, this ensemble welcomes a new generation of composers and performs powerful standard songs and original music. It inherits the tradition of providing soundtracks to the global civil rights movement. Based on the weight of our ancestors, musicians and activists, Freedom Riders connects the audience through music and provides important inspiration to convey the energy and spirit of shared humanity. Music director and bassist Luke Stewart, drummer Joe Dyson, pianist Carmen Staaf, and alto saxophonist Alfredo Colon participate. In addition, special guests will also appear.

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Jan
12
8:00 PM20:00

Freedom Riders "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at NYC Winter Jazzfest

Winter Jazzfest presents ‘My Country ’Tis of Thee’ — a powerful night of music, resistance, and hope. At the heart of the evening are the Freedom Riders, an all-star ensemble of youngish voices in creative music, dedicated to amplifying messages of social justice through sound including Tomoki Sanders, Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Alfredo Colón, Milena Casado, Sasha Berliner, Carmen Staaf, Joe Dyson and co-leaders Luke Stewart and Ben Williams (both bassists with deep roots in our nation’s capital).

This one-of-a-kind performance takes the shape of a truly improvised round robin, interweaving spontaneous creation with standard repertoire linked to the civil rights movement. Alongside these echoes of history, the Freedom Riders and their invited guests—visionary artists Arturo O’Farrill, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Adegoke Steve Colson, Samora Pinderhughes, Mádé Kuti plus other special guests soon to be announced — will share current songs born from their own activist practice, underscoring the ongoing struggle for equality and freedom.

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Carmen Staaf at Vermont Jazz Center Solo Piano Festival!
Apr
18
7:30 PM19:30

Carmen Staaf at Vermont Jazz Center Solo Piano Festival!

https://vtjazz.org/calendar/9th-annual-solo-jazz-piano-festival-2025/

From the festival website:

“At this celebration of solo piano in the jazz tradition, a collaborative spirit imbues the presentations of four distinguished headliners. The Festival includes performances, master-classes, a Q+A session plus interviews with the artists.

2025 headliners include Sean Mason, Carmen Staaf, Johnny O’Neal, and Luther Allison. 

For all music lovers, not just pianists, who are interested in both the practical and spiritual aspects of jazz and improvised music. We will hear six brilliant pianists (4 headliners and 2 emerging artists) perform and discuss their relationship to the instrument, to the jazz lineage, to structure and to artistic freedom. The piano is a finely crafted instrument that has been improved upon over the past three hundred years. It has been called “the orchestra of all instruments” because it gives musicians simultaneous access to harmonic, melodic and rhythmical possibilities, all with a refined sense of dynamics and touch.”


Please join us for this exciting weekend of music!

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