Constant Cycling: Roman Filiu's Ouroboros

Since his move to New York in 2011, Cuban saxophonist Roman Filiu has maintained a strong presence in the city's jazz scene. He's worked a wide range of artists, from fellow Cuban musicians like David Virelles and Alfredo Rodriguez, to young pianists like Sam Harris and Marta Sanchez, as well as leading several of his own groups.This Friday, October 16th, Filiu comes to The Jazz Gallery with a new project called "Ouroboros." The ouroboros is a depiction of a snake or dragon devouring its own tail, a symbol found in the art and mythology of many ancient cultures. The figure symbolizes self-reflexivity and cyclicality, a being constantly recreating itself. Filiu's group is a sextet, with saxophonist Maria Grand and trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson joining Filiu on the front line. All three horn players have close ties with saxophonist Steve Coleman, and the cyclic underpinning of this new project reflects Coleman's influence.However, Filiu and his bandmates—including pianist David Bryant, bassist Rick Rosatto, and drummer Craig Weinrib—all have strong musical personalities in their own rights, and will surely play off each other to take Filiu's compositions in a multitude of different directions.An earlier iteration of this group was already playing exciting and exacting music back in 2013 (check out the video recorded at SEEDS in Brooklyn), meaning the performance this Friday will be even more self-assured.Roman Filiu and Ouroboros play The Jazz Gallery on Friday, October 16th, 2015. The group features Mr. Filiu on alto saxophone, Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Maria Grand on tenor saxophone, David Bryant on piano, Rick Rosatto on bass, and Craig Weinrib on drums. Sets are at 7:30 and 9:30 P.M. $22 general admission ($12 for members) for each set. Purchase tickets here.