Harriet Tubman im Jazzclub Bix Stuttgart 2026
From the very first second, you sense that nothing ordinary will happen musically this evening at the renowned Stuttgart jazz club BIX, as three “strange figures” wordlessly take to the small stage and begin to unleash their sonic magic.
The trio takes its name from Harriet Tubman, the most famous American abolitionist, who helped thousands of slaves escape from the Southern states to the Northern states or Canada in the 19th century.
Escape was also the key word for a few concertgoers over the next two hours, who left BIX early, shaking their heads or perhaps feeling somewhat disturbed.
On stage are three exceptional musicians whose appearance also defies conventional “jazz guidelines.”
At the drum kit sits a man who could easily pass for an old white voodoo sorcerer, while the guitarist looks like a carbon copy of Bob Marley. Only the bassist seems relatively inconspicuous in comparison, but his playing on the thick strings is anything but subtle, as will become clear as the evening progresses.
A musical LSD trip with a thousand facets
Guitarist Brandon K. Ross initially caresses his instrument gently, coaxing ethereal tones from it. The bass thumps softly beneath, the cymbals sound restrained, before the soundscape erupts into a psychedelic inferno after just a few minutes.
The guitar wails and groans in various feedback loops, and the bass suddenly crashes into this musical LSD trip painting with a distorted and deafening sound. In those opening moments, you might think you’re hearing a blend of Pat Metheny, a drug-addled Larry Coryll, and the sound of a Seattle grunge band. Not to mention the “Voodoo Man” on drums, who’s now whirling like a dervish.
This bizarre sonic concoction leaves the audience with open mouths, joyful grins, or head-shaking disbelief. It’s impossible to categorize what’s happening, but somehow utterly fascinating, far removed from any mainstream, and a world away from the usual swinging bebop jazz often performed in this club.
At times, you think the sound system is malfunctioning, incorrectly calibrated, or that the tweeters have failed. But that’s not the case; it’s all part of the method in this multifaceted jazz-rock improvisation show, which is anything but pleasing and probably unpalatable to some ears.
“I don’t know exactly what we’re going to play, but let’s just start playing.” A look at the musical histories of the three protagonists reveals some truly remarkable things. Guitarist Brandon K. Ross, who with his long dreadlocks looks like a man in his fifties, is actually 71 years old and played with Archie Shepp back in the 70s, as well as working for Cassandra Wilson as a musical arranger for a time.
The musical versatility of bassist Melvin Gibbs is extremely impressive, as his résumé includes musicians from a wide variety of genres. From jazz musicians like John Zorn and Bill Frisell to rock poet Henry Rollins, Marisa Monte, and Defunkt, an almost overwhelming range of musical styles is represented.
No less impressive is the list of stars with whom “voodoo drummer” JT Lewis has performed as a sideman. Lou Reed, Sting, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and Vanessa Williams are just a few of the many superstars with whom Lewis has shared the stage. And now the three of them are doing their own thing.
Music that resonates with them, that’s fun and addresses critical issues, such as life in the USA during Trump’s war-mongering era, or the still-present racism against minorities, refugees, and people of color.
Representative of these themes is the song “Greenbook Blues,” presented in a highly structured blues-rock style. The trio’s imaginative and flexible approach becomes apparent when Gibbs, in his introduction, hints that he’s not quite sure what they’re going to play, but they’ll just start playing.
Freaky jazz-rock hybrids and the Song of Freedom
After the intermission, the audience thinned slightly, as those whose listening habits had been overtaxed had made their escape, but the BIX was still extremely well-filled.
Despite its wildness, the music is perfectly cohesive, a whirlwind of elastic song forms, pulled back and forth by a highly creative improvisational style without wasting a single note. All the elements blend together with an ease that reveals the music’s great sense of adventure.
Whether John Abercrombie or Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsies served as inspiration for some of the sound collages is irrelevant, as the aesthetic blends seamlessly with the original material.
Speaking of covers, after seventy minutes, Bob Marley finally makes an appearance. Brandon Ross delivers “Redemption Song” with his soprano voice in an inimitable, delicate way—quietly understated, yet so intensely that it sends shivers down your spine.
One might have wished for more of these vocal passages, but regardless, the performance is captivating and evokes moments of incredulous wonder.
The trio uses the encore as a musical playground once more, crashing, roaring, thumping, and wailing from every corner before gentleness returns, leaving the audience utterly enthralled.
For all concertgoers, this evening (at least for those who stayed until the end) was undoubtedly an unforgettable performance, one rarely presented in such a musically unique way at BIX.
A truly magical evening of jazz, rock, and voodoo, a journey through time and space of musical possibilities. A trip one would gladly repeat.
Harriet Tubman sind:
Brandon Ross (git, banjo, voc)
Melvin Gibbs (b)
JT Lewis (dr)
