Annually for the past five years, the 55 Bar has hosted a gathering of one of the most innovative jazz ensembles on the planet. David Binney’s Welcome to Life Sextet (with Binney on alto, Chris Potter on tenor, Adam Rogers on guitar, Craig Taborn on piano, Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade on drums) brings their original compositions and serious chops to this small Village venue this weekend, September 8-10. In addition to music from their eponymous first release, the band will introduce some new music and celebrate the web download release of the new Out of Airplanes (with Bill Frisell, Craig Taborn, Elvind Opsvik and Kenny Wollesen). The CD version will also be available this weekend at the 55 Bar.

A Florida native raised in southern California, David Binney was introduce to jazz through his parents’ collections of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Jimi Hendrix and more. He studied alto and soprano saxophone, moving to New York City at age 19 where he was mentored by Dave Liebman. He played in the Gil Evans and Maria Schneider Orchestras as well as with Jim Hall, Bobby Previte and Cecil McBee. In 1989 he was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to produce his first recording, Point Game. He went on to co-found Lost Tribes and Lan Xang, performed with Maceo Parker and Aretha Franklin (the latter at Carnegie Hall), and started his own record label, Mythology, in 1996. He appears as leader or co-leader on more than a dozen recordings, frequently performs at the 55 Bar with his quartet, and works often with like-minded creators including Uri Caine and Edward Simon. Jazz Times recently singled out Binney as one of the "young players who have created an alternative jazz scene...all of whom are playing adventurous, original music."

Chris Potter © Andrea Canter

Chris Potter is one of the leading jazz voices of his generation. Winner of the IAJE Young Talent award for saxophone at age 12, a protégé of Marian McPartland by 15, a member of the Red Rodney band while still in his teens, and with a long list of recordings as both leader and sideman when still in his 20s, Potter holds the sax chair for the Dave Holland Quintet, has long been an associate of trumpet master Dave Douglas, and leads his own acclaimed Quartet (which includes Taborn and Rogers). His most recent release is Underground.

Adam Rogers has been touted as one of the finest guitarists in jazz, pop and world music, and has worked with such diverse performers as Steely Dan, Terence Blanchard, Michael and Randy Brecker, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, and John Zorn. Rogers has toured with Michael Brecker and in a duo with John Patitucci, among others, and has released three strong recordings, most recently Allegory (Criss Cross) featuring Potter and Colley.

Craig Taborn © Andrea Canter

Scott Colley

Brian Blade

Join the “Welcome to Life” Party at the 55 Bar this weekend—three sets each night at 9 pm, 11 pm and 1 am. The 55 Bar is located at 55 Christopher Street at 7^th Avenue ( www.55bar.com).

“Welcome to Life is a harmonically consistent, fluid venture that demonstrates Binney's alto acumen, particularly his sensibility of surrounding himself with tremendous support.” – Eddie Becton, All About Jazz