After spending a year in Perth, Australia with his with wife Linda May Han Oh and their young child, pianist Fabian Almazan returned to New York in summer 2020. Since then, Almazan has jumped right back into the scene, playing shows with Johnathan Blake at the Gallery, and Melissa Aldana at the Village Vanguard earlier this month. He did a European tour with Oh’s Aventurine. And he’s continued to grow his record label Biophilia, putting out new work by the likes of Sara Serpa, Maria Grand, and Adam O’Farrill.

In the midst of this time of new beginnings, comings, and goings, Almazan has also been working on a project near and dear to his heart. While an undergrad at Manhattan School of Music, Almazan lived for a time with Paul Cornelius, a scholar, music-lover, and quintessential Upper West sider. Cornelius passed away in December 2020, and Almazan is restoring Cornelius’s old piano—a piano on which Almazan wrote much of the music on his first album.

This Friday, March 18, Almazan returns to The Jazz Gallery with a quartet of frequent collaborators—saxophonist Dayna Stephens, bassist Chris Tordini, and drummer Eric Doob. Whether playing music new or old, the group is sure to balance welcoming lyricism with a taste for new adventure.

The Fabian Almazan Quartet plays The Jazz Gallery on Friday, March 18, 2022. The group features Mr. Almazan on piano, Dayna Stephens on saxophone, Chris Tordini on bass, and Eric Doob on drums. Sets are at 7:30 and 9:30 P.M. E.D.T. $25 general admission ($10 for members), $35 reserved table seating ($20 for members) for each set. Purchase tickets here.