ANTHONY COLEMAN - Saturdays in November
Barbès376 9th St, New York 11215
Anthony Coleman continues his Saturdays in November residency at Barbès with this early-evening appearance. The bill names Coleman alone, and no accompanying performers or exact performance format are announced, so the night is best approached as a set led by the pianist and composer rather than a billed group performance. It is one of a month of weekly Saturday residencies by a musician Barbès has hosted many times over the past two decades.
New York-born, Coleman is a composer and improvising keyboardist associated with the city’s Downtown music scene. His work moves among avant-garde jazz, chamber music and Jewish musical traditions, and his projects have included the trio Sephardic Tinge and the Selfhaters Orchestra. He has presented his own music at the Sarajevo, North Sea and Saalfelden jazz festivals, as well as the Krakow and Vienna Jewish Culture Festivals, and has recorded extensively for Tzadik. His collaborators include John Zorn, Elliott Sharp, Marc Ribot, Shelley Hirsch and Roy Nathanson. Critics have called Coleman a “bold and innovative pianist,” while New World Records praised the “intensely focused intellectual force” of his music. All About Jazz described his playing as “conflicted and challenging, but also bright and beyond comparison.”
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.