In this concert, City of Asylum welcomes back renowned multi-instrumentalist musician Tomchess to the Alphabet City stage. Along with Tomchess’ original compositions, this concert will feature improvisations inspired and influenced by different musics of the world—specifically West African, Middle Eastern, Andalusian, Mediterranean, and Indian—as well as American Jazz. These compositions and improvisations will be presented towards creating stories and dialogue through sound. The Tomchess Trio embraces the notion that improvised musics promote collective and individual development, spontaneously creating common languages that alter perceptions and encourage us to imagine different alternatives in music and life, working towards creating a more beautiful world for all.

Featured Musicians:

Ravi Padmanabha: tabla, sarangi, percussion

Tomchess: oud, ney, morsing, composer

Will McEvoy: upright bass