New Jam Session at Keystone Korner

Besides the new concert series at Morgan State, as reported on this website in an article by Steve Everette, another of Barkan’s new undertakings is a jam session on Tuesday nights. Or perhaps it might be called a revived undertaking; the club once held a pre-COVID jam session featuring the Baltimore Jazz Collective, led by trumpeter Sean Jones. The new session, which started September 12, 2023 and is held from 7:30 to 11 pm, is livestreamed and free without cover charge.  It is titled “Bright Moments” – the title of a song that Todd Barkan himself composed and sometimes sings at the session. The session is led by bassist Obasi Akoto, a veteran double bass player, composer, and educator who has recorded and performed across the globe with some of the greatest names in contemporary jazz. Since its inception, the stage has welcomed such luminaries as Billy Childs, Warren Wolf, Sean Jones, Quincy Phillips, Carl Grubbs, Richard “Doron” Johnson, Andrea Brachfeld, and Lenny Robinson, as well as a host of top-shelf personnel from various military bands. Vocalists Keith Snipes and Anna-Lisa Kirby have also been featured. Add to that an extensive list of local titans, including the leaders of other sessions that happen either side of the Tuesday session. Drop by to hear some of Baltimore’s established players and some young up-and-coming players, all making their mark in our thriving jazz scene

Liz Fixsen is a semi-professional jazz pianist and vocalist, performing occasionally in the Baltimore area. She is on the board of the BJA and she writes for and edits the BJA newsletter.