WINARD HARPER & JELI POSSE

JAZZCULTURAL THEATER / AUGUST 14-15

Drummer Winard Harper brings his band Jeli Posse to JazzCultural for two nights of late-set playing, the kind of post-headliner session where musicians stretch out without watching the clock. Winard has long championed the spiritual and rhythmic connections between jazz and West African traditions, and this ensemble reflects that vision: alongside a standard front line of Ted Chubb on trumpet, Anthony Ware on tenor and Charlie Sigler on guitar, he adds percussionist Alioune Faye and tap dancer AC Lincoln to the mix. The combination isn't gimmick – tap has deep roots in jazz rhythm, predating the drum kit as the music's primary percussion. Pianist Elliot Bernard and bassist Anthony Perez round out a group built for groove, call-and-response, and the kind of loose-limbed interplay that only happens when the room thins out and the players settle in. Start time is 10:30 p.m. for a reason. - JZZ