On Thursday, July 14th, jazz collective Omar’s Hat hosted their first of two jam sessions taking place this month at Brooklyn Bowl Philly. Even in a spacious venue like Brooklyn Bowl, Omar’s Hat was able to create a warm, intimate and inviting space to enjoy some soul-satisfying music, and for many to join in on the magic onstage. The night was a blast, and we already can’t wait for the next one on July 28!
Omar’s Hat has been hosting jam sessions in Philly since the fall of 2016. The group’s first residency was at the Ethiopian bar/restaurant Meskerem (now called New Tavern) at the corner of 45th and Locust, where they would host sessions every Thursday from 10pm-2am. From there the group spread out, hosting sessions at West Philly’s Sankofa House, District 38 Studios, and other venues throughout the city until rooting down with a years-long residency at World Café Live, hosting monthly sessions from 2018-2022 (including some virtual sessions during the pandemic). After taking a brief hiatus, the group is back to apply their unique, experimental and open approach to the art of the jam session at Brooklyn Bowl Philly.
While the group has always operated as a collective, with members rotating depending on gig schedules and availability, the core members of this stacked house band are Austin Marlow on drums, Larry Monroe Jr. on guitar, Eric Sherman on trumpet, Yesseh Furaha-Ali on sax, Mike Spearman on trombone, Max Hoenig on keys, Kayla Childs (aka Black Buttafly) on keys, Ajay Shugart on bass, and Cam Cephas and Alejandro Utria on percussion.
Thursday’s session kicked off around 8:30 with DJ Reezey spinning an eclectic mix of house classics, jersey club remixes, funk, soul, and RnB hits. Reezey was once a regular at the original Omar’s Hat Meskerem sessions, and it’s always nice to see him back with the collective. Omar’s Hat then played a house-band set, followed by a featured set by the virtuoso keys player, vocalist, and singer/songwriter JONILL (another long-time attendee of Omar’s Hat jams since the Meskerem days). JONILL, backed by KYON on drums, Ajay Shugart on bass, Eoin Murphy on guitar, and Yesseh Ali on sax, treated the crowd to a beautiful set of original music, including many unreleased songs from his forthcoming project which we are all eagerly anticipating. After another brief interlude with DJ Reezey on the ones and twos, Omar’s Hat opened up the night for a jam, and many folks from the audience made their way onstage.
As Kayla (one of Philly’s most exciting young keys players, who performs regularly with the likes of Orion Sun, KeiyAa, Ivy Sole and others), put it in a conversation after the jam, community is at the core of what Omar’s Hat aims to do with the space, and the music, that they create. Many of the musicians who come to Omar’s Hat jams have been coming since the early days of Meskerem Thursdays, and there is a palpable sense of familiarity and fellowship with the artists who come together at these sessions. But even for the many newcomers who come through as well, there is always a welcome invitation to join in on the improvised music-making happening on stage. At this past session, Derek, a staff member at BBowl, took the stage and laid down some serious bars on the mic over a soulful beat improvised by an even mix of house-band members and jam attendees. As Kayla and Max emphasized, this is exactly the kind of space that Omar’s Hat hopes to cultivate, where old friends, newcomers, venue staff, experienced and beginner musicians alike feel welcome and empowered to create a unique sound together.
This Thursday, July 28, Omar’s Hat will take the Brooklyn Bowl stage again to host another session, and we hope to see you all there! For this one, Jermaine Holmes will be the featured artist, followed by another unforgettable impromptu jam. For tickets, visit Brooklyn Bowl.
Omar’s Hat Website: www.omars-hat.com