Named after the woman who helped hundreds of African American slaves escape from servitude in the 1850s, New York City trio Harriet Tubman embody in their music that heroic activist’s irrepressible quest for freedom. Brandon Ross (guitar/banjo/vocal), Melvin Gibbs (electric bass), and J.T. Lewis (drums) have been jamming complexly and powerfully for the last 22 years, imbuing their technically brilliant pieces with a fiery soulfulness.
Harriet Tubman are masters of improvised fusion, as they proved in a 2019 show at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, where they dazzled attendees with telepathic interplay, rhythmic sorcery, and a turbulent vibe that recalled Jimi Hendrix’s strafing acid rock and the torrid jazz-funk of 1970s-era Miles Davis.
