Joel Ross and Good Vibes at the Jazz Gallery NYC November 23, 2019
Twenty three-year-old Vibraphonist extraordinaire Joel Ross and his band Good Vibes played their last gig of the year at NYC’s Jazz Gallery at Broadway and 27th. It was a 2-night stand at this performance space with 4 sets of music. I was fortunate enough to attend the last set.
Joel is originally from Chicago and is now Brooklyn based. He has been part of the innovative creative wing of the NY jazz scene. He has been heard on recordings by Makaya McCravern, Walter Smith III and Matt Stevens.
His equally young band consisted of Immanuel Wilkins on alto saxophone, Jeremy Corren on piano, Kanoa Mendenhall on bass and Jeremy Dutton on drums.
Unlike many bandleaders, Joel did not completely dominate the music with his playing. He allows plenty of space between the notes and opportunities for the other musicians to display their virtuosity.
Most of the music was from his debut recording as a leader “Kingmaker” on Blue Note records.
The complex yet subtle music made for an evening of interesting listening. I am sure there will be more of this music in the upcoming years from Joel.
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