I’ve posted about my love for drummer Marvin Bugalu Smith before and was excited to see this new video on YouTube from an outdoor show in September of 2019 at First Street Green Art Park on the Lower East Side of New York.
Here’s another video I stumbled upon that’s probably the coolest thing to ever happen at a Whole Foods.
I’ve posted about Marvin Bugalu Smith before. Last week he did a gig at Small’s in NYC with saxophonist Teodross Avery. If you haven’t heard their duo album, check it out: Post Modern Trap Music.
Today I was thrilled to find a new interview video that is full of his wisdom and amazing playing. It’s a short film called Through Time by Matteo Sandrini and Mimmo Impiombato, created in 2017 when Marvin was touring Italy.
Bonus! Here’s a bit of raw footage from the gig at Small’s:
I want to give some love to Smalls Jazz Club. If you’re in New York, it’s a great place to see live jazz for an affordable cover charge. On any given week you can see some of the best musicians in the world in this intimate space. If you can’t get there, you can stream shows live from their website for free. The quality is superb.
I first discovered the live stream this summer and was blown away. Over the last several months I’ve got to see and hear Ari Hoenig, Ralph Peterson, Eric Harland, Victor Lewis, Marvin “Bugalu” Smith and so many more amazing players from the comfort of my studio in Minneapolis. This week alone Ulysses Owens Jr. and Eric McPherson are playing there. Next week you can catch Ari Hoenig with Chris Potter. Crazy!
And it gets even better. For only $10 a month you can have access to their archives. If you can, do this not only as a way to access live music, but to support a wonderful club.
I’d recommend checking out Ralph Peterson’s recent sets and also studying the Teodross Avery set.
I met Teodross at Berklee in 1993 and have reconnected with him since, so I wanted to check out what he’s up to. His set at Smalls in October 2016 is burning! Every single member of the band is on fire and Marvin “Bugalu” Smith blew my mind. How had I not heard him before? His playing that night grabbed a strong hold on me, even through the internet. I highly recommend checking out his playing. He’s deep. I still watch or listen to that set about once a week.
Thank you, Smalls!
