Sonnelius Smith Trio at Barbes

Sonelius Smith is the greatest pianist you’ve probably never heard. A truly unique artist, his ideas are more incendiary than the staunchest avant-gardist (though the avant-garde can’t claim him). He can also be straight-ahead or even in the pocket (but the straight-aheaders wouldn’t touch him). Living the music for more than seven decades and hailing from Hillhouse, Mississippi, he plays with a soul and spirit that are intangible.
The list of greats Sonelius has played with is both long and impressive – Kenny Dorham, Charles Mingus, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Elvin Jones, Rashied Ali, Archie Shepp, Freddie Hubbard, Shamek Farrah – to name just a few.
His compositions have been recorded by greats such as Ahmad Jamal, David Murray, Stanley Cowell, Robin Kenyatta and others.

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Adam Kahan is a bass player and filmmaker living in Brooklyn. He has been collaborating with Sonelius Smith over many years and in many different forms. They first started working together, with saxophonist/flutist Clare Daly, when they recorded the soundtrack for the short film My Eileen.

As a filmmaker, Adam has made documentaries on Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Buster Williams, Andres Serrano, Fred Tomaselli, narrative and experimental shorts as well.

A true Gemini living a double-life; as a musician Kahan has a forthcoming recording with Smith and as a filmmaker he is working on a new film about Sun Ra.