JANE IRA BLOOM TRIO W/ MARK HELIAS & MATT WILSON
Soapbox Gallery636 Dean Street, New York 11238
Jane Ira Bloom returns to Soapbox Gallery with bassist Mark Helias and drummer Matt Wilson for a one-time trio concert. The long-running group will draw on Bloom’s “songbook of zero Gs and beyond,” moving between her compositions and improvisations made in the moment. Bloom’s soprano saxophone leads a trio the venue describes as fearless jazz explorers, with Helias and Wilson as her longtime bandmates.
Bloom has spent more than 45 years developing her voice on soprano saxophone. A Guggenheim Fellow for music composition, she has also received the DownBeat International Critics Poll and Jazz Journalists Association Award for soprano saxophone. She was the first musician commissioned by the NASA Art Program, and the International Astronomical Union named asteroid 6083 Janeirabloom in her honor. Her trio album Early Americans won a Grammy for Best Surround Sound Album; Picturing the Invisible, a duo recording inspired by Berenice Abbott’s black-and-white photography, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Immersive Audio. Recent 2026 releases include once like a spark with Brian Shankar Adler and Light from a Person with David Friedman and Ken Filiano. Steve Smith called Bloom’s voice “instantly recognizable,” while Steve Elman wrote that she seeks “to make beauty tangible and to reach beyond time.”
Soapbox Gallery offers a focused space for improvised and experimental music, where the room’s modest size brings the audience close to the performers, allowing every nuance of sound to be heard clearly. The venue features a simple setup with seating that encourages attentive listening rather than casual socializing, creating an environment where the music takes precedence. A bar is available, but the emphasis remains on the performances, which often include multiple sets and collaborations among artists. Shows are ticketed, and the venue supports a range of creative projects, including festivals and workshops, reflecting its commitment to artistic development. Expect an evening of thoughtful, boundary-pushing music in a setting that invites deep engagement with the sounds and the artists behind them.