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His music is shaped by the unique perspective of quitting a six-figure job; moving to a remote village in Northern Thailand (of all places) to study jazz; relocating to the city and joining a thriving Thai jazz co-operative; eventually returning to the U.S. on scholarship to Berklee; completing his master’s degree at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, studying with artists including Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, George Garzone, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, Dave Liebman, Kenny Werner, and others; and finally moving to New York City in 2022, where he now lives and performs.
Beyond New York City, Dan has performed widely, with recent tours in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica, and he has shared the stage with artists including Danilo Perez, Kenny Werner, Andy Akiho, Linda May Han Oh, Kenneth Salters, Vicky Chow, Ralph Thomas, Pharadon “Opor” Phonamnuai, Uriel Barthelemi, R&B singer Allen Stone, and singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer. His first record as a co-leader — a collaboration by his long-standing group Blood Meridian and Brazilian singer and guitarist Raphael Grumser — is slated for release in mid-2026, both independently and as the soundtrack to an upcoming documentary on Brazilian artist and filmmaker Jorge O Mouraõ.
Alongside performing, interactive and generative composition have become central to his work. Through custom-built, sensor- and computer-driven systems, Dan creates spaces in which movement becomes music; voices enter or recede, harmonic regions shift, and rhythmic cycles accelerate or suspend in response to the proximity, density, and motion of those nearby. His first large-scale installation — set to debut in Asia in early 2026 — places participants inside a living score they both create and navigate, shaping music as it unfolds in real time.
Dan is also a prolific writer. His work has been published by RosettaBooks, appeared in business journals including Deloitte Review, and has been cited by columnist Thomas Friedman in the New York Times. Much of this draws on a narrowly escaped past career as a strategy consultant, where he advised executives across industries on emerging issues in media, business, and technology.
Drawing on this intersection, Dan also teaches New Media Economics at Berklee College of Music, a course examining how technology has reshaped the relationship between artists and audiences in the 21st century.
Dan holds a M.M. in Contemporary Performance from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute in Boston, a Diploma in Performance from Berklee College of Music, and a B.S. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.
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José Eduardo Lins
2026
Ian Michael (gr)
Dan Elbert (as)
Charlie Lincoln (b)
Willis Edmundson (dr)
Nov 19 and 26, 2024
Jaybird Studios
Brooklyn, NY
Ian Michael (gr)
Dan Elbert (as)
Charlie Lincoln (b)
Willis Edmundson (dr)
Nov 19 and 26, 2024
Jaybird Studios
Brooklyn, NY
Drawing on material from the Mourão sessions, to be released independently in early to mid-2026
My installations redistribute this boundary. By combining arrays of sensors and computational systems with generative, process-based forms, I create spaces in which movement becomes music. Voices enter or recede, harmonic regions shift, and rhythmic cycles accelerate or suspend in response to the proximity, density, or motion of those nearby.
In these spaces, participants do not play instruments in the traditional sense; instead, they activate and navigate an immersive, living score. The audience does not perform the music so much as perform the conditions under which it unfolds.
CNX ‘26 SPEC
Upcoming
JAN 21, 2026
DAN ELBERT, JOE MELNICOVE
Past
JUL 17, 2025
MODULATION
Thapae East Venue for the Creative Arts, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Anna Maria Olsson (vln) and Mahakit Mahaniranon (modular)
NOV 20, 2024
BLOOD MERIDIAN, CHASE ELODIA, CHUCK ROTH
Three’s Brewing, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
NOV 17, 2024
ELBERT/CASE/EDMUNDSON
