Elena Pinderhughes
Blue Note131 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
Elena Pinderhughes plays Blue Note’s late set in Manhattan. The listing bills her alone and does not identify a band, guests, or a particular project, so the night is simply a chance to hear this solo artist in the club’s second-set slot.
Raised in the Bay Area and described by KQED as being from Berkeley, Pinderhughes is a flutist, vocalist, composer, and songwriter whose work draws on jazz, R&B, and hip-hop influences. Her collaborators include Herbie Hancock, Chief Adjuah, Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding, Terrace Martin, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Kenny Barron, Vijay Iyer, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Future. The Guardian called her “the most exciting and creatively assured jazz flutist to have emerged in years,” while the LA Phil says she is “redefining the expressive range of the flute in contemporary music.” Reviewing a recent set, PAN M 360 called her solos “dazzling” and said the performance “never lost its charm.”
Blue Note Jazz Club is a dedicated listening room in the heart of Manhattan's jazz district, where the music is the focus and the space is designed to let the sound fill the room. The club features a stage with a small audience area, and the atmosphere is one of quiet concentration on the music. Shows typically begin at 8:00 PM with a second set at 10:30 PM, and the audience sits on chairs close to the stage. The club has a bar, and drinks are available. The experience is primarily about listening to live jazz, with occasional gospel and soul performances, and the audience often stays to talk and enjoy the music after the sets.