CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - BostonChron -- Last  spring, specifically on April 15, 2022, Cambridge-based keyboardist and composer Dave Bryant launched "Third Thursdays," a monthly harmolodic jazz series. The intent of the series is to provide a venue for free jazz improvising artists, both local and national. Dave Bryant was a long-time student and sideman of free jazz legend Ornette Coleman as a member of Coleman's Prime Time group. Consequently, another key purpose of the series is to document the experiences, reminiscences, and musical contributions of members of Coleman's bands. The series has provided well-deserved exposure locally and internationally for local free jazz artists and for Coleman collaborators as well as first-hand insights and information from those collaborators about Coleman's musical processes and philosophy.

What has transpired since that first "Third Thursdays" last spring has been documented at https://dbryantmusic.com/third-thursdays/. Performance videos and interviews with former Coleman colleagues are also available at https://www.youtube.com/@davebryantmusic/videos.

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For the "Third Thursdays" scheduled for these next three months, Bryant has fashioned three different concerts that will include the following collaborative and improvisational artists, who will join him in generating some heat: Bruno Råberg and Jerry Leake in January; James Kamal Jones, Greg Hopkins, Giovanni Moltoni, and Rick McLaughlin in February; and Tom Hall, Eric Hofbauer, Jacob William, and Miki Matsuki in March.

Bryant notes that these wintry concerts "will feature Prime Time member James Kamal Jones in February in a well-deserved and long overdue showcase. This is bookended by a reunion in January with Bruno and Jerry in a twist on the acoustic piano trio format, and a March reunion of our long-standing quintet which opened the series. Looking forward to all!"

When the series began last April, Bryant invited his long-time local experimental collaborators Hall (tenor sax), Hofbauer (guitar), William (bass), and Matsuki (drums) to join him in launching this new series. Each month's concert since then has brought together a varied and robust cast of experimenters, all driven to explore the possibilities of intensely collaborative improvisation. Much has transpired since last April, with a new commitment to continue with this series for a second year, starting this April. It is very fitting that March 2023 will serve as a coda for the first 12 months of "Third Thursdays" with Bryant's local friends Hall, Hofbauer, William, and Matsuki coming together once again to set the stage for an exciting and varied concert calendar. Updates will be available soon for the spring "Third Thursdays" schedule.

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For the next 3 wintry months, "Third Thursdays" concerts will feature the following:
-- January 19: Dave Bryant (keyboards) with Bruno Råberg (bass) and Jerry Leake (percussion);
-- February 16: Dave Bryant (keyboards) with fellow Ornette Coleman collaborator James Kamal Jones (drums), along with Greg Hopkins (trumpet), Giovanni Moltoni (guitar), and Rick McLaughlin (bass);
-- March 16: Dave Bryant (keyboards) with Tom Hall (tenor sax), Eric Hofbauer (guitar), Jacob William (bass), and Miki Matsuki (drums).

All the concerts will be held at the Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, located just outside Harvard Square, with the following basic information:
"Third Thursdays" with Dave Bryant and Friends: a monthly harmolodic jazz series. Held on the third Thursday of each month, starting at 8:00 pm. Further updates on each month's musical guests can be found at dbryantmusic.com/third-thursdays. Admission at the door: $10 (cash/check/charge). Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138. Contact information: bryantequilibria@gmail.com, 617-447-3030.

Further background information on "Third Thursdays" host Dave Bryant can be found at dbryantmusic.com. The "Third Thursdays" harmolodic jazz series is funded in part by the Appalachian Springs Foundation (ASF).