Fri 12/27 @ 8:30PM
Sat 12/28 @ 8:30 PM
In 2004, Cleveland-born and -raised jazz/global music percussionist Jamey Haddad moved back to his hometown from New York where he’d lived for almost 25 years.
He wasn’t moving back because the big city had chewed him up and spit him out but because his success gave him lifestyle choices. And the innovative musician was just looking for a more livable one. Carrying drums after gigs into a New York apartment while risking a parking ticket no longer appealed to someone who was by then in his 50s.
He already had a range of contacts that guaranteed he’d keep working regardless, including an ongoing slot in Paul Simon’s road band. His years of touring, recording and teaching at Berklee College of Music in Boston assured he’d be able to land a gig at someplace like Oberlin Conservatory where he’s now a professor of percussion and improvisation.
He’s continued his longtime exploration of percussion styles from around the world, which includes creating his own instruments, from his Oberlin base. So much the better for Cleveland music fans, who now have more opportunities to hear him play, when he’s not out on the road with Simon as he was much of this past year.
He’ll be doing two evenings at Nighttown where he’ll perform with two New York-based special guests: pianist Aaron Goldberg and bassist Omer Avital. Percussionists and budding percussionists won’t want to miss him.
Tickets are $20.