Live Music: Jon Madof Trio
Jon Madof is a guitarist, composer, producer, and bandleader based in New York. He is the leader of several bands including Zion80 and Rashanim, and has released seven albums on John Zorn's Tzadik Records. Madof’s style has been called ‘a truly soulful experience’ by The New York Times and ‘a marvelous mashup’ by The Village Voice. Inspiration for the trio ranges from avant-garde jazz and post rock to minimalist classical and traditional Jewish music. The trio is filled out by the dynamic rhythm section of Yoshie Fruchter (Sandcatchers, David Krakauer) on bass and Nate Rappaport (The Orchid, Ariell Bitton) on drums.
Open Mic Night
Tsion Cafe is celebrating 10 years of incredible food, community, and creativity! Join us on Thursday, December 12th from 6pm-10pm at 763 St Nicholas Ave for an Open Mic Night hosted by local writer/artist Sally DeJesus!
We're inviting all poets, griots, comedians, and singers who've performed at Tsion to come share their talents. Let's celebrate a decade of nourishing the body and soul!
Live Music: Baklava Express
Baklava Express is a NYC based Cross-Cultural fusion project, led by oud player and award -winning composer, Josh Kaye. The band performs original music, influenced by various traditions of the Arab world, Turkey, and Armenia, as well as drawing inspiration from both the Ashkenazi and Mizrahi folk traditions. The eclectic influences and vast differences in the musical backgrounds of its members have created a group whose style is distinct, yet genre defiant.
“This mystically equipped musical train is on a perfect roll” – Tom Orr, World Music Central
Sigd Celebration
Melkam Sigd!! Sigd is a very special holiday that has been celebrated by Ethiopian Jews for thousands of years. It commemorates the desire to return to Jerusalem that was originally expressed by the prophets, Ezra and Nehemiah, while exiled in Babylon, and celebrates Jewish Unity and Diversity.
Sigd is held seven weeks after Yom Kippur, and is on 11/30 this year; we will be hosting a celebration at Tsion Cafe on Sunday, 12/1 starting at 3PM. Enjoy delicious food and view our photo exhibition of Sigd in Ethiopia by Joan Roth.
Live Music: Geoff Gallante Trio
Virginia native Geoff Gallante is a highly acclaimed trumpet player based in New York City. At the tender age of four, Gallante became fascinated with an old trumpet laying around his grandmother’s house, and his parents immediately sought out lessons. His natural talent was so evident that at just five years old, he qualified for the top ensemble at a local high school band camp. This led to a featured story in the Washington Post, and soon after, his appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno jump-started his long and successful performance career.
Upon graduating high school, Gallante was awarded scholarship to attend the Manhattan School of Music to study with Jon Faddis and Ingrid Jensen. He later went on to pursue a graduate degree from the Juilliard School where he studied with Joe Magnarelli and Mike Rodriguez, and it was not long before Gallante was frequently subbing with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra. He has performed all around NYC with artists including Arturo O’Farrill, Ulysses Owens Jr., Mimi Jones, Russel Hall, Julius Rodriguez and the Etienne Charles Big Band. Recently, Gallante was one of five finalists invited to Namur, Belgium to compete in the 2023 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Solo Competition.
He is eager to bring his trio’s signature sound to Tsion Cafe and create a memorable night of music and entertainment.
Live Music: Jon Madof Trio
Jon Madof is a guitarist, composer, producer, and bandleader based in New York. He is the leader of several bands including Zion80 and Rashanim, and has released seven albums on John Zorn's Tzadik Records. Madof’s style has been called ‘a truly soulful experience’ by The New York Times and ‘a marvelous mashup’ by The Village Voice. Inspiration for the trio ranges from avant-garde jazz and post rock to minimalist classical and traditional Jewish music. The trio is filled out by the dynamic rhythm section of Yoshie Fruchter (Sandcatchers, David Krakauer) on bass and Nate Rappaport (The Orchid, Ariell Bitton) on drums
LIVE MUSIC
MJ Hughes is a New York-based pianist, singer, theater performer, and teacher. Her performances in the city include venues such as Prohibition and Haswell Green’s and outside of the city, MJ spent two years working on cruise ships as a dueling pianist and singer. In her spare time, MJ is a songwriter and arranger.
