Jazz Poetry Month at Alphabet City / City of Asylum - Tribute to Geri Allen by the Yoko Suzuki Quartet

Musicians: Yoko Suzuki (saxophone); Cliff Barnes (keys); James Johnson III (drums), John Shannon (guitar)

Geri Allen is remembered as one of the most important musicians of our time because of the intricacy of her jazz compositions. During her 35 year career, Geri composed over 100 songs, many of them so highly complex in melody, harmony, and rhythm that musicians do not typically attempt to play them live; it takes multiple players to recreate songs that Allen played on her own. This concert is the first in a series of Geri Allen performances by Yoko Suzuki, a former student and colleague of Geri Allen’s. Yoko has created new arrangements of Geri’s work in collaboration with local musicians.

This concert is a rare chance for audiences to hear Geri’s challenging music live, and understand from the musicians just what a complex puzzle the work presents.

Geri first performed at City of Asylum in the 2009 Jazz Poetry festival alongside Oliver Lake’s Trio 3. This performance will revisit videos from Geri’s powerful 2009 poetry collaboration.

John Shannon, Cliff Barnes, Yoko Suzuki, James Johnson III