TAMAR KORN & A KORNUCOPIA
Barbès376 9th St, New York 11215
Tamar Korn brings A Kornucopia to Barbès: the name she gives to the variable ensembles of musical cohorts she leads. No lineup has been announced for this date, so the particular shape of the band remains open, but the project is built around Korn’s singing and her wide-ranging approach to repertoire. The venue’s listing notes her long-running connections with Brain Cloud and the Cangelosi Cards, and says she has been surprising Barbès audiences for more than a decade with her choices.
New York-based Korn moves among traditional New Orleans and early jazz, western swing, and American roots music. Her sets can also make room for Yiddish songs, poetry, vocal solos and unexpected recitatives, with improvisation and what have been called “existential skat vocalizations” part of the picture. Beyond Brain Cloud and the Cangelosi Cards, her associations include Grand St. Stompers, Baby Soda and Terry Waldo; she has also appeared with Mark O’Connor and Mick Moloney. The Syncopated Times wrote that she “seems to continually become freer and imaginative,” while New York Music Daily called her “both someone who everyone wants to play with, and who basically ends up doing that anyway.”
Barbès offers a compact, warmly worn space where the music feels immediate and close, with a long wooden bar and a back room under a scarlet ceiling that hosts nightly performances. The venue champions a broad spectrum of global sounds, from Balkan brass and klezmer to Afrobeat and experimental jazz, often featuring residencies like the Slavic Soul Party. The audience gathers around small tables or at the bar, sharing drinks crafted with a nod to French spirits, while the music invites attentive listening rather than loud conversation. Shows usually have a suggested donation instead of a cover charge, creating a welcoming environment where the focus is on the artists. The venue’s commitment to accessibility and its role in Brooklyn’s cultural fabric make it a distinctive spot for an evening of richly diverse live music.