Celebrating Our Local Artists!!!
Art Crawl starting at 4pm, Friday June 21st, including five locations to see the work of featured artists, ending with a 6-8pm reception at Tsion Cafe with live music.
Join MCB 9 as we showcase and honor the talented visual artists in our community. This is a great opportunity to support our local creatives and immerse yourself in the vibrant art scene in West Harlem. Come enjoy and maybe even discover your new favorite artist! Don't miss out on this exciting event celebrating the creativity and talent of our neighborhood.
ARTISTS BIO:
Victor Edwards, is a native New Yorker who was born and raised in the Bronx but has resided in Harlem for the past 30+ years. He has been active in the West Harlem serving on the local Community Board for the past 12 years. Residing on Riverside Drive with a view of the Hudson River has given a Victor a true appreciation for the water. In addition, he is sailor which has assisted his true appreciation for sunsets and the water. These two elements of water and sunsets are reflected in the majority of his photographs. Victor photographs as a hobby and often gifts his works to family and friends.
Bonnie Phillips, always enjoyed painting from a young age, and at the suggestion of her art teacher, she applied to Slade Art School in London, where she was born. It was at this point that she left England for the States. Although she took a few art classes during her senior year in college, any artistic ambitions remained dormant for several years. She would later take art classes at the Art Students League and Bronx River Art Center.Her desire to create was ignited when, as a director of a tutoring program in Harlem, she decided to coordinate an art show both in Harlem and Soho as a fundraiser for the program. It was for the last fundraising event that she conceived the idea of creating a triptych of Young Black Love. The first painting for Young Black Love, Bonnie completed when she was pregnant with her first child in 2003. She began to take herself more seriously as an artist when she joined a group of talented women writers and artists in 2018. After her first meeting, it became clear what her mission as an artist is. That is to paint the beauty and challenges of black and brown people in her community and through the diaspora.
Ana Bravo:
is a Mexican born, California raised mixed media artist based in New York City. Her work has been shown throughout the San Francisco Bay area, Cuba and New York City. She finds inspiration in nature, the human spirit, dreams and synchronicity, and she currently resides in Harlem.
Joel Mentor:
Harlem-based, award winning multimedia artist Joel Mentor was born in Haiti. Although self-taught in sketching, he studied Fine Arts at the The Robinson Center for Graphic Arts and Communication Design at CCNY. Joel received a BA with Honors in Graphic Design.Joel specializes in all areas of photography.He enjoys combining works in acrylic, oil and found objects, and greatly admires artists such as Emory Douglas, Romare Bearden and Alexander Calder.
In his spare time, Joel works as an information technology specialist and cybersecurity practitioner.
LIVE MUSIC
Charlie Parker 104th Birthday Celebration Jam
Jacob Chung leads a tribute to Charlie Parker with his jazz trio at Tsion Cafe, the historical location of Jimmy's Chicken Shack, where Bird washed dishes and heard Art Tatum upon first moving to New York. Musicians are invited to bring their instrument to fellowship over Charlie Parker's music and Ethiopian cuisine.
Jacob Chung Biography
Saxophonist Jacob Chung’s move to New York City in 2022 was necessitated by the need to be as close as possible to the sources of his inspiration. Having charmed audiences in his hometown Toronto with a dynamic commitment to swing, he enrolled at Manhattan School of Music to study with Vincent Herring, whose advocacy for Jacob’s talent led to the recording of Jacob’s sophomore album The Sage for the Cellar Music Group label, featuring both Herring and drummer Joe Farnsworth, due for release in October 2024.
Recently under the guidance of Grant Stewart at the Tribeca Jazz Institute, Jacob connected with the likes of Chris Byars, Eric Alexander, Ari Roland, and Ken Peplowski, whose mentorship launched a period of rapid development that has since found Jacob maintaining an active performance schedule in NYC clubs. Jacob has performed alongside Peter Washington, the Mingus Big Band, Pasquale Grasso, Ari Roland, Joe Farnsworth, and is a regular member of Erena Terakubo’s Sextet. In the summer of 2023, Jacob performed twice at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C., and at the Burlington Jazz Festival (VT) as a member of the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program. Jacob was also awarded “Outstanding Soloist” in Downbeat Magazine’s 2024 Student Music edition.
LIVE MUSIC
MJ Hughes is a New York-based pianist, singer, theater performer, and teacher. Her performances in the city include venues such as Prohibition and Haswell Green’s and outside of the city, MJ spent two years working on cruise ships as a dueling pianist and singer. In her spare time, MJ is a songwriter and arranger.
LIVE MUSIC
JACOB’S TRIO
Downbeat Magazine award-winning jazz saxophonist/composer Jacob Chung’s commitment to swing has charmed audiences in his hometown Toronto and in New York City, where he is currently based. Having established himself as one of the most exciting players in Toronto, he relocated to NYC in 2022 to find Vincent Herring at Manhattan School of Music. Herring’s mentorship and advocacy for Jacob’s talent led to the recording of Jacob’s sophomore album in December 2023 for the Cellar Music Group label, featuring both Herring and drummer Joe Farnsworth. In the summer of 2023, Jacob performed twice at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C., and at the Burlington Jazz Festival (VT) as a member of the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program. Since moving to NYC, Jacob has also performed with Peter Washington, the Mingus Big Band, and the Erena Terakubo Septet.
The Jacob Chung Quintet’s 2022 debut album Epistle was received with critical acclaim for its embodiment of the spirit of jazz; “A bunch of swingers that know the history without the baggage, they zip the ears open with a delightful sound that uplifts while it makes you smile” (Chris Spector, Midwest Record). Jacob’s aesthetic direction has drawn comparison to that of the 1990s neo-bop renaissance. Will Chernoff (Rhythm Changes) writes that “Jacob and the band are part of a full-on second generation of Young Lions,” a sentiment expanded upon by Jamie Lee Rake (Shepherd Express): “What they are about is connecting the dots between the sophisticated heat of jazz royalty such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie with a post-bop drive.” The Jacob Chung Quintet has played at several major Toronto venues and festivals including The Rex Hotel, The Jazz Bistro, TD Toronto Jazz Festival, TD Markham Jazz Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival.
JUNETEENTH SOCIAL DINNER
https://tockify.com/ppmny/detail/705/1718838000000
This Juneteenth, join Plant Powered Metro New York as we commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people with a dinner social at the Ethiopian restaurant Tsion Cafe in Sugar Hill, featuring a talk by Claudine Smith, MD. We’ll honor and reflect on what “Freedom Day” means to the African Diaspora while dining over a flavorful buffet of plant-based Ethiopian dishes. Attendees will be treated to a variety of traditional African recipes,
LIVE MUSIC
Lauren Lee’s Trio
With effervescent charm and talent, trailblazing vocalist Lauren Lee is a creative voice worth exploring. Her work as a vocalist and composer is evolutionary and fresh, with a commitment to both honor and expand jazz traditions: a playground for experimentation of textures, colors, and use of the voice in a more 'instrumental' fashion with cinematic, artistic music that is listenable, intricate, and emotional. Lauren has created her own voice in the modern jazz vocal sphere by infusing post-bop jazz harmony and sensibilities with contemporary classical, Latin, and folk/pop flavors to create something inspired and unique.
"{Lee's music is a} fascinating journey, adult music that makes one sit up and listen. As much as one would love it, we all have troubles and desires – Lauren Lee approaches life as the opportunity to learn every day, creating music that stands out for its honesty and sonic clarity" - Richard Kamins, Steptempest
LIVE MUSIC
Experience a night of music and inspiration as we celebrate Black History Month in an unforgettable way. Great Music, Delicious Food and Wonderful People!!
Community Dinner: Topic : Eliminating FGM/C and Maternal Mortality
February 6, the next day, is the International Day for Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. This is a problem that exists in our community, especially as "vacation cutting" of young girls. If you are personally affected in some way by this practice, whether as a survivor, someone who escaped it, a mother concerned about her daughters, or have othewise experience with this phenomenon, we invite you to join us for an in depth discussion of the topic. We also may discuss other important female health issues: the increased maternal mortality among Black and Brown people is very concerning. Again, if you have experiences and opinions to share, we would love to hear from you. Come prepared to introduce yourself in a minute or two. Feel free to bring a friend, but please sign up everyone under their own name and email address.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-dinner-topic-eliminating-fgmc-and-maternal-mortality-tickets-809393817697
Live Music
Tomoko(T'Moco)
T'Moco released her first album "Creatures" in 2012. Around the same time, she moved to New York, and there, she has performed in various bars and clubs
with Yuto Kanazawa, Nobuki Takamen, Lawrence Clark, Will Terrill, Gonjo Yasushi, Jeremy Stratton, and others, as well as given lessons and workshops with Marion Cowings, Janet Lawson, Alexis Cole, Barry Harris, Billy Harper, Jay Clayton, Judy Niemack.
She released her second album "PASSION" in 2016. "PASSION" was well received by critics and media due to her ability to use the jazz sound in a unique and modern way.
She has also been performing around Tokyo with Japan based musicians. All gigs of her Japan tour in 2018 were packed.
The latest album "The light" was recorded in New York with NY based musicians, and released in 2020 all over the world.
She moved to Chicago in 2021, then started going over what is beauty of music.
NOBUKI TAKAMEN:
Originally from Hiroshima, Japan, guitarist/composer Nobuki Takamen has been developing a reputation as ‘’the best jazz guitarist Japan has ever produced’’ as lauded in AllAboutJazz since he relocated to New York in 2004.
Described by Jazz: ‘’…Jim Hall meets Wes Montgomery on their way to a Kenny Burrell show…’’, his music draws influence from the jazz greats and other musicians such as Paul Simon, James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and melts them into something distinctively his own.
Nobuki has toured with his group in North America and Europe, performing at many of the best international jazz clubs and festivals including Iridium Jazz Club, Blue Note NY, Blues Alley, Smalls Jazz Club, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, and the Nisville Jazz Festival, where he opened for the original Blues Brothers Band. He has also toured annually throughout Japan since 2004.
Nobuki has four albums released on What’s New Records and Summit Records, and four albums on his own label, including his first solo album, ”Solo Guitar”, his two-disc 6th album, ”Live in Japan”, his eponymous 7th album, ”The Nobuki Takamen Trio”, and his 8th album, ”Life is Now”, which was released in October 2020.
His playing and music have been featured in publications worldwide, including DownBeat, Guitar World, Vintage Guitar Magazine, Just Jazz Guitar, AllAboutJazz, Jazz Podium (Germany), Jazz’n’more (Switzerland), Jazz Special (Denmark), Musica Jazz (Italy), Jazzwise (UK), Swing Journal (Japan), Jazz Life Magazine (Japan).
Nobuki is currently working on promoting his brand new album and booking tours to support the release of this album.
Live Music
Michael Howell began playing guitar in Kansas City Mo., a city where great jazz and blues was a way of life. He has performed and recorded with musicians such as Bobby Hutcherson, Art Blakey, George Duke, Woody Shaw, Jimmy Owens, Joe Pass and Jim Hall. Michael also worked five years with the great bebop innovator, John "Dizzy" Gillespie.
Michael taught at the JazzMobile Workshop for over 20 years. He currently works with his own group, freelances, and also works with the Jimmy Owens Group. Michael was also a member of the house band at Minton's night club.
Michael recorded three solo albums: "Looking Glass", & "In The Silence" on Milestone Records, "Alone" on Catalyst Records. He recorded a CD to be released, "Live at El Taller”.
