The Jazz Fest ( ish ) installment of The Shape of Jazz to Come, SONO's monthly new music series at the Ace Hotel will serve as the sonic pre-cursor for the days to follow. Trumpeter Ashlin Parker has been a friend of SONO since it's inception. We have been waiting for the right opportunity to present some of his music in a setting wherein can also adequately speak to his social mission role in the New Orleans Music community. Parker can be seen weekly at Snug Harbor with the great Ellis Marsalis, trading horn parts with Derek Douget and bringing lots of fire on to the stage alongside the eldest statesman of the Marsalis Empire -  or on the festival grounds with his trumpet supergroup, Trumpet Mafia. Ashlin is a cousin to so many young players on the scene, encouraging them in the traditions of the New Orleans sit-in - SO it is a real treat to catch him playing his own arrangement in his own trio. We felt, during a jazzfest full of special guest and sit -ins that often lack direction or rehearsal time, we would feature the luxury of steadily climbing, well rehearsed,  modern trio with direct social mission. WHAT IS BLACK , is just that - in the artists own words: 

An American Culture way too beautiful to become taboo. We speak of it, yet we dare not to be the one in charge of defining it. We describe many things as it but we don't ever describe what "IT" actually is...What is Black? Some things we absolutely refuse to describe as Black. In many situations, the majority feels that it is divisive to describe things as Black because it applies ownership and excludes non-Black participation. Yet, without defining what Black is, these assessments are difficult to ground. What is Black? Out of all of the cultural contributions to come out of the Black Community, (Soul Food, Black Church, Ebonics, Fashion, etc.) has Black Music become the most taboo and personal of all? Join us as we trace the survival of the African Aesthetic in Art outside of Africa through the first "controversially" Black Music in America, Jazz...born here in New Orleans, played and danced to by everyone... "What is Black?"

Special Guest DJ's will hit the decks before, in-between and after the two sets, spinning vinyl  on the theme of the evening, covering jazz, blues, gospel and early hip-hop.

We are also delighted to partner with Ben at  NOLA MIX RECORDS - for a vinyl pop up sale at the concert. Ashlin will hand -pick a crate of vinyl that illuminates the topic of the evening. 

The concert is free and open to the public and will serve as the official kick-off  to Jazz Fest at the Ace Hotel and their series  "The Six of Saturns"  

RSVP for guaranteed Entry here: http://www.acehotel.com/calendar/neworleans/sono-presents-shape-jazz-come-ft-ashlin-parker-trio

We are proud to provide the cultural context for how and why we celebrate the music of New Orleans and all that came before the incarnation of the festival we enjoy today.