LetLove Inn, Astoria, NY
w/Max Case (gtr) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
OCT 25, 2024
BLOOD MERIDIAN
Freddie’s, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
OCT 20, 2024
ELBERT/CASE/EDMUNDSON
Troost, Brooklyn, NY
w/Max Case (gtr) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
SEP 26, 2024
ANDY AKIHO TRIO + GUESTS PERFORM “PORTAL”
Joe’s Pub, NY, NY
w/Andy Akiho (steel pan), Linda May Han Oh (b), Kenneth Salters (dr), Vicky Chow (pno), Tara O’Conner (fl), André Sacalxot (ts) and Dolphin String Quartet
SEP 8, 2024
ELBERT/CASE/EDMUNDSON
LetLove Inn, Astoria, NY
w/Max Case (gtr) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JUL 22, 2024
DAN ELBERT QUARTET
Drink Lounge, Brooklyn, NY
w/Roy Ben Bashat (gtr), Daniel Rossi (dr), and Charlie Lincoln (b)
JUN 16, 2024
IGOR ZAVATCKII TRIO + ONE
bflat Jazzclub, Berlin, Germany
w/Igor Zavatckii (pno), Ugo Alunni (dr), and Giacomo Taglivia (b)
JUN 5, 2024
CASEY O’BRIEN GROUP
North Gate Arkive, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Steven Montecucco (tpt), Nutthawut Ice (gtr), Netirak Phonsrirach (dr), and Casey O’Brien (b)
JUN 3, 2024
ELBERT/MONTECUCCO/OLSSON
Some Space Gallery, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Steven Montecucco (tpt) and Anna Maria Olsson (vln)
APR 14, 2024
BLOOD MERIDIAN
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
MAR 16, 2024
EVANS/ELBERT/RICHTER
Standard Wormwood Distillery, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (electronics) and Jake Richter (dr)
FEB 4-14, 2024
GRUPO REBOLU TOUR
Baranquilla, Colombia
JAN 28, 2024
CONNOR EVANS QUARTET
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Angus Mason (dr), and Mathias Jensen (b)
JAN 6, 2024
BENJAMIN YOUNG TRIO
Dick & Jane’s Barroom, Brooklyn, NY
w/Benjamin Young (b) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
DEC 16, 2023
BENJAMIN YOUNG TRIO
Dick & Jane’s Barroom, Brooklyn, NY
w/Benjamin Young (b) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
DEC 14, 2023
DAN ELBERT QUARTET
PowerStation, New York, NY
w/Noam Borns (pno), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
DEC 11, 2023
CONNOR EVANS QUARTET
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Jake Richter (dr), and Dave Strawn (b)
NOV 20, 2023
I.R. MICHAEL
Sundown, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
NOV 17, 2023
BLOOD MERIDIAN
Keenan Ruffin’s ‘Virtuous Cycle’ Series @ Harvest Cyclery, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
NOV 11, 2023
CONNOR EVANS QUARTET
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Jake Richter (dr), and Jacob Jezioro (b)
NOV 7, 2023
I.R. MICHAEL
Canary Club, New York, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
SEP 16, 2023
DANCE TRIO
Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Jan Esbra (gtr), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
AUG 11, 2023
CONNOR EVANS QUARTET
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Angus Mason (dr), and Mathias Jensen (b)
JUL 22, 2023
GRUPO REBOLU @ COLOMBIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVAL
Queens, NY
JUL 4, 2023
CONNOR EVANS QUARTET
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Angus Mason (dr), and Philip Wailes (b)
JUN 19, 2023
DANCE TRIO, GREGG BELISLE-CHI’S “HUM”, GLOB & THE CIRCADIAN DRIFTERS
Hart Bart, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Jan Esbra (gtr), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JUN 17, 2023
I.R. MICHAEL
Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JUN 8, 2023
BENJAMIN YOUNG QUARTET
Daily Press, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Benjamin Young (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JUN 5, 2023
DANCE TRIO, HOOKDREAM
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Jan Esbra (gtr), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
MAY 19-20, 2023
GRUPO REBOLU @ LONDON SUNFEST
London, Ontario
w/Grupo Rebolu
APR 27, 2023
I.R. MICHAEL
Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
FEB 11, 2023
BIG DUMB BACHARACH
Trans-Pecos, Brooklyn, NY
FEB 10, 2023
DANCE TRIO
Marlborough House, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Jan Esbra (gtr), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JAN 16, 2023
YESSAÏ KARAPETIAN @ NYC WINTER JAZZ FEST
Smalls, New York, NY
w/Yessaï Karapetian (p), Stephen Byth (ts), Daniel Sky (tpt), Miguel Marcel Russell (dr), and Marc Karapetian (b)
JAN 7, 2023
DANCE TRIO
The Broadway, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Jan Esbra (gtr), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
OCT 27, 2022
CHARLIE LINCOLN TRIO
Silvana, New York, NY
w/Charlie Lincoln (b) and Rintaro Mikami (dr)
SEP 24, 2022
JAN ESBRA TRIO
El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, New York, NY
w/Jan Esbra (gtr) and Dani Markham (dr)
AUG 11, 2022
BENJAMIN YOUNG QUARTET
Daily Press, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ross Lewicki (p), Willis Edmundson (dr), and Benjamin Young (b)
MAR 28, 2022
WORKSHOP
The North Gate Arkive, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Hosted by “The Departure”
FEB 10, 17, 24, 2022
NICE GUYS
North Gate Jazz Co-Op, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Pharadon Phonamnuai (ts), Rafael Lopez (b), and Mathieu Franceschi (dr)
FEB 6, 2022
DAN ELBERT TRIO
Thapae East Venue for the Creative Arts, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Bain Chompoowong (gtr) and Mathieu Franceschi (dr)
AUG 19, 2021
MITCH SELIB QUINTET
Virtuosity, Boston, MA
w/Mitch Selib (gtr), Matt Marcus (p), Eli Heath (b), and Avery Logan (dr)
DEC 13, 2019
BERKLEE GLOBAL JAZZ INSTITUTE CELEBRATES BIRD
Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA
BGJI ensembles w/special guests including Joe Lovano (ts), Danilo Perez (p), Ben Street (b), and guest arranger Bill Dobbins
AUG 18, 2018
COSTA RICA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Heredia, Costa Rica
w/Marco Pignataro (ts), Ron Savage (dr), Aaron Holthus (b), and Anastassiya Petrova (p)
AUG 10-15, 2018
PERCUSSION FESTIVAL OF CENTRAL AMERICA
Panama City, Panama
w/Danilo Perez (p), Marco Pignataro (ts), Ron Savage (dr), Aaron Holthus (b), and Anastassiya Petrova (p)
JUL 1, 2018
DAN ELBERT QUARTET
Gregory’s, Rome, Italy
w/Roberto Tarenzi (p), Antonio Marianella (dr), and Stefano Battaglia (b)
MAY 2, 2018
KENNY WERNER SEXTET
Lilypad Inman, Boston, MA
w/Kenny Werner (p), Nat Mugavero (dr) Vivienne Aerts (v), Matt Stubbs (cl), and Max Ridley (b)
JAN 15, 2018
CHARLIE LINCOLN QUINTET
Jazz Central, Mineappolis, MN
w/Zosha Warpeha (vln), Patrick Adkins (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Aksel Coe (dr)
APR 17, 2018
TINY PYRAMIDS
Outpost 186, Boston, MA
w/Milena Casado Facquet (flg), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmunson (dr)
JUL 12, 2017
ABACUS
Sappho Live, Taipei, Taiwan
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JUL 7, 2017
ABACUS
JZ Club, Guangzhou, China
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JUL 5-6, 2017
ABACUS
JZ Club, Shanghai, China
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JUN 28, 2017
ABACUS
Smalls, Bangkok, Thailand
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JUN 24, 2017
HUA HIN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL w/ABACUS
Hua Hin, Thailand
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JUN 22, 2017
ABACUS
MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JAN 21, 2026
DAN ELBERT, JOE MELNICOVE
Threes Brewing, Brooklyn, NY
Past
DEC 8, 2025
ELBERT/CASE/SHIMONI
Troost, Brooklyn, NY
w/Max Case (gtr) and Yali Shimoni (dr)
ELBERT/CASE/SHIMONI
Troost, Brooklyn, NY
w/Max Case (gtr) and Yali Shimoni (dr)
AUG 24, 2025
ELBERT/CASE/EDMUNDSON
Threes Brewing, Brooklyn, NY
w/Max Case (gtr) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
ELBERT/CASE/EDMUNDSON
Threes Brewing, Brooklyn, NY
w/Max Case (gtr) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JUL 17, 2025
MODULATION
Thapae East Venue for the Creative Arts, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Anna Maria Olsson (vln) and Mahakit Mahaniranon (modular)
NOV 20, 2024
BLOOD MERIDIAN, CHASE ELODIA, CHUCK ROTH
Three’s Brewing, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
NOV 17, 2024
ELBERT/CASE/EDMUNDSON
LetLove Inn, Astoria, NY
w/Max Case (gtr) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
OCT 25, 2024
BLOOD MERIDIAN
Freddie’s, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
OCT 20, 2024
ELBERT/CASE/EDMUNDSON
Troost, Brooklyn, NY
w/Max Case (gtr) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
SEP 26, 2024
ANDY AKIHO TRIO + GUESTS PERFORM “PORTAL”
Joe’s Pub, NY, NY
w/Andy Akiho (steel pan), Linda May Han Oh (b), Kenneth Salters (dr), Vicky Chow (pno), Tara O’Conner (fl), André Sacalxot (ts) and Dolphin String Quartet
SEP 8, 2024
ELBERT/CASE/EDMUNDSON
LetLove Inn, Astoria, NY
w/Max Case (gtr) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JUL 22, 2024
DAN ELBERT QUARTET
Drink Lounge, Brooklyn, NY
w/Roy Ben Bashat (gtr), Daniel Rossi (dr), and Charlie Lincoln (b)
JUN 16, 2024
IGOR ZAVATCKII TRIO + ONE
bflat Jazzclub, Berlin, Germany
w/Igor Zavatckii (pno), Ugo Alunni (dr), and Giacomo Taglivia (b)
JUN 5, 2024
CASEY O’BRIEN GROUP
North Gate Arkive, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Steven Montecucco (tpt), Nutthawut Ice (gtr), Netirak Phonsrirach (dr), and Casey O’Brien (b)
JUN 3, 2024
ELBERT/MONTECUCCO/OLSSON
Some Space Gallery, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Steven Montecucco (tpt) and Anna Maria Olsson (vln)
APR 14, 2024
BLOOD MERIDIAN
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
MAR 16, 2024
EVANS/ELBERT/RICHTER
Standard Wormwood Distillery, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (electronics) and Jake Richter (dr)
FEB 4-14, 2024
GRUPO REBOLU TOUR
Baranquilla, Colombia
JAN 28, 2024
CONNOR EVANS QUARTET
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Angus Mason (dr), and Mathias Jensen (b)
JAN 6, 2024
BENJAMIN YOUNG TRIO
Dick & Jane’s Barroom, Brooklyn, NY
w/Benjamin Young (b) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
DEC 16, 2023
BENJAMIN YOUNG TRIO
Dick & Jane’s Barroom, Brooklyn, NY
w/Benjamin Young (b) and Willis Edmundson (dr)
DEC 14, 2023
DAN ELBERT QUARTET
PowerStation, New York, NY
w/Noam Borns (pno), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
DEC 11, 2023
CONNOR EVANS QUARTET
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Jake Richter (dr), and Dave Strawn (b)
NOV 20, 2023
I.R. MICHAEL
Sundown, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
NOV 17, 2023
BLOOD MERIDIAN
Keenan Ruffin’s ‘Virtuous Cycle’ Series @ Harvest Cyclery, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
NOV 11, 2023
CONNOR EVANS QUARTET
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Jake Richter (dr), and Jacob Jezioro (b)
NOV 7, 2023
I.R. MICHAEL
Canary Club, New York, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
SEP 16, 2023
DANCE TRIO
Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Jan Esbra (gtr), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
AUG 11, 2023
CONNOR EVANS QUARTET
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Angus Mason (dr), and Mathias Jensen (b)
JUL 22, 2023
GRUPO REBOLU @ COLOMBIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVAL
Queens, NY
JUL 4, 2023
CONNOR EVANS QUARTET
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Angus Mason (dr), and Philip Wailes (b)
JUN 19, 2023
DANCE TRIO, GREGG BELISLE-CHI’S “HUM”, GLOB & THE CIRCADIAN DRIFTERS
Hart Bart, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Jan Esbra (gtr), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JUN 17, 2023
I.R. MICHAEL
Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JUN 8, 2023
BENJAMIN YOUNG QUARTET
Daily Press, Brooklyn, NY
w/Connor Evans (gtr), Benjamin Young (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JUN 5, 2023
DANCE TRIO, HOOKDREAM
Fiction, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Jan Esbra (gtr), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
MAY 19-20, 2023
GRUPO REBOLU @ LONDON SUNFEST
London, Ontario
w/Grupo Rebolu
APR 27, 2023
I.R. MICHAEL
Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
FEB 11, 2023
BIG DUMB BACHARACH
Trans-Pecos, Brooklyn, NY
FEB 10, 2023
DANCE TRIO
Marlborough House, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Jan Esbra (gtr), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
JAN 16, 2023
YESSAÏ KARAPETIAN @ NYC WINTER JAZZ FEST
Smalls, New York, NY
w/Yessaï Karapetian (p), Stephen Byth (ts), Daniel Sky (tpt), Miguel Marcel Russell (dr), and Marc Karapetian (b)
JAN 7, 2023
DANCE TRIO
The Broadway, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ian Michael (gtr), Jan Esbra (gtr), and Willis Edmundson (dr)
OCT 27, 2022
CHARLIE LINCOLN TRIO
Silvana, New York, NY
w/Charlie Lincoln (b) and Rintaro Mikami (dr)
SEP 24, 2022
JAN ESBRA TRIO
El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, New York, NY
w/Jan Esbra (gtr) and Dani Markham (dr)
AUG 11, 2022
BENJAMIN YOUNG QUARTET
Daily Press, Brooklyn, NY
w/Ross Lewicki (p), Willis Edmundson (dr), and Benjamin Young (b)
MAR 28, 2022
WORKSHOP
The North Gate Arkive, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Hosted by “The Departure”
FEB 10, 17, 24, 2022
NICE GUYS
North Gate Jazz Co-Op, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Pharadon Phonamnuai (ts), Rafael Lopez (b), and Mathieu Franceschi (dr)
FEB 6, 2022
DAN ELBERT TRIO
Thapae East Venue for the Creative Arts, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Bain Chompoowong (gtr) and Mathieu Franceschi (dr)
AUG 19, 2021
MITCH SELIB QUINTET
Virtuosity, Boston, MA
w/Mitch Selib (gtr), Matt Marcus (p), Eli Heath (b), and Avery Logan (dr)
DEC 13, 2019
BERKLEE GLOBAL JAZZ INSTITUTE CELEBRATES BIRD
Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA
BGJI ensembles w/special guests including Joe Lovano (ts), Danilo Perez (p), Ben Street (b), and guest arranger Bill Dobbins
AUG 18, 2018
COSTA RICA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Heredia, Costa Rica
w/Marco Pignataro (ts), Ron Savage (dr), Aaron Holthus (b), and Anastassiya Petrova (p)
AUG 10-15, 2018
PERCUSSION FESTIVAL OF CENTRAL AMERICA
Panama City, Panama
w/Danilo Perez (p), Marco Pignataro (ts), Ron Savage (dr), Aaron Holthus (b), and Anastassiya Petrova (p)
JUL 1, 2018
DAN ELBERT QUARTET
Gregory’s, Rome, Italy
w/Roberto Tarenzi (p), Antonio Marianella (dr), and Stefano Battaglia (b)
MAY 2, 2018
KENNY WERNER SEXTET
Lilypad Inman, Boston, MA
w/Kenny Werner (p), Nat Mugavero (dr) Vivienne Aerts (v), Matt Stubbs (cl), and Max Ridley (b)
JAN 15, 2018
CHARLIE LINCOLN QUINTET
Jazz Central, Mineappolis, MN
w/Zosha Warpeha (vln), Patrick Adkins (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Aksel Coe (dr)
APR 17, 2018
TINY PYRAMIDS
Outpost 186, Boston, MA
w/Milena Casado Facquet (flg), Charlie Lincoln (b), and Willis Edmunson (dr)
JUL 12, 2017
ABACUS
Sappho Live, Taipei, Taiwan
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JUL 7, 2017
ABACUS
JZ Club, Guangzhou, China
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JUL 5-6, 2017
ABACUS
JZ Club, Shanghai, China
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JUN 28, 2017
ABACUS
Smalls, Bangkok, Thailand
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JUN 24, 2017
HUA HIN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL w/ABACUS
Hua Hin, Thailand
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
JUN 22, 2017
ABACUS
MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, Chiang Mai, Thailand
w/Jimmy Whelan (as), Jack Earle (p), Charlie Lincoln (b), Eyal Gurvich (dr)
/01
Nadia Washington (vox)
Anton Derevyanko (pn)
Ilya Blazh (dr)
Greg Loughman (bs
Willis Edmundson (dr)
Nov 12, 2020
Wellspring Sound Sudio
Acton, MA
Jenny Holzer
Jean-Luc Moulène
Karen Finley
Jimmy Whelan (as)
Jack Earle (p)
Charlie Lincoln (b)
Eyal Gurvich (dr)
A double-alto quintet bridging east and west, which toured extensively in 2017, with dates in:
Chiang Mai
Bangkok
Hua Hin
Dalian
Dandong
Beijing
Shanhai
Ghuangzhou
Hong Kong
Taipei
Author950 words
YESSAÏ is the sweeping debut album from Armenian-French pianist and composer Yessaï Karapetian. The bandleader arrives in full force, after strong showings on Guillaume Perret’s “A Certain Trip” (for which he won a Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Soloist) and ONEFOOT’s “Mektonized”. Over the course of nine original compositions, Karapetian is riveting, playing with astonishing virtuosity and spirit. He is matched by a stellar band, anchored by bassist Marc Karapetian (the bandleader’s brother, himself a force, recently recording and touring with Tigran Hamasyan), drummer Théo Moutou, guitarist Gabriel Gosse, and saxophonist Mounir Sefsouf. The group traces its roots back to the Paris Conservatory, and the camaraderie shows.
...
The first single, “Doppelganger10” is a weaving composition, somewhere between Christian Scott, Radiohead, and Sébastien Tellier. Here, Karapetian demonstrates his vision for the sound of the album. Saxophonist Mounir Sefsouf and guitarist Gabriel Gosse carry the melody - flowing, wistful. But the real story is in between, in a series of fiery interludes led by Karapetian himself. Though he saves the technical fireworks for other songs, particularly “TI(M)ES” (which earned him a Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Original Composition), his trademark intensity is on full display. Gosse (known for his work with French artists Phillipe Katerine and Eddie de Pretto, as well as recent appearances with Christian Scott) solos, bringing the piece to its powerful climax.
First played with ONEFOOT, “Invisible Moon” is a powerful, shifting composition, at times dark, at others undoubtedly triumphant. As with much of Karapetian’s music, it leaves you feeling many things all at once. “The melody was me imagining what Thom York would sing on these chords,” which on repeated listens, comes as no surprise. The band, building gradually, takes off under a powerful solo by altoist Sefsouf – one of many high points on the record.
“Dernier Madrigal” is a fitting end to the album. Anthemic and lush, the piece was originally performed with a symphonic orchestra – although the arrangement here leaves nothing wanting. The melody, hopeful and honest, soars as it emerges from a beautiful solo by Karapetian. Here, the band is at its peak, almost astonishing in the purpose they bring to what is just a few notes. After a weaving album, often without absolutes, it is a remarkable display of clarity.
Kyudo Records
2022
Contributing writer and editor
296 pages
You would think that a system this slow, this careful, would produce very few failures. Not so. If anything, it’s just the opposite. The history of federal IT is filled with horror stories of long delays, billion-dollar cost overruns, and software that just plain old didn’t work.
The marquis example, of course, is HealthCare.gov. On launch day, the website received 4.7 million visitors, yet only six people were able to enroll. One month later, roughly 25,000 made it through. All for the price of $800 million. The New York Times summed it up brilliantly: “For the first time in history, a president has had to stand in the Rose Garden to apologize for a broken Web site.”
Nearly every American took note of the administration’s flop on HealthCare.gov. After all, we were promised a system that would touch and improve an intensely personal part of our lives. But there are countless other failures, of similar scale, that have gone relatively unnoticed by most of the electorate. If anything, it’s surprising a Rose Garden apology has taken this long.
The Census Bureau’s attempt to go digital for the 2010 census is a good example. The agency hired Harris Corp to help replace its paper-based collection methods with specialized devices, awarding them a $600 million contract to develop the handhelds and software. The project unfolded predictably: cost overruns totaled in the billions, and Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez was hauled before congress to explain what went wrong. “There is no question that both the Census Bureau and Harris could have done things differently or better over the past couple years,” he says.
The list goes on and on. We could write a whole book on the history of failed federal IT projects. Instead, let’s sum it up like this: the Standish Group, a consultancy that studies federal procurement, found that of all IT projects in excess of $10 million, 52% were challenged, and 38% failed. Only 10% of large-scale projects succeeded, according to their findings. Not exactly the numbers you’re hoping for when most Americans can buy their groceries on a smartphone.
So what’s going wrong? Why is the system so broken? There’s no one answer, but it’s increasingly obvious that the waterfall method traditionally used for procurement and development – which is essentially a very expensive blind wedding – plays a big role. Winners are chosen not necessarily because they will do the best job, or even a good job, but because they are they cheapest, and because they know how to navigate byzantine requirements like MD 102. “It’s basically, ‘Congratulations, you won the award,’ then they drop the mic and walk out of the room. And in six months you get something and realize it’s not what you wanted, not what you needed.” That was Mark Naggar, who manages HHS’ innovative new Buyers Club – we’ll talk more about him later. But now, he sums up the problem perfectly: “So often we're focused on getting something awarded and there's not enough attention focused on implementation.” It should come as no surprise then, that implementation is where most projects break down.
If you’re in government, it’s easy to feel trapped by this system – like it was designed to make your life miserable and keep you from getting anything done. That’s how Mark Schwartz felt when he first got to USCIS. But in reality, there’s no “Dr. Evil”, laughing as he thinks up new ways to make you pull out your hair (if you still have any). “The people who put together MD 102 wanted to do the right thing, and were not a faceless bureaucracy,” says Schwartz. But in their attempt to minimize risk, and to make sure that government delivers on its legal and policy needs, they created a process that all but guarantees the opposite. They practically ensured that government would get old technology, implemented poorly, for ten times the price.
That’s not to say these boxes don’t need to be checked. Government has always had unique requirements, and it’s not like the Internet magically made them disappear. But for the promise of digital transformation to be realized, these needs must be met in a smarter, faster, and cheaper way.
William D. Eggers
RosettaBooks
2016
Author35,000 words
As aging populations put downward pressure on growth, policymakers will have increasingly strong incentives to promote the rapid adoption of automation as a means to replace lost workers, improve productivity, and boost GDP. However, with automation poised to add the equivalent of 1.1 to 2.3 billion full-time workers to the world’s largest economies (G19 plus Nigeria) by 2065, they will also need to consider how to support the redeployment of potentially large numbers of displaced workers.
As these forces unfold, it is likely policymakers will misdiagnose their root causes – for example, blaming unfair trade practices or currency manipulation. To be clear, our view is that automation is by far the central force disrupting workers today, and will be for some time.
Policy responses will differ greatly country by country, shaped by local labor markets, corporate climates, and political attitudes. Singapore, for example, is promoting robotics and automation as a means of growing its manufacturing sector despite limited space. With a land area smaller than New York City, the city-state has little room for more workers, which would come in the form of migrant labor; by embracing automation, policymakers aim to reduce demand for these workers, preserving both jobs and high wages for native-Singaporeans while still boosting productivity.
Japan is also likely to pursue robotics and automation, but for very different reasons: with an aging population, machines will be needed to supplement its declining workforce. Meanwhile, the EU is on the opposite end of the spectrum; policymakers there are considering a tax on robots as a means of slowing the effects of automation.
Reskilling has become something of a policy “silver bullet” in response to these disruptions. But for all the hype, economists are yet to have found any successful, scalable programs for reskilling people over 50 years of age. The US alone has already spent tens of billions of dollars on retraining programs, with mixed results.
With jobs shifting rapidly, figuring out a model that allows people to reskill within existing university and technical school systems – or organizations themselves – is a multi-billion-dollar problem. For policymakers, it is imperative; as most countries moving to embrace automation are facing declines in their working-age populations, it will actually be impossible for them to achieve their goals around GDP growth, or to compete in global markets, without leveraging both human and machine labor.
While there are no proven solutions yet, many are exploring new models. Intuitively, we know people can learn new skills, even in old age. But how can we do it well, at scale? What can we expect people to learn in different phases of their lives? In today’s rapidly changing environment, in which “the shelf life of new skills is only five years”, what skills should we even try to teach?
Even if policymakers are able to answer these questions, several challenges still remain. For one, jobs are not uniformly distributed across geographic areas; there may be work, but not necessarily near where you live. This has become particularly pronounced as jobs have moved from small to big cities, and more broadly, from developed to developing countries. In Indiana, for example, thousands of medical device manufacturing jobs are currently unfilled – simply because of a geographical mismatch.
Historically, people have moved to where jobs are, but mobility has significantly decreased in recent years, due in part to forces such as increasing homeownership as well as reliance on state-specific benefits. In this environment, policymakers will have to accept the fact that not all new jobs are created equal, and that policies such as relocation assistance may be needed.
Another challenge for policymakers is to address workers for whom reskilling and/or relocating is not possible. In these scenarios, proposals such as Universal Basic Income (UBI) are increasingly being discussed – despite the fact that they are politically untenable in most countries, including the US. This highlights a particular challenge for policymakers: to devise humane ways to address growing worker displacement while navigating their own political climates and not interfering with fundamental principles of choice, risk, and reward.
Deloitte
2017