Wadada Leo Smith: Tradition & Transition

Vibraphonist, marimbist, and composer Patricia Brennan in conversation with excerpts from performances at the Roulette Concert Hall in Brooklyn. Raised in Mexico and now in Brooklyn and honoree of many awards, Brennan's work as a bandleader and side person includes projects with pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, trumpeter Adam O'Farrill, and her ensembles More Touch and Patricia Brennan Septet. Brennan celebrates a new album, Of The Near And Far on Pyroclastic Records, at Roulette on December 1, 2025, inspired by celestial configurations.

The music of composer, pianist, and cultural explorer “Blue” Gene Tyranny (1945-2020) in solos and collaborations recorded by Roulette from 2004-10 including archival commentary by the artist and a 2025 introduction by friend and colleague, the writer/producer Mary Griffin. We’ll hear excerpts from pieces including A Letter From Home (2004 version) and Flipside (2008) with vocalists The Smithereens. “Blue” Gene Tyranny contributed to projects from Robert Ashley, Laurie Andersen, John Cage, and Leroy Jenkins to Carla Bley and Iggy Pop. Pianists Sarah Cahill and Joseph Kubera present a two-piano celebration of his work at Roulette on Nov. 20, 2025.

Virtuoso pianist Vicky Chow in musical excerpts and commentary from the artist. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, now in Brooklyn, Chow has put a personal touch on multitudes of contemporary music, engaged commissions, and explored experimental forms expanding the piano repertoire. We hear bits from performances of works by Philip Glass, David Lang, Cassie Wieland, Jane Antonia Cornish, and Tristan Perich whose piece Surface Image the pianist will perform in a free concert in Bryant Park in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2025 to open Roulette's 47th season. Image: Kaitlin Jane Photography

The musical works of drummer, percussionist, and instrument builder Kenny Wollesen and his Wollesonic project. We'll hear excerpts from two multimedia, theatrical, large ensemble pieces recorded at Roulette in 2006 and 2008 plus his contribution to a trio led by pianist/composer Sylvie Courvoisier with bassist Drew Gress. Wollesonic is a band, a laboratory, a record label, an archive, and a collection of hundreds of hand-made "noise" instruments. Featuring the artist's commentary and an amazing story about his grandmother's music which Wollesen debuts at The Stone in Manhattan on August 20-23, 2025

Composer and trumpet player Wadada Leo Smith in commentary and concert excerpts recorded at Roulette including a duo with keyboardist Amina Claudine Myers (Central Park Mosaics, 2024), passages from his Pulitzer-nominated Ten Freedom Summers (Golden Quartet and the Pacifica Coral Reef Ensemble, 2013), and a Rastafarian ceremonial ritual with vocalist Jeanne Lee (1989) An early member and proponent of the AACM and the Chicago “creative music” paradigm, Wadada taught for years at  Cal Arts and has an enduring connection with Wesleyan University. Over the years his bands and collaborators have included Leroy Jenkins, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Davis, Oliver Lake,  Derek Bailey, and many more.

The music of Shahzad Ismaily, a multi-instrumentalist widely admired for his mastery of the bass guitar and drum set in solos, collaborations, and groups across genres. The program features the artist’s remarks on personal history, spiritual growth, and musical projects alongside excerpts from several performances at Roulette: a duo with guitarist Indigo Street, a vocal duo with Arooj Aftab, and in an ensemble led by composer/percussionist Ches Smith. Shahzad returns to Roulette with Marc Ribot on June 11, 2025.

Swiss-born pianist/composer in commentary and excerpts from four performances at Roulette: A trio with percussionist Kenny Wolleson and bassist Drew Gress (2016, 2020), Amalthea (aka Poppy Seeds) (2024) with Patricia Brennan, vibes; Thomas Morgan, bass, Dan Weiss, drums, and Chimaera (2022) with Christian Fennesz, electronics; Nate Wooley, trumpet; plus Wolleson (vibes) and Gress.

The music of Bobby Previte and ensembles recorded between 1987 and 2018 at the Roulette performance spaces in New York. Admired as both a drummer and composer, Previte is also one the great raconteurs of the downtown experimental music scene. We'll hear the 1987 band with Marty Ehrlich (reeds),Tom Varner (horn), Wayne Horvitz (keys), Dave Hofstra (bass); a trio from 1994 with Horvitz (piano & electronic keyboards), and Skerik (tenor sax & electronics); and the Rhapsody Band from 2018 with Nels Cline (acoustic guitars), John Medeski, (piano), Zeena Parkins (harp), Jen Shyu (voice and erhu fiddle), Fabian Rucker (alto sax), and the composer on drums, autoharp, electronics, and percussion.

The Palestinian-born US resident singer Nibal Malshi in excerpts and commentary on selections from the 20th-century classical Arab repertoire of the Levantine – Egyptian region, highlighting songs performed by female singers from Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon. In 2021 Malshi performed at Roulette with an ensemble led by master qanun (zither) player Firas Zreik with Zafer Tawil on oud (lute), John Murchison on bass, Johnny Farraj on riqq (small frame drum), and Gilbert Mansour on tabla. In 2023 the ensemble was again Mansour and Murchison led by master violinist Gabriel Dahrieh with Maurice Chedid (oud) and Eddy Fadel (percussion). Portions of these recordings were co-presented by Roulette, Brooklyn Maqam, and Robert Browning Associates, who have been bringing music of the world to New York venues for decades. Malshi returns to Roulette on March 15, 2025.

The music of composer Shamar Watt (aka BongoWattZ), whose work incorporates everything from techno to gospel, ecstatic movement, and manipulated light, with excerpts from the artist's archive alongside commentary on his Jamaican heritage, spirituality, technology, and noise. Watt performs at Roulette on March 1, 2025 as part of the annual Mixology Festival and again on March 13 with Lester St. Louis.