March 15–22, 2001

six pick

Cindy Blackman

Last spring, drummer Cindy Blackman had thousands shaking their heads (and their booties) at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, where she backed Lenny Kravitz. A few weeks later, she was playing to a very crowded roomful of listeners in the Knitting Factory’s Old Office, with her own aggressive hard-bop band. Blackman is consistent regardless of the context: consistently propulsive, in the manner bequeathed to her by the departed legend Tony Williams. She can, in fact, nail late-era Williams with uncanny precision (an awe-inspiring experience), but her group is self-consciously modeled after an earlier period, the last days of the second great Miles Davis Quintet. She brings that vibe — with modifications, of course — to town this week.

—Nate Chinen

Fri. and Sat., March 16-17, 9 and 11 p.m., Zanzibar Blue, Broad and Walnut Sts., 215-732-4500, $15.