Matt Wilson's Good Trouble
Birdland315 West 44th Street, New York 10036
Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble comes to Birdland for a release celebration of Love Is the Whole Thing. Drummer Wilson leads a five-piece set with Tia Fuller on alto saxophone, Dawn Clement on piano and vocals, Jeff Lederer on tenor saxophone and clarinet, and Ben Allison on bass. It is a band built around two reeds, voice and piano, with Wilson and Allison anchoring the music: a fitting frame for a new Palmetto Records release and for the group’s blend of composed material and collective playing.
Good Trouble is the New York-based jazz quintet led by drummer and composer Matt Wilson. Its name draws on Congressman John Lewis’s call to get in “good trouble, necessary trouble,” and the group’s repertoire has addressed civil rights and community, including a three-part “Good Trouble” suite honoring figures such as Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The music brings traditional and modern jazz together, with intricate exchanges between the saxophones, Clement’s vocals, and a rhythm section able to shift from delicacy to propulsion. Wilson has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, and Charlie Haden; reviewers have singled out the band’s energy, poetic passages, and its integration of jazz history with contemporary writing.
Birdland offers a refined jazz experience in a room where the audience sits at tables close to the stage, allowing every note to reach you clearly. The venue features a full menu with dishes like New Orleans-style gumbo alongside a well-stocked bar, making it easy to enjoy a meal or drinks while listening. Each show is ticketed per set, encouraging focused listening as the music unfolds in roughly 45-minute segments. The club’s walls echo decades of jazz history, having hosted legends and continuing to attract top contemporary artists. Located in Manhattan’s Theater District, the space balances a serious music environment with the energy of a night out, where attentive audiences savor the performances without distraction. Booking ahead is essential, as the club fills quickly for its celebrated lineup.