KEVIN SUN
Close Up154 Orchard St, New York 10002
Kevin Sun brings a saxophone-led set to Close Up for two performances on December 30. The New York City saxophonist and composer appears under his own name, with no accompanying players specified in the listing. It is a chance to hear Sun’s writing and playing in the venue’s close-listening room; the evening is open to all ages.
Sun has released nine albums as a leader, most recently Lofi at Lowlands 二 in November 2025. His work has also been documented across five albums with the ensembles Mute, Earprint, and Great On Paper, while his recorded collaborations include projects led by Adam O'Farrill, Jacob Garchik, Dana Saul, Xiongguan Zhang, and Elijah Shiffer. DownBeat Magazine called his music “intense, harmonically virtuosic and compositionally complex.” Sun has performed throughout the United States and extensively in China, and served as artistic director of the Blue Note China Jazz Orchestra from 2018 to 2020. He founded the Brooklyn label Endectomorph Music, which has released more than 30 albums of creative improvised music since 2015, and has held a regular residency at Lowlands Bar in Gowanus since 2021.
Close Up offers a focused jazz experience in a sleek, minimalist space on Manhattan's Lower East Side, where the sound system and acoustics bring every note into sharp relief. The venue features a small back room that invites close connection with the performers, creating a setting where music is the main event and distractions are minimal. Shows run six nights a week with multiple sets, encouraging a deep dive into the music rather than a casual night out. A bar serves Latin American-inspired bites and cocktails, complementing the listening experience without overwhelming it. The crowd tends to be attentive, drawn by the artist-driven programming that blends classic jazz traditions with fresh, innovative sounds. This is a place to settle in, listen closely, and savor the evolving jazz scene in a refined yet approachable environment.