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Brooklyn Maqam Hang: Sami Sings Umm Kulthum

Date: March 26, 2024
Time: 7:30pm doors

7:30pm doors, 8pm music

Brooklyn Maqam presents live in the back room

Sami Sings Umm Kulthum

Multi-instrumentalist Sami Abu Shumays returns to Sisters to perform the music of Umm Kulthum.  For this special performance, Sami puts down his violin to sing several classic, full-length compositions that were written for and made famous by the one and only Umm Kulthum.

Featuring:
Sami Abu Shumays, vocals
Insia Malek, violin
Sarah Mueller, violin
Gideon Forbes, nay
Gabriel Lavin, oud
Johnny Farraj, riqq
Alber Baseel, tabla

About Sami Abu Shumays: One of the leading Arab violinists in the U.S., Sami Abu Shumays is internationally known as a master of the maqam system. He is co-author of the acclaimed book Inside Arabic Music (Oxford University Press 2019), He has a passion for Maqam – teaching; oral tradition – that include a YouTube series “Maqam Lessons,” and his contributions to Maqam World.  Co-founder and director of the NYC-based Arabic music and dance ensemble Zikrayat, Sami has also recently released his first solo album Circles.

A second-generation Palestinian-American, Sami originally studied Western music before traveling to the Arab World to reconnect with his roots. He studied with Alfred Gamil in Cairo; Mohamed Qasas, Abdel-Basit Bakkar, and Abdel-Minaim Senkary in Aleppo; and Simon Shaheen and Yusuf Kassab in New York.

Stick around for the Arabic music jam after the set!

$20 at the door


DUAL 2 curated by Savannah Harris

Date: March 28, 2024
Time: 7pm

7pm doors  8pm music Full dinner menu available

performing live in the back room

Miriam Elhajli

“Miriam Elhajli has carved out a distinctive sound that draws equally on jazz, 70s South American nuevo cancion and levantine sounds, reflecting her Venezuelan-Moroccan heritage. She cuts loose with an expressive, constantly mutable voice, likes fingerpicking her acoustic guitar in odd tunings and writes intriguing, thoughtfully imagistic lyrics.” – New York Music Daily

Caracas Trio

Caracas Trio is a New York-based Venezuelan musical group with a captivating sound that blends traditional folkoric styles with contemporary compositional flair and improvisation.

Gabriel Chakarji — piano, keyboards, vocals

Juan Diego Villalobos — vibraphone, percussion, vocals

Daniel Prim — drums, percussion, vocals

+ all night selector Omo Igi

$20 at the door, cash/Venmo at the door (no advance tickets)


Alaara & Qasim Naqvi / Chris Williams

Date: April 2, 2024
Time: 7pm

7pm doors 8pm music, full dinner menu available

performing live in the back room

ALAARA & QASIM NAQVI

Brooklyn-based trio Alaara (pronounced ahlah-ahrah) includes Grey McMurray on guitar, Sonya Belaya on piano, and Nicole Patrick on drums. The trio creates long form improvisations that prioritize patience, effortlessly traversing the spaces of jazz, experimental minimalism, and ambient music.

Pakistani-American composer Qasim Naqvi might be best known as drummer in lauded trio Dawn of Midi. When he’s not on tour he creates original music for film, dance, theatre and international chamber ensembles. His most recent works delve deep into the timbres of analogue synthesizers and orchestral configurations.

CHRIS WILLIAMS

solo work for expanded trumpet




Arlen Hart Ginsburg Trio / Evan Harris

Date: April 14, 2024
Time: 7pm

doors 7pm music 8pm, seating is first-come first-served

performing live in the back room

ARLEN HART GINSBURG TRIO

reflective & playful chamber-folk compositions

Evan Harris – guitar

Alix Tucou – trombone

Arlen Hart Ginsburg – keyboard

+ opening set by EVAN HARRIS BAND


Water Colour Society

Date: April 15, 2024
Time: 7pm

7pm doors 8pm music, full dinner menu available, table seating first-come first-served

performing live in the back room

Gian Perez & gabby-fluke mogul

Lesley Mok & Shara Lunon

Sonya Belaya

 

MORE INFO TBA


Sam Weinberg 2024 Residency

Date: April 16, 2024
Time: 8:00pm

Doors 7pm, music 8pm

Full dinner menu available, seating first-come first serve

Sam Weinberg 2024 Back Room Residency April Edition

featuring poets Joey Yearous-Algozin (Website) & Bahaar Asan (Website)

and a special set by The Sam Weinberg Trio (Bandcamp) with Jason

Nazary & Henry Fraser


Minnie Jordan Quartet

Date: April 21, 2024
Time: 7pm

doors 7pm music 8pm, full dinner menu available, seating is first come-first served

performing live in the back room

MINNIE JORDAN QUARTET

Minnie Jordan is a contemporary jazz violinist hailing from Texas and living in Brooklyn. Her compositions draw inspiration from jazz tradition, but are also informed by the distinctive flavor of Texan roots music, as well as diverse non-musical sounds such as bird songs and the occasional printer or leaking faucet.

featuring

Willis Edmundson – drums

Evan Mainkeyboard

Charlie Lincoln – bass

+ special guest LILY TALMERS

“Lily’s sound is rooted in the 60’s folk revival, but includes broader fascinations, like the influence of Greece, Portugal and the European classical music canon all subtly swirl around in her melodies. She strives to to engage with “folk music” as it is most loosely defined: ‘the music of the people.'”