Programs
BAMcafé Live 2015-16
Free live music on select Friday and Saturday nights, featuring rock, jazz, R&B, world music, pop, and more from Brooklyn and beyond.
BAMcafé Live features a diverse mix of free live music and performance in BAM's Lepercq Space, a bar and lounge space in the Peter Jay Sharp Building. Started in 1999, BAMcafé Live, currently curated by Darrell M. McNeill, has served as a career launchpad for many new artists and an intimate performance home for established artists.
Pair the performance with food and drinks from BAMcafé. Happy hour on select weekends from 6 to 8pm. BAM members receive a 10% discount.

Tsering Nyima joined Great Performances as BAMcafé’s executive chef in 2010.

The Black Rock Coalition Orchestra presents a tribute to Jimi Hendrix’s seminal 1970 album.

This former member of Parliament-Funkadelic makes jazz-funk with a colorful sonic palette.

The dynamic jazz ensemble presents the world premiere of an opera by Fred Ho.

Songstress Johanna Cranitch layers breathy vocals over dreamy synthpop soundscapes.

Saxophonist Rob Reddy offers a fresh take on the music of jazz icon Sidney Bechet.

The soulful electro-pop of this vocalist combines lush production and dance floor-ready beats.

The Fiery Furnaces’ Eleanor Friedberger channels retro-cool 70s-style pop classicism.

Deborah Bond puts a sleek, contemporary spin on psychedelic soul.

This Brazilian singer-songwriter strums summery, jazz-inflected samba tunes.

This Buenos Aires-based singer-songwriter creates lush old-school soul.

This self-described “metal goddess” unleashes dark-tinged rock anthems with attitude.

Audra Isadora combines outré glam eccentricity with irresistible pop hooks.

Tammy Scheffer’s crystalline voice draws listeners into her thrilling jazz experiments.

This adventurous, sitar-based ensemble combines classical raga with jazz improvisation.

This Burnt Sugar Arkestra offshoot is boundary-pushing jazz-funk at its most enlightened.

The blogger behind Awesome Tapes From Africa spins rare gems from across the continent.

Gato Loco fuses Latin mambo and modern rock firepower for a bold, exuberant sound.

Dancer and MC Akim Funk Buddha fuses hip-hop, martial arts, throat singing, and more.

Intoxicating Balkan rhythms meet thrilling jazz improvisation.

This Brooklyn-based sketch comedy troupe skewers the absurd side of American pop culture.

This old-school chanteuse breathes new life into jazz standards and slow-burn blues numbers.

This powerhouse vocal quartet brings the yuletide cheer to BAMcafé.

This Swiss-American jazz vocalist reinterprets 80s rock classics with a smooth R&B sound.

This Grammy-nominated drummer and producer brings his jazzy, neo-soul grooves to BAMcafe.

This funk septet balances ultra-tight musicianship with off-the-cuff improvisation.

Trombone virtuoso and longtime Sonny Rollins collaborator brings his hard-bop style to BAM.

The veteran jazz pianist plays with a beautifully reflective, lyrical touch.

Soul chanteuse Mariami melds the Eastern European liturgical music of her native country Georgia with R&B.

Dina Regine offers a fresh take on the rootsy, vintage sounds of ‘70s rock and soul.

This all-female five-piece channels the psych-rock of 1970s Brazilian Tropicália.

This soulful singer and keyboardist is a staple of Brooklyn’s neo-soul scene.

This up-and-comer blends old school soul influences with a modern pop sheen.

This New Orleans-style brass band channels the rambunctious energy of the Big Easy.

This acclaimed jazz singer possesses a rich, hauntingly beautiful voice.

This Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter delivers silky smooth soul ballads.

Frontwoman Danni Gee and her band unleash a ferocious blend of hard rock and electrified funk.

A unique cross-section of New Yorkers share stranger-than-fiction true tales.

These Brooklyn-based rock ‘n’ roll revivalists unleash a raw, soul-shaking sound.

This veteran reggae rock trio pushes the classic roots sound in bold new directions.

This forward-thinking string quartet showcases daring new works by emerging composers.

This vocalist-harpist duo fuses classical music with an irresistible pop sensibility.

This R&B chanteuse’s soaring vocals and lush sound is both retro-cool and dreamlike.

This trio of veteran performers specializes in sultry, mellow acoustic soul.

This boundary-pushing electroacoustic jazz trio creates resonant sound sculptures.

This classically trained soloist sings ballads that merge indie-folk with jazz sophistication.

This five-piece outfit crafts moody, bluegrass-tinged folk pop with anthemic choruses.

This duo blends ambient textures, sensual lyricism, and technology.

This electric guitar virtuoso blends jazz, funk, and rock with jaw-dropping finesse.

This Brooklyn-based ensemble plays hard-bop jazz with a subtle hip-hop influence.

The New Orleans-style big band Kenyatta Beasley Septet pays tribute to saxophonist Frank Foster.

Rhythmically innovative jazz drummer E.J. Strickland leads this adventurous new project.

This 11-piece band blends Mexican folk and Afro-Amerindian musical traditions.

This powerhouse R&B quartet combines funk grooves with offbeat storytelling.

This indie-folk singer-songwriter makes sunny, soulful pop with a touch of Motown.

Classic funk gets a pop update in the dance-floor-ready jams of this seven-piece outfit.

The thrillingly original jazz saxophonist unleashes his one-of-a-kind, swinging sound.

Keep the DanceAfrica celebrations going after hours with legendary DJ Tony Humphries.