Stuck in TAFFY: Rehearsal Photos

On Thursday, The Jazz Gallery will host the return of Corey King and TAFFY. Corey has appeared on our stage in multiple contexts in the past, and Thursday's performance will be his second as a leader here.Corey caught our attention as the musical director and trombonist for Jamire Williams' ERIMAJ, a band that Ben Ratliff of The New York Times proclaims "dissolves lines between rhythmic traditions in jazz and hip-hop as well as I’ve ever heard". Click here to read what Ratliff had to say after ERIMAJ performed at The Jazz Gallery.In addition to his work with ERIMAJ, Corey also serves as the musical director for the Dr. Lonnie Smith Big Band and Nonet, and has performed and/or recorded with Jason Moran, Dave Binney, Chris Dave, Mos Def, Gil Scott-Heron, Bilal, Wyclef Jean, Mary J. Blige, Mark Ronson, and several others.TAFFY features Corey's original music, and consists of Corey (trombone/compositions), Takuya Kuroda (trumpet), Max Seigel (bass trombone), Frank LoCrasto (keys), Matt Stevens (guitar), Chris Smith (bass), Jamire Williams (drums), and Adam Jackson (percussion).The photos above were shot by this blogger in whatever tight spaces he could find in the pianist's crowded rehearsal space in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Nonetheless, the deliciousness of the music more than compensated for the scarcity of wiggle room. It was like being stuck in taffy.