Ben van Gelder: Familiar Face in a New Space

Saxophonist Ben van Gelder has been such a regular presence at The Jazz Gallery over the past several years that it's surprising that he will be returning to the Gallery this weekend as a leader for the first time in almost a year. The last time van Gelder graced our stage last June, he was performing new music for sextet as part of our 2013-14 Residency Commission series. He also played last March with chordal instrument-less quartet, showing the range of his interests and musical approaches.This Saturday, van Gelder will split the difference between those two groups with a quintet featuring longtime collaborators Matt Brewer on bass and Craig Weinrib on drums, along with a pair of relative newcomers to van Gelder's groups: Pete Rende on piano and Alon Albagli on guitar. Both Rende and Albagli are expert orchestrators on their instruments, so Saturday's show is sure to be filled with both exploratory improvisation and piquant textures.The Ben van Gelder Quintet plays at The Jazz Gallery on Saturday, May 16th, 2015. The group features Mr. van Gelder on alto sax, Alon Albagli on guitar, Pete Rende on piano, Matt Brewer on bass, and Craig Weinrib on drums. Sets are at 8 and 10 p.m. $22 general admission ($12 for members). Purchase tickets here.