New York-based organist Brian Charette will take the stage at Snug Harbor on Thursday, December 21, 2017. While his early work hued more closely to tradition, Charente’s latest album, Kürrent, takes one of the workhorses of church halls and jazz bands and shocks it into modern pop with likes of analog synths and circuit bent electronics.

This experimental organ sound come not only from post-production manipulation, but from manipulation of the instruments themselves. Circuit bending involves breaking and rearranging the actual circuit board of the organs and integrating the sounds of short circuiting into the music. Charette mixes these sonic irregularities into his jazz harmonies and improvisation.

The Positone and Steeplechase player got started on the organ during his childhood in Connecticut, and has since gone on to earn a Grammy nomination and a Hammond endorsement. The DownBeat Critic’s poll has had him ranked as the #5 organist for three years.

Charette has played with the likes of Lou Donaldson Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, and Chaka Khan. In New Orleans, he will play with his Quartet that includes Eric “Benny” Bloom, Brian Richburg and Ari Teitel.

When he is not performing, Charette writes for Keyboard magazine, New York City Jazz Record,  DownBeat,  and Muzikus. He also serves on the faculty of the Czech Summer Jazz Workshop at Prague’s Jesek Conservatory.

Charette will perform at both 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Snug Harbor. Tickets are available for $15 here. 

Check out a sample of Charette’s electronic music from his latest album Kürrent below: