SEP 23-26 | Opening Week
Sep 26, 2021
Joe Henderson Lab
PLEASE NOTE:
This page is an archive of a past production
Please visit our calendar for all upcoming SFJAZZ shows.
Original show description below.
An artist who embodies jazz’s exploratory spirit, blending a bone-deep grasp of the tradition with an innate feel for cutting-edge rhythms and technology, drummer and producer Kassa Overall makes his SFJAZZ debut as a leader with his current quartet including pianist Ian Finkelstein, keyboardist and DJ Paul Wilson, and percussionist Kofi Hunter.
The Seattle-born, New York-based musician was mentored by Billy Hart, Elvin Jones, and Billy Higgins, and has worked as a sideman and collaborator with Christian McBride, Vijay Iyer, Ravi Coltrane, Gary Bartz, Henry Threadgill, and Wallace Roney.
He worked closely with the late piano genius Geri Allen in her Timeline band, performs with trumpeter Theo Croker, and appeared at SFJAZZ with Vijay Iyer’s groove-centric Thums Up project during the 2017-18 Season.
Overall was a critical part of drummer and SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director Terri Lyne Carrington’s politically and socially charged 2019 Social Science project (coming to Miner Auditorium in February), contributing turntable work and vocals to the GRAMMY-nominated release.
As a solo artist, Overall has released a series of mixtapes that combine samples, programmed beats, and hip-hop with avant-garde experimentation, and issued his full-length debut, Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz, in 2019. His follow-up, 2020’s I Think I’m Good, was released on Brownswood Recordings.
As a solo artist, Overall has released a series of mixtapes that combine samples, programmed beats, and hip-hop with avant-garde experimentation.
SFJAZZ's New Season Spotlights a Vanguard of Players Shaping Pop Culture (KQED)
A young drummer, producer and rapper who pulls from various world music traditions, electronic adventurism and left-field hip-hop
The New York Times
A young drummer, producer and rapper who pulls from various world music traditions, electronic adventurism and left-field hip-hop
The New York Times
Personnel
Kassa Overall drums, electronics, vocals
Ian Finkelstein piano
Paul Wilson keyboards, DJ
Kofi Hunter percussion
While Kassa Overall began his musical career as a jazz drummer — and remains a damn fine one — his artistic arc is increasingly taking him into creative spaces without easy categorization. It’s the sound of an artist raising his game.
Afropunk
Personnel
Kassa Overall drums, electronics, vocals
Ian Finkelstein piano
Paul Wilson keyboards, DJ
Kofi Hunter percussion
While Kassa Overall began his musical career as a jazz drummer — and remains a damn fine one — his artistic arc is increasingly taking him into creative spaces without easy categorization. It’s the sound of an artist raising his game.
Afropunk
Watch & Listen
Kassa Overall
I Know You See Me (feat. J Hoard & Melanie Charles)
Kassa Overall
La Casa Azul (feat. Roy Hargrove)
Kassa Overall
I Know You See Me (feat. J Hoard & Melanie Charles)
Kassa Overall
La Casa Azul (feat. Roy Hargrove)
SEP 23-26 | Opening Week
SEP 23
Cinematic Jazz
Kris BowersSEP 23–24
Dreamers Do
Kat EdmonsonSEP 24
Rhythmic Connections
Zakir Hussain w/ Eric Harland, Abbos Kosimov, & Mark de Clive-LoweSEP 25-26
SEP 25
Be Water
Christian SandsSEP 26
Visionary Drummer & Producer
Kassa Overall