Already a beloved sideman for a host of NYC jazz bandleaders, bassist Russell Hall has recently stepped into the foreground more often. Earlier this month, Hall released his newest solo record, Black Caesar.

The album’s title track came out of Hall’s experience of the height of COVID-19 alongside the fitful racial reckoning in the wake of the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Hall says the piece “takes influence from many of the Blaxploitation pieces that have been created in music and film as well as taking musical and thematic elements from all eras of music from the 1600s to beyond our time,” connecting todays struggles with those of earlier generations.

This week, Hall returns to The Jazz Gallery stage with a new band, Free Birds. Featuring saxophonist Mike Troy, vibraphonist Sasha Berliner, and drummer Lesley Mok, the band and its offshoots have been cutting their teeth together at Smalls.

Russell Hall’s Free Birds plays The Jazz Gallery on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. The group features Mr. Hall on bass, Mike Troy on alto saxophone, Sasha Berliner on vibraphone, and Lesley Mok on drums. Sets are at 7:30 and 9:30 P.M. $20 general admission (FREE for members), $30 reserved cabaret seating ($20 for members), $20 for livestream access (FREE for members) for each set. Purchase tickets here.