Ralph Alessi Quartet with craig taborn, drew gress, billy drummond
The Pocket130 West 46th Street, New York 10036
Ralph Alessi brings his quartet to The Pocket, with Craig Taborn, Drew Gress and Billy Drummond joining him for a four-player set. The bill identifies the group as the Ralph Alessi Quartet; no further program details are listed for the evening.
Alessi is a trumpet player and composer who splits his time between Brooklyn and Bern. He has played and recorded with Fred Hersch, Steve Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Jason Moran, Sam Rivers, Tim Berne and Uri Caine. In accounts of a documented Alessi quartet with Taborn and Gress, the musicians are described as “hard-to-pin-down improvisers” with “a unique rapport.” Those accounts note connections through Alessi’s ECM releases, Fred Hersch’s groups, and earlier work with groups led by Gress and Scott Colley. DownBeat has called Alessi “an individualist, with a style and sound all his own.”
The Pocket offers a close-up encounter with world-class jazz musicians in a small, focused setting where every note feels immediate and unfiltered. The room is designed to bring listeners near the performers, creating a direct connection that makes the music feel personal and vivid. Seating is limited and arranged to emphasize attentive listening rather than casual socializing, with a bar available to complement the experience. Shows are ticketed, encouraging an audience that is there to fully engage with the performance. The venue’s location in Manhattan places it within easy reach of the city’s vibrant cultural pulse, making it a perfect spot for an evening dedicated to serious jazz appreciation without distractions.