Hannah Marks Quartet
Smalls183 West 10th Street, New York 10014
Hannah Marks brings her quartet to Smalls for two evening sets led by the bassist and composer. The billed group is a vehicle for Marks’s modern, improvisatory writing, drawing on a book that includes her own compositions alongside music by Geri Allen, Dewey Redman, and Paul Motian. The December 3 lineup has not been specified, but the quartet format puts the focus on the interplay and rhythmic give-and-take central to this music.
New York City-based Marks leads the ensemble on double bass. A documented version of the quartet includes Nathan Reising on alto saxophone, Lex Korten on piano, and Steven Crammer on drums. Its sound takes cues from the Branford Marsalis Quartet, Miles Davis’s Second Quintet, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet; The Jazz Gallery hears “a sense of flexibility, shared rhythmic vocabulary, and raw energy.” Marcus Printup has praised Marks for a “fresh, modern, and original approach to playing the bass.” Her work has also brought her together with Geoffrey Keezer, Nasheet Waits, Terri Lyne Carrington, Anna Webber, Miles Okazaki, Ingrid Jensen, and Matt Wilson.
Smalls is a basement jazz club where the music feels immediate and unfiltered, with the stage just a few feet from the audience. The room is compact, with simple seating that encourages close listening, and a bar that serves drinks but no full kitchen, so the focus stays on the performances. Shows typically feature multiple sets, often extending late into the night with jam sessions that invite spontaneous creativity. The club’s walls are adorned with photos and memorabilia that reflect its deep roots in New York’s jazz scene. The audience is there to listen intently, creating a shared experience where every note can be savored. Expect an evening where the energy of live jazz is palpable and the musicians’ passion fills the intimate space.