Vinnie Sperrazza Apocryphal, an experimental, free-jazz group native to Brooklyn and Manhattan, performed at the Black Box Theater last week as the second installment of the music department’s “New Topologies” series. The next event will take place on Feb. 22 in the Lang Recital Hall. Professor Ryan Keberle, the series’ director, is working on holding two more events in the Black Box Theater that will be announced at a later date.
“New Topologies” is designed to showcase up-and-coming musicians in the field of improvised music –- and work that engages with social, racial and economic issues. The department calls this kind of music “a powerful tool for enacting social change and strengthening communities.”
The series was designed to also answer questions students may have around the non-profit economy (such as grant writing, marketing, copyright law, etc.) by offering panels and workshops geared at career development.
Vinnie Sperrazza, the group’s leader and drummer, has worked with the advanced jazz drum students at Hunter in the past few years as a private instructor.
The chill in the open, echoing space of the Black Box Theater quickly warmed up when Sperrazza and his band members came out and chatted up the audience before introducing their music. Once the show began, music students, faculty members and others looked on intently as Sperrazza and his fellow members improvised their way through a four-song, 60-minute set.
One of the songs that the group played was a release from their previous work, and two others were brand new, unreleased tracks. Staying true to the genre of free jazz, the group took many risks throughout their performance and spent most of their stage time freely improvising over abstract soundscapes. The unpredictability of the music seemed to captivate audience members as most of them studied the performance with sharp focus.
“I liked how they would build certain things up, then just kind of stop your expectations and bring something completely different up. I really liked that. It was unexpected, so it was an oddly pleasant surprise,” said Isabel Cruz after the show.
To close the show, the group performed a song that they had never practiced or played together before.
After chatting with and fielding questions from some of Hunter’s music students post-performance, Sperrazza said he is “still getting to know what’s happening here at Hunter, but it’s a beautiful thing to see. The students are so focused.”
“I thought it was a great show,” he added. “[The audience] was incredible, they were so into us — so with us. Their minds were so open.”
For more information on upcoming “New Topologies” events, you can follow the series on Facebook and Instagram